Patient Narrative

As a new nurse four years ago, I was always looking for ways to apply what I had just learned in nursing school. It was important to ensure that skills such as IV administration, inserting IV access, dressing wounds, inserting Foley catheters, tracheostomy suctioning and care, were transferred on to my clinical setting. I was caught up in learning the "mechanics" of nursing that I was neglecting the one important dimension of not only nursing, but of human interaction, and that was the art of effective listening.
 

I actively listened during handoffs because I needed to know what was going on with patients and didn't want to miss any details. But listening to patients and even with staff members during work was a bit of of a challenge, because I was either in a hurry to get medication passes completed, juggling multiple tasks at once, eager to take my break, or sometimes not interested in what the person was wanting to say. Distractions also interfered with giving my attention to when others were needing me to be attentive to their concerns.
 

It was only when I began to intentionally and sincerely utilize sympathy and empathy in my nursing practice that I was able to become a better listener. Working in mostly rehabilitation facilities, seeing residents' pains and discomforts and imagining what it would be like to be laying in bed for days on end and with chronic pain was humbling. Some had unresolved family issues and listening to their accounts of how they wished their family members would understand their situation and be more supportive caused me to have more compassion for what was going on in their lives. There were patients who were very frustrated with their colostomy bag and having it tended to, that it meant a lot to them for me to just listen to their plight even though all I could really do for them was to maintain their ostomy site and prevent complications. Some had expressive aphasia along with feeding tubes, and I really had to assess their facial expressions to determine if they wanted their feeding on or were refusing medications. Taking the time to understand, especially if the patient was unable to verbally express themselves, goes a long way in exercising compassion and respect of person.
 

When it comes to fellow staff like nursing assistants, I came to realize I could not do my work without them. The physical aspect of their work, and the abuses they often incur, made me a listening ear to them. I am eager to assist CNA's when they need help, because I listened to their hardships during my interactions with them. Through intentional listening, I have come to greatly admire my nursing assistants.