One of the big take aways from today was how important communication and listening are. As a healthcare provider, specifically a nurse, I thought we always did wonderful listening to our patients; after all, we are one of the top most trusted professionals. So when my organization sent an email to my unit saying that they wanted to work on communication with patients to increase our low scores, I was shocked. I was even more shocked when I heard the average time that patients and their families were first interrupted during a conversation. I need to take the tools I learned today and apply them to show patients that they matter and are the most important one in the healthcare dynamic.
Care for the caregiver was a really great reminder on how even resilient individuals need to take care of themselves and it’s ok to ask for help. Help is always seen as a sign of weakness, but without it we can’t work to our full potential. I always tell families members that it’s ok to go home for a bit and take care of themselves, because they can’t take care of their sick family member without taking care of themselves first; sometimes I need to learn to take my own advice.
These past few days have been so informational, emotional, and overall wonderful so far.