how close are you?

[w0121970]

I am a fisrt year nursing student and entering my summer session where we are discussing how you would maintain a relationship with your patient but not get too close. As a practicing nurse how do you maintain a professional relationship with your pateints?
Tif T

[cassioo]

I work in a community hospital so the patients are also the neighbors. The town is only about 20,000 with 1 highschool so most people know the patient or the family. I don't live in that town but going to move there this summer (maybe) I go in do my job and try and take care of everyone with the same care as each other no matter what their status or how they treat me...that can be the challenge. You have the pts that thank you for giving them a shot and the ones that cuss you for coming in to take vitals. It just takes time and experience to seperate.

[nursinghumor]

A lot depends on what kind of nursing you are doing. In home health, obviously you're in people's homes and have to be more sociable.

In hospitals, nursing homes I don't have a problem keeping things on a professional basis. If people start asking a lot of personal questions like "do your live around here" or "how old are you" or "are you married, etc." I redirect them to the fact that we should be focusing on them the patient.

Occasionally I'll show a picture of my baby daughter to an older female patient to give her something to smile about.

Other than that, it's pretty easy to keep a distance. More difficult when your patient is dying and you need to keep them and the family supported.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com