The Commendable Roles Nurses Play In Healthcare
When the pandemic hit the world a couple of years backs, healthcare was scrambling to manage the influx of patients moving to the hospitals. Suddenly, an acute shortage of skilled medical professionals was felt in every department of the hospitals, and nursing was no exception. Regardless of their lesser numbers, nurses worked, and they are still working round the clock to manage the patient hit by the pandemic that does not seem to go anywhere any time soon completely. The selfless service of nurses has kept countless people alive and given them hope of living. They are expected to do so in the future too.
1 – Need Of Skilled Nurses In The Healthcare
Nursing is the largest health care profession, offering outstanding services wherever healthcare services are offered. More than three million nurses are currently working in the US alone, so they are undeniably the backbone of the healthcare system. Moreover, the need for skilled nurses will not slow down any time soon. With an aging population, the retirement of senior nurses, and novel diseases circulating the planet, thousands of skilled nurses will be required to meet the growing needs of patients. However, it is still said that the current induction of skilled nurses will not be enough to meet the shortage, let alone meet their actual requirements. Furthermore, today, nurses must have multiple degrees and certifications to increase their in-service effectiveness, unlike in the past.
Therefore, the healthcare system is expected to face an acute shortage of skilled nurses as hospitals start requiring extra certifications for nurses to perform their duties and meet lofty standards of patient care today. The outdated skills in many nurses can impede their career development, but it is not keeping them away from the good work. Regardless of education or skills, nurses still work round the clock and are more motivated to up-skill themselves.
2 – Nurses Are Patient Advocates
It is interesting to note how patients feel comfortable talking to and confiding in a nurse about their emotional traumas. The same patients would shy away from talking to a doctor. Why does this happen? There must be something why nursing is considered the most trusted profession. This happens because nurses are patient advocates, and with their compassion and empathy, they have earned this place for themselves.
Patients trust them for taking their concerns to the doctors, higher management and let them be the face of the faceless. Nurses’ advocacy role extends to patient families as well. They discuss and make them understand the critical medical situation of their patients, complicated systems in the hospital, and much more. With their ability to lend their shoulder to the distressed souls and understand patients’ sufferings and their families’ predicament, they help with their recovery.
3 – Nurses Are Educators For Patients And Families
Regardless of the area of specialization and functional departments, all nurses are entrusted with the role of caring for their patients. They take care of all their needs ranging from daily duties of taking their vitals, administering medicines, helping them with their posture to more advanced needs such as those in critical units.
While they act as caregivers for the patients, their role as educators is commendable too. They help the patient understand the importance of good hygiene, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and understand disease prevention measures. They also help patients through their treatment procedures, such as those involving surgeries, chemotherapy, etc., satisfy their concerns and pacify their fretting souls. Nurses also help patient families understand the condition of their patient situation, doctor’s diagnosis, and other aspects of cure such as proper diet and medication.
4 – Nurses Evolve With Changing Patient Care Needs
With the progress in new and improved treatments, the life expectancy of the human population has considerably increased. However, these improvements might have made things easier for patients; it has been very challenging for the nurses. More than ever, they are required to continuously evolve in terms of patient care services and learn new ways of care delivery. However, they have been learning and evolving at an unprecedented pace and meeting the evolving needs of their patients. Today, nurses are motivated to learn new skills and develop new expertise in offering better services to their patients.
5 – Provide Service In The Far Off Communities
Along with working in big hospitals and clinics, nurses extend the reach of healthcare to the people and communities in far-flung areas. These communities represent the marginalized strata of the population, often in dire need of medical services. The needs of these people are seldom recognized or addressed in an equable manner. Therefore, even the ordinary and curable diseases often have a greater negative impact on them.
Nurses collaborate with social workers and community representatives and make essential healthcare services available to them. Moreover, they also raise their voice against the unequal distribution of healthcare facilities among segments of society. Their raised voices often lead to policy changes and the introduction of special healthcare programs for these ostracized groups of the population.
Healthcare is constantly evolving; new and complex medical treatments are becoming part of today’s healthcare system. These changes are making the job of healthcare professionals more complicated, including that of nurses. The welcoming news is that nurses are responding to these changes optimistically. They are up-skilling themselves, enrolling in new educational programs, receiving additional certifications, etc. Their selfless service is regarded with titles such as frontline force, backbone, heroes, messiah, saviors, and much more.