Nurses play a fundamental role in healthcare delivery. Not only are nurses the ones who make sure patients are safe and comfortable, they are also a key point of contact for patients in healthcare settings.

After spending so much time with patients, it’s natural for nurses to develop relationships with them. And, as such, a nurse’s attitude, demeanor, and behavior can directly impact their patients’ health outcomes.

Because of this, it’s essential for nurses not only to possess technical skills but also to find ways to cultivate a safety-conscious mindset for themselves and their patients. Exemplary nurses go through an ongoing learning experience. They must continuously improve their technical knowledge, communication, and ability to build a safe and supportive space for all patients.

The importance of nurses in patient safety and care

The spinal cord of healthcare systems, nurses provide continuous hands-on patient support. They are in a unique position—They don’t have to be as rigid as a doctor would, which allows them to create more meaningful connections with their patients, advocate for them, and closely monitor their health conditions.

Your natural connection to patients

Nurses interact so much with their patients—doing constant check-ups and sometimes even sitting down and chatting with them for a while—building a trusting bond that, outside of medical technicalities, can improve both patient mood and condition.

In the same way, nurses are often the first to identify potential issues ahead of time, making sure patients get the treatment they need promptly. As a nurse, you’re basically a superhero who can tell when a patient says, “I’m fine,” just to avoid the medicine.

Influence over your patient’s environment

For nurses to advocate for patient safety, they need an atmosphere to support it. Nurses are responsible for creating and maintaining a clean, safe, and calm environment for their patients. Said environment follows strict healthcare protocols such as good hygiene to prevent infections or other potential risks, but can also include social-emotional elements.

Direct responsibility for patient care and safety

The nurse’s role in a patient’s life is huge! They are the ones who prevent any potential errors and detect signs of deterioration, whether they are strictly medical or emotional. For this, nurses must craft care decisions to align with the patient’s values and condition.

Learn how to improve patient care by advancing your nursing education at Goodwin.

How to improve patient care as a nurse

There are many ways in which a nurse can improve a patient’s safety and quality of care. These reside in the foundational traits that define the nursing profession—strong communication skills, empathy, and attention to detail.

Strong Communication

Effective and strong communication skills are essential for a nurse to be successful in their role. Patients need to receive clear information to understand their progress and needs.

Communication, however, is a combination of different elements:

• Verbal communication: Verbal communication is vital to giving medical information, instructions, and updates. Nurses must use medically accurate yet simple enough language—a minimal amount of big fancy words—so patients can clearly understand what’s being communicated. Have a language barrier? Bring in a translator, an assistant, or pull out the smartphone to help bridge any communication gaps.
• Nonverbal communication: Wait, this too? Yes! This too. Nonverbal communication is shown through body language, facial expressions, and tone. Primarily used to display empathy for your patient, good nonverbal communication will help you build trust with a patient, which leads to better health outcomes over time.
• Written communication: Whether you’re keeping accurate records, notes, and prescriptions—all part of a nurse’s role and essential for you and the rest of the team to keep the patient safe—or putting pamphlets in patient’s hands so they can read more about conditions when they’re not overwhelmed by a new diagnosis, written communication can reinforce and reiterate the rest of your communication if done correctly.

Cultural awareness

As a nurse, you will encounter patients from all kinds of backgrounds. Understanding and respecting diverse beliefs, practices, preferences, and family histories is part of the job description. Exemplary nurses can customize care and communication to respect and value said differences instead of mere toleration or acknowledgment.

Compassion, empathy, and respect

Effective nursing care influences positive outcomes with compassion, empathy, and respect. Besides encouraging a strong connection with the patient, these traits show us that the support nurses provide goes beyond clinical matters into emotional ones.

Though these qualities require constant practice to master, nurses learn them over time through self-reflection, emotional intelligence, and a patient-centered approach.

Attentiveness

Nurses need to be attentive. Period. Model nurses will stay engaged and maintain open communication with their patients and their families, forming that trust bond we keep on talking about across the board. Trust cannot be gained if the patient is assigned to a careless nurse.

Don’t skip the basics

The foundation of nursing is addressing patients’ essential needs, looking to promote safety, comfort, and recovery. Some primary care needs nurses tend to are hygiene, nutrition, mobility, comfort, monitoring vital signs, assisting with medical treatments, and more, guaranteeing the patient’s physical and emotional well-being.

Learn from mistakes

Don’t be prideful. Learn from your mistakes! Becoming an efficient nurse can take time and practice. It’s definitely a learning curve, but not impossible. Exemplary nurses reflect on their errors and look for areas of improvement to enhance their skills. It’s part of the professional experience and will help you find proactive strategies to reduce future risks.

Prioritize self-care

To care for others, you first need to care for yourself. When physically and mentally well, nurses can create a safe environment where they are less prone to experience compassion fatigue and burnout. Some helpful self-care habits for nurses are eating well, staying hydrated, resting, and meditating.

How to improve your patient care skills

If you are a registered nurse currently, and looking to bring your patient care or patient outcomes to the next level, focus on the following areas of development. If you’re unsure where to start or how to hone your skills, consider an RN-to-BSN program.

RN-to-BSN programs are designed for seasoned nurses looking to advance in their current careers. These programs are flexible, with online and fast-paced scheduling options, so that nurses can continue working in their jobs while pursuing an advanced degree.

The perk? On top of refining your nursing skills and exploring new ways to deliver patient care, BSN programs give nurses even more credibility in the job market. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), BSN-holding nurses have much higher patient outcomes and quality of care, such as:

• Higher patient survival rates
• Lower odds of mortality in patients
• Shorter lengths of stays for patients
• Lower rates of heart failure, medication and procedural errors, and failure to rescue among patients

Enhance your patient care skills at Goodwin

Looking to amplify your knowledge and skills but don’t know where to start?

Get more information about the nursing programs at Goodwin University to see how you can expand your skills, knowledge, and quality of care!