As nurses, we are the wearer of many hats. We are the patient’s counselor, teacher, confidant, and most importantly, their advocates. According to our text, Professional Nursing: Concepts & Challenges, “Some nursing experts believe that being a patient advocate is the most important of all nursing roles. Therefore, it is every nurse’s constant responsibility to advocate for patients, that is, to “call to [their] aid” when they cannot do this for themselves” (Black, 2017, p.293). We are the ones that are at the bedside and it is our responsibility to express the concerns of our patients as well as expressing our own concerns regarding the care the patient is receiving. This can range from requesting a different analgesic to ensure that your patient has adequate pain management, to make exceptions to visiting hours in the ICU to ensure that the patient receives family-centered care. As a nurse, I must remain vigilant about advocating for my patient so that their wants and needs are expressed and met by all individuals involved in his/her care. This is the type of care that all patients deserve; a nurse that is willing to be their voice during some of the most vulnerable times of their life. Being my patient’s advocate requires diligence. This brings me to my next …show more content…
Long hour shifts and heavy patient loads have been the result of the massive shortage of nurses. These working environments are the perfect recipe for mishaps and put the patient’s safety jeopardy. Combating compassion fatigue is my solution to improving the environment in which care is provided to patients. Having nurses that are rested well and that are physically and emotionally prepared for the tasks that await them help to create an environment that is conducive to optimal patient care. One of my colleagues introduced an interesting solution to this problem in one of the posted discussion boards and it as follows, “One way they started to remedy this was having twice monthly lunch meetings together - all of the nurses, no matter their degree, where they would discuss grievances and how to remedy them. I think that if these meetings had been in place already they could have prevented the burnout that happened to two of the nurses who quit and went to work somewhere else with less stressful expectations” (second discussion board). Having a set number of meetings put in place for nurses to start conversations about ways to combat compassion fatigue is something that I would propose at my future place of work. Working through these issues together allows nurses to share their experiences and