The quality of the care you provide to your patients is important for them in so many ways. Overlooking the importance of bedside manner in nursing reduces the quality of the care that you have taken an oath to provide to the patients under your care. Even though, you need to maintain a certain level of professionalism with patients, visitors, and the medical professionals you work with. If you do not uphold your promises for patient care, Texas Board of Nursing investigations can ensue. TBON investigators are not a nurse’s friend. That means it is important to find an attorney that understands TBON law and knows how to clearly navigate your case.
Focus on the Patients
Doctors are often more focused on the conditions and symptoms that patients are suffering from and finding the appropriate course of treatment for those symptoms and conditions. Due to this situation, their genuine concern for patents is not always conveyed. This can result in patients not feeling as if they can or should discuss symptoms they are experiencing, possible questions they have, and the fears they are keeping to themselves with the doctor. It is vital that you remember the importance of having a good, friendly bedside manner, because many people feel more comfortable sharing this information. You may often be the only bridge between the doctors getting the information needed to treat the patient better, and a patient understanding that not fully disclosing these things can seriously affect the outcome of their treatment.
Bedside Mistakes Lead to TBON Investigations
As the largest group of medical professionals that care for patients and intakes, nurses have a ton on their plate. Combined with long shifts and the current nursing shortage, nurses are at a higher risk to be stressed and exhausted during their shifts. These factors could lead to a good nurse making a bedside manner mistake and having a complaint about them filed with TBON. It is important to have an experienced TBON attorney who knows the process and can help you keep your license. If you ignore your TBON complaint, your nursing license could be revoked, so it is important to respond in a timely manner. It is also important to have a qualified nursing attorney assist you to ensure the best possible outcome.
Treatments can be uncomfortable or even painful. Patients may perceive their conditions to be worse than they are and their prognosis dismal, and may keep these feelings to themselves. Patients can easily become overwhelmed by the fear and stress they are feeling and not hear or understand what the doctor is telling them about their condition, the recommended treatment, and the risks involved. This will increase a patient’s level of fear and stress which can worsen their condition and make it harder to treat them successfully. Family and friends may also increase a patient’s level of fear and stress. They are themselves confused and scared because their loved one is ill or injured. Without meaning to, they may transfer their fears, confusion, and stress onto the patient whose body is already struggling under the weight of a medical condition. In these situations, the importance of bedside manner in nursing cannot be overstated. Displaying a calm, friendly demeanor to patients and their families can reassure them and reduce their fears and stress.
Taking the time to talk to patients and asking them questions helps them to feel that they are not alone. This also conveys to them that you care not just about doing your job to the best of your ability but that you also, care about them. Knowing that someone cares can very often help further the recovery process even when present treatments do not seem to be working, or working fast enough. Even when the condition is a terminal illness or disease such as Cancer and the prognosis is not a positive one, bedside manner is important for helping those patients to be as comfortable and at peace as possible. Your bedside manner will also mean a great deal to the family members who must come to grips with seeing a loved one so seriously ill and knowing the end is drawing near. This is probably the hardest part of nursing. But there is nothing nobler than ensuring that a person is given dignity, comfort, respect, and compassionate care as they transition away from this life.
Your bedside manner is important to the patients you care for in so many ways as a nursing professional. Never underestimate the power of a good bedside manner. Take steps so you do not forsake the oath you have taken to provide quality care to your patients. Remember the importance of bedside manner in nursing. Patient complaints and human mistakes happen, but the TBON is not very forgiving. Without proper representation, years of schooling, work experience and a stable job could be at risk. You handle the patient care, we’ll handle the investigation. Just as you know how to take care of your patients, we know how to apply the law to your case. With years of experience under our belt, we are trained to walk you through board investigations, as well as help defend your nursing license.
To learn more about board investigations, see our page on board investigations. To learn more our Texas Board of Nursing lawyers, check out Buck Johnson and Deborah Goodall. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.