empathyinnursing – JRM Nurse Consultants

As nurses, we have the ability to use compassion and genuinely want the best for our patients. We understand our patients and want to help them find the treatments that will support their health. However, not all healthcare providers exercise cultural competence or respect patients’ beliefs and wishes.

We must validate patients’ feelings, including fears about providing for their families. Some hospitals have case managers who prioritize financial considerations over patient safety, quickly sending patients elsewhere if they lack insurance. In these situations, nurse case managers and social workers act as peacemakers, advocating for the patient and refocusing the team on their care.

Cultural competence is key. Sometimes, healthcare culture imposes beliefs on patients, expecting them to accept a specific treatment method. The reality is, patients have a choice. When options are explained clearly, patients can make informed decisions that are best for them.

Healthcare staff need to remember that cultural sensitivity means respecting differences. Just because someone does things differently does not mean it is wrong—it is simply different (Barr & Dowding, 2012).

I’ve seen cultural dynamics in my own management experience. As a manager of a multicultural nursing and social work team, I encountered a nurse with a thick island accent. Her patients loved her, but another manager from England criticized her communication during case presentations. I defended her skills and case validity. Although the manager did not respond verbally, she challenged everything I said afterward. Situations like this discourage employees and can impact team morale.

Cultural competence, respect, and advocacy are essential for nurses. By fostering understanding and inclusivity, we create safer, more compassionate environments for patients and staff alike.

Reference:
Barr, J., & Dowding, L. (2012). What makes a leader? Leadership in healthcare (2nd ed., pp. 32-44). [Vital Source Bookshelf]

One of the clinical challenges I see in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is staff complacency. When nursing becomes just a job, passion can be lost, and nurses may move through the motions. We may forget that what is routine for us is a first experience for the families we care for.

Approaching every patient and parent with kindness and empathy is critical. Body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions reveal our genuineness. Even when busy, we must prioritize compassion, putting ourselves in the parents’ shoes to determine the level of care they need.

A common issue in the NICU is assessing infant readiness for oral feeding in premature babies. Opinions vary among staff about the best approach. My experience as a mother allowed me to see both sides: as a parent and as a healthcare professional.

During my son’s NICU stay, he was fed initially via NG tube and later transitioned to bottle feedings. One weekend, I was feeding him multiple times while spending the day with him, but a nurse unfamiliar with us took over, claiming I was feeding him incorrectly and causing aspiration. I was only allowed to hold him. Despite prior arrangements with management for private-room feedings due to a hospital-acquired infection, the nurse acted abruptly.

I was devastated and cried for days. When I reported the incident to the head nurse, it was documented, and the weekend nurse later apologized. Ultimately, it was discovered that the baby’s aspiration was unrelated to how I fed him, and a Mickey G-tube was inserted to facilitate safe feeding and expedite discharge.

This experience highlights the importance of patient-centered care in the NICU. The Colorado model emphasizes including patients—and in this case, parents—in decision-making, respecting their preferences, religious or cultural considerations, and personal choices (Goode, Fink, Krugman, Oman, & Traditi, 2010). Nurses may excel technically, but if parents are excluded, care is incomplete. Compassion, communication, and inclusion are as essential as clinical expertise.

Reference:
Goode, C. J., Fink, R. M., Krugman, M., Oman, K. S., & Traditi, L. K. (2010, August 10). The Colorado patient-centered interprofessional evidence-based practice model: A framework for transformation. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 96–105.

Years of experience in Work Comp, Case Management, Disease Management, Utilization Review and Prior Authorization.

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