Nursing: Treating People Beyond Medications

 

By 

Matt Vera, BSN, R.N.

We have all had our bitter experiences in a hospital; sometimes for simple accidents, sometimes for infection or fevers or even for some minor surgery. But no matter what the reason may be, almost all of us would instantly agree that the factor that brought us back to good health, more than the medications, was nursing. Truly, hospitals would be much grimmer if it weren’t for the nursing staff looking after the ailing patients. We mean, if it weren’t for nursing, the only medical attention you will ever get is when the group of doctors comes around for rounds inspecting you like an odd specimen. So definitely nursing has transformed the way in which people heal, here we take a closer look at how it has helped hospitals to become a better place.

Patient- centered treatment

Over the years, quality of medicine has improved not just because of the advent of new antibiotics and the enhanced understanding of the human body, but also due to the new practices followed at hospitals. And one of the major improvements in such practices is patient-centered medicine, where the patient and his family have a say in the treatment. As mentioned by the John Hopkins Medicine International this would be utterly impossible without the help of the nursing staff, as essentially they are the only ones who are in constant contact with the patients, even more than their families, when they are ill. So without a doubt, nursing can be regarded as the backbone source of modern medicine.

Roles of nursing staff

Apart from the obvious role of looking after patients, nurses also perform a number of roles in the hospital that keeps the place running. Some of these roles are:

• Leading and monitoring other medical personnel

• Administration and documenting of patient progress

• Listening to patient problems and reporting them to the physician

• Identify other minor health related issues such as snoring that are often overlooked by doctors

• Consoling and explaining patient’s family members on the important medical issues and terminology which may not be explained clearly by the physician.

And the list just continues to grow on. Also the nursing staff has a positive effect on the other medical personnel and hospital employees as well, as stated by the International council of nurses. As they lead ahead in providing the best medical attention amidst all their duties, the other personnel tend to do so as well, creating a collaborative effort to cure the sick, which is actually the definition provided by the American Nurses Association.

An angel in disguise

Nursing not only saves you from the apparent major health issues for which you might be inducted in for, but also help you identify other health issues that can cause future problems. Like, consider snoring for instance; a lot of us neglect it as a minor issue and don’t actually pay any medical attention to it. But a qualified nurse will instantly identify it as a cause for other major health problems such as cardiovascular disease, lung problems and so on and will guide you to get the best medical attention to cure it. That’s really how effective nurses are; so in conclusion they truly are angels in disguise.