Meeting the Needs of Families of Patients - Assignment Example

The professionalism of a doctor is determined not only by his knowledge of the etiology and pathogenesis of illnesses and the methods of their diagnosis and treatment. A doctor and especially a nurse, whose primary task is taking care of patients, should be able to positively communicate with patients and their families. The communicative skills of a nurse determine the relations between a patient and a family and allow them to explain to relatives their tasks and role. Experienced experts should be able to express their thoughts in the right way not to deprive the family of hope. Successful communication helps meet the needs of the family of a sick individual

Unfortunately, many studies indicate that families can satisfy their needs very seldom. The study by Ejaz et al shows that many families report their negative interactions with nurses. The authors emphasize the importance of positive interaction and family satisfaction improvement: “With respect to direct care, families perceived significant improvements were needed when they had more negative interactions with staff” (Ejaz et al, 2002, p.1).

Taking care of the families of sick individuals should be among the primary tasks of a nurse especially if a case is serious.  According to Hardicre, “Caring for the families of critically ill patients is an essential component of a nurse’s role and a professional obligation” (Hardicre, 2003, p.1). Usually, relatives want to be able to stay with a patient as much as it is possible, to be provided with all necessary conditions to feel comfortable taking care of their relative, to be able to ask questions, and to have support every time they need it. If technological improvements allow to meet all these needs, the attitude of nurses toward the relatives is usually far from ideal.  

Notwithstanding that taking care of relatives is among nurses’ responsibilities, the attitude of nurses toward this issue is not studied well. Staying with their relative the members of the family can express negative emotions, which are caused by the serious case of their loved relative and by the fear to lose him/her. In this case, communication is very important as a nurse should find the right words to stabilize the emotional state of the relatives. Unfortunately, very often the words of a nurse do not provide any support, but on the contrary increase the stress. Nurses should not forget about their task to support the relatives instead of expressing negative emotions towards them. Nurses should be always available to help the members of the family and to answer their questions. If a patient stays at home, there is online support, which can be used by relatives (Ejaz et al, 2002).

Unfortunately, many nurses prefer to ignore their obligation to communicate with relatives and pay attention only to the medical part of their work. The situation needs improvement, thus further research is needed to reveal the attitude of the nurses toward the issue of meeting family needs.