Cheryl P. is from Indiana, and was one of forty finalists chosen out of the over 1,000 entries to our “What Advice Would You Give to a Fellow Caregiver?” Contest. You can find our grand prize and runner up winners here.
What advice would you give a fellow caregiver?
The initial patient assessment is most important to home health nurses. Prior to seeing a patient, I would advise the clinician to review all patient records: orders and history and physical. This can give the nurse a good picture of what has already happened or tried regarding the patient’s care. The patient will feel more comfortable opening up to you if they believe you have a vested interest in them.
Skin care is very personal and if there is not a good relationship between you and your patient, they will not trust in you enough to tell you when problems arise (i.e. sore bottom, itching, redness, etc.). I know this sounds very simple, but I have come across many patients that have stated to me that they did not feel comfortable telling their issues upon the start of the problem and now there is a much bigger problem.
Click here to head to the contest home page and read more advice.
Finalists were selected by the Marketing Team at Shield HealthCare. Those finalists were submitted to a panel of independent judges who picked three grand prize winners and five runners up. The judges included: Sandra Mitchell, Award-winning KCAL 9 news anchor and breast cancer survivor, and the Landers family: actor and comedian David Landers (“Laverne & Shirley”) who is living with MS, his wife Kathy and his daughter Natalie (“The Middle”). Click here to learn more.
