We like to think of ourselves as good listeners, but it’s important to take a closer look at our listening skills. Listening is a key component of assessment. We need to discover the patient’s history, their chief complaints, and their observations and reports about their symptoms. There are a number of types of listening, and …
A couple of years ago, our organization was going through a Medicare audit and I was tasked with coordinating the effort to copy charts, write supporting letters, and get everything sent on deadline. It was stressful to say the least, and I was getting frustrated feeling that some of the managers were not taking this …
When I was a new hospice nurse, I attended a care planning meeting at a Long Term Care Facility. The facility staff reported that they wanted to increase our patient’s anti-anxiety medication because she was being disruptive. She would flail her arms, hum and vocalize loudly, and was resistant to personal care. I felt myself …
The step-by-step process for teaching compassion, and putting compassion at the center of care, is called C.A.R.E.Ô The acronym stands for Connect, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate and End. We will be applying each of the steps to ourselves, our staff, and our patients and their families. This is crucial for the method to work. The …