Effective Communication In Geriatric Patients

Every nurse is aware of the need for effective communication in patient care. This communication will lead to a health history, a medication list, and so much more. The nurse will use many forms of communication to carry out care of the patient. This may include active listening, using open-ended questions, and even gentle prompting to obtain information (Tabloski, 2014). At times, the geriatric patient may have lapses in memory or difficulty conveying a message. One way to enhance care to the elderly is by using reminiscence. It should be noted, that the elderly use remanence to fend off boredom and to keep loved one’s present in their thoughts (Henkel, Kris, Birney, & Krauss, 2017). The purpose of this discussion is to share my experience of including patient memory in my practice, and my thoughts after viewing “See Me, Nurse”. I will also share some difficulties I have had providing care for patients from a background other than mine. Lastly, I will …show more content…
I have no problem admitting to a patient that I am deficient in knowledge about their beliefs. I have always had good listening skills and I try hard not to be a judgmental person. Occasionally, I come across a person who I cannot related to, yet this does not prevent me from asking the proper questions to provide care. Prior to becoming a nurse, I was a completely different person with rather naïve views and little exposure to various forms of humanity. I am thankful that being a nurse has allowed me to see people in so many phases of life and I have seen both incredible family support and downright abusive families. I have learned every person has a story that brought them to who they are today. I have chosen to be a nurse and care for all types of people, with many varieties of issues. I have come to realize I am not responsible for judging anyone, I am simply trying to what the patient needs in the here and