As a nurse, do you also help in explaining illnesses to your patients or do you just let doctors do this?
Education is a core component to being a nurse so yes, I help explain illness and disease processes daily.
All of these responses are correct. Nurses are in a difficult position because on one side you have your state's BON with its rules and your responsibility to advocate for the patient. On the other side you have the physicians and hospitals who sometimes put you in a position where the patient may be unsafe. If in a position such as this, I always err on the side of the patient. I never lie or bend the truth, and I explain things that the patient did not understand. Doctors often speak way above the patient's understanding and I was taught to try to explain at no higher than an 8th grade level. So bring it down and make it understandable to the patient. I always try to be at the bedside when the doctor speaks to patients or family for this purpose.
Often as an RN I need to explain even after the Doctor has spoken to the patient because a patient can become overwhelmed and forget parts of the prior conversations.
Many times the doctor time is limited with the patient as I spend hours with them. I have explained a patient illness to then in terms they understand. When a patient understands their illness they will be more able to do things for themselves which will prevent reoccurrence. If the illness is chronic they may learn skills to prevent hospital stays.
If you are there and can advocate for your patient, watch the patient's reaction and consider giving feedback to the doctor " Dr. I am not sure the patient understood this"" could you repeat that for him/her/them" after a MD has left ask the patient if they understood and encourage them to write down questions for next time. Sometimes the patient has to process and questions come later. You as a nurse should be an advocate.
When I worked ICU and ER we had some stamps made up of hearts, lungs, etc. When a patient came in with an MI or pneumonia, etc., we would stamp a 3X5 card with the image and then draw in a clot or shade in whatever the problem was. "A picture is worth a thousand words." The visual cues assisted the patiets to understand what was happening to them and where. Often we would hear our patients showing the cards to family and explaining to their loved ones what was going on.
I help to explain to put the patient at ease. It gives them something to ponder which could bring up more questions and I want them to know that I am always here for them.
I can expand on what the doctor tells them.
You can explain their illness to them. Sometimes you get to spend more time with them and the explaination. If they ask about treatments I would give various senerios but let them know that it is up to the doctor to give the final word on that
