Nurses are there to assess you and decide what your nursing needs are, and then to formulate goals and plans based on those needs. They implement those plans, and then they continually re-evaluate how those plans are working to help you get well and stay free from complications while in the hospital,
in addition to
following doctor’s orders, preparing and giving regular medications, inserting IVs, taking vital signs and supervising you mobility status
as well as
watching for changes in your clinical condition, and calling for help if they believe that things are changing in your condition and you now need to be re-assessed by the doctor,
plus
documenting in charts, supervising aides, searching for supplies, and giving medications as needed to help you with pain or unpleasant symptoms.
So what can you do? Here are a few suggestions:
- Be there 24/7 for your loved one so that your loved one isn’t the one hitting the call button for an hour before he can get a bedpan.
- Be there 24/7 for your loved one so that you can personally go out and find a nurse if you see something wrong
- Be there for your elderly loved one at night so he doesn’t have to be tied to the bedrails
- Be there for the nurses.
- Don’t complain about the little things
- Be sure to give them any nice comments that are warranted. They are often overworked and underappreciated.