Using The Therapeutic Touch when Caring

Caring is described as a way of providing care. Care can be provided both physically and emotionally. Nurses’ treat patients medically while at the same time connecting on an emotional level. Therapeutic touch becomes very important when giving care to the patient. A nurse must show a patient they care in order for the patient to open up. Nurses are the backbone to creating that comfortable and trusting environment for the patient. Nurses should begin by getting to know their patient, their lifestyle, employment history, family history, medical history, eating habits, and exercise habits. Using the therapeutic touch and developing that therapeutic relationship with a patient can only benefit the nurse and make the nurses job just a little less stressful and more rewarding.

Burnout in Nursing

I recently did a group project on a article written by Patricia Beech a retired RN called “the nurse is not for burning”. Patricia does a great job identifying certain aspects of a nurse’s life that will further burn him or her out and ways to prevent burnout. She identifies six major things causing burnout; everyone wants you, family and friends, sole carer, friendships, say no, and good health. As a nurse it is important that we become aware of the extra stressor not only in our work life but also in our personal life and find ways to prevent burnout. Many nurses put so much time into pleasing everyone else and taking care of everyone else that they forget the most important person themselves.

Check out this video on nursing burnout out: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=6_D29DnH0Q0