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Tag Archives: holisticnursing

May 05 2020

Compassionate Nursing During COVID-19: Providing Comfort and Prayer

Author Rosie's Nurse corner Posted on Categories Nurse Consulting

With so much fear surrounding COVID-19, many patients are experiencing anxiety and even fear of dying. Some ask for prayer as a source of comfort. In these moments, a nurse’s response can have a profound impact.

In some hospitals, staff may focus more on protocols or personal agendas rather than the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs. A nurse’s own beliefs can also influence how they respond. For example, in a Christian hospital, a nurse who is comfortable with prayer can ask the patient if they would like to pray together. But if a nurse is less religious, they can still offer meaningful support by simply staying present, holding the patient’s hand, and providing a reassuring smile. These small gestures can provide the comfort the patient needs without compromising personal beliefs.

During COVID-19, many staff feel hesitant due to masks, gowns, gloves, and face shields. However, even with these precautions, nurses and healthcare providers can show empathy and care. A warm touch, attentive presence, and compassionate listening can make a huge difference to a fearful patient.

As nurses, we are reminded that care is not only about physical treatment but also emotional and spiritual support. By balancing safety with compassion, we can help patients feel valued, heard, and cared for—especially during challenging times like a pandemic.

Reference:
DeNisco, S. M., & Barker, A. M. (2012). Theory-based advanced nursing practice. Advanced Practice Nursing: Evolving Roles for the Transformation of the Profession (2nd ed., pp. 5–18). [Vital Source Bookshelf].

January 01 2020

Compassion in the NICU: Balancing Expertise, Empathy, and Family-Centered Care

Author Rosie's Nurse corner Posted on Categories Women’s Health and Neonatal Care

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.

February 02 2017

Cultural Sensitivity and In-vitro Fertilization

Author Rosie's Nurse corner Posted on Categories Women’s Health and Neonatal Care

A nurse once shared a situation from her workplace involving in-vitro fertilization (IVF). In this case, a treating physician did not want to be involved in the patient’s delivery because five embryos had been terminated and three remained. This raised important questions: Could all eight embryos have survived? Could some have been frozen for future use? Beyond the medical decisions, this opened a deeper discussion about cultural sensitivity and religious beliefs in healthcare.

For some, an embryo may not be considered “alive” or “a baby” yet, while for others it represents life from the very beginning. These different perspectives make patient care more complex, particularly when personal and professional values conflict.

Consider another scenario: a nurse working on a GYN floor encounters a woman experiencing complications after an abortion. The nurse is a Christian who does not believe in abortion. The patient is not there for the procedure itself but for treatment of her complications. Should the nurse refuse care based on personal beliefs, or provide care because the patient is in need?

These are difficult but necessary questions. As managers, we also face the challenge of balancing employee requests for religious accommodations with the responsibility to ensure safe, compassionate care for every patient. Partnering with human resources and taking a holistic approach helps to respect both the nurse’s values and the patient’s needs.

Cultural sensitivity is not about everyone holding the same beliefs—it is about acknowledging differences and working through them with respect. When we do this, we strengthen trust, improve collaboration, and move closer to providing excellent care for all.

Reference
DeNisco, S. M., & Barker, A. M. (Eds.). (2013). The slow march to professional practice. Advanced Practice Nursing (2nd ed., pp. 6-17). [Vital Source Bookshelf].

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