You presumably spend considerable time with your patients as a nurse provider. Even though doctors may receive the majority of the recognition and praise, nurses are the one who monitors them, takes care of their prescriptions, updates their family members, and does other crucial duties. Given the volume of interaction you have with your patients, getting to know them and earning their trust might help them feel more at ease and be more forthcoming when discussing their health. Also, once you are familiar with a patient’s personality, you will be better able to see any changes that might indicate a health issue and know how to maintain the patient’s cooperation and good mood.
On the contrary, patients are less inclined to divulge information that could negatively impact their treatment if they don’t trust the nurses providing for them. In addition, relationships with the patient’s support system, including family and friends, will likely suffer if the nurse and patient don’t get along well. As a result, there can be a reduced standard of treatment due to challenges and limits.
That said, below is the list of strategies you can adopt to build trust with patients and their family members:
Table of Contents
1. Make sure your knowledge and skills are up-to-date
Unquestionably, new technologies, research, and treatments are prompting the healthcare sector to change swiftly. As a result, nurses who stay up-to-date on the most contemporary evidence-based practices can give their patients better care, improving health outcomes and fostering greater trust. Also, maintaining current knowledge and skills helps boost nurses’ self-confidence in their job roles.
Hence, nurses must take advantage of ongoing learning opportunities to keep their knowledge and skills current. By doing this, they can provide top-notch care that satisfies the requirements of their patients and their support network, ultimately earning and sustaining their trust.
So, answer this. Do you wish to transition from bedside-focused job roles and aim to offer patients with holistic health care throughout their lives? In that case, enrolling in an MSN FNP online degree program might be a perfect decision. The degree program will broaden your field knowledge and expertise and help you acquire clinical, diagnostic, and research skills. And the best part about this degree is it is online, so it is ideal for learners who struggle to juggle work, family, school, and social life.
2. Be an effective communicator
Let’s face it; it’s simple to keep your mouth mum and quickly move around your patient’s bed, checking their blood pressure and scribbling the records on their chart while murmuring the occasional “hmmm, yes” in response to whatever they say. However, as a professional nurse, your job is more than conducting medical tasks and maintaining records. Developing trust with patients and their families is just as important. Your ability to build trust with your patients depends on effective communication. Unfortunately, people frequently complain that they don’t get enough time to talk to their doctors and nurses. So, to win your patients’ trust, avoid acting like a robot and speak clearly with them.
Active listening is a critical component of being an effective communicator as a nurse. To practice active listening, nurses should keep eye contact, avoid crossing their arms or moving away from a patient and offer a soothing touch to help them feel more at ease. However, it is relevant to note that you don’t necessarily have to sit still throughout your shift and listen to your patients as they narrate their life stories just to prove yourself to be a good listener. Instead, spending only a few more seconds listening to their issues will immediately increase their trust in you.
3. Show empathy and be respectful
There is no denying that patients will likely feel apprehensive, frightened, frustrated, furious, or vulnerable whenever they spend time in a healthcare institution. In addition, stress, discomfort, confusion, and other problems could bring different emotions among patients and their families. So, at times like these, nurses must try to comprehend their points of view and concerns. That way, there is a high possibility that the patient will open up and divulge sensitive information. Thus, here empathy comes into play.
Understanding the circumstances, viewpoints, and emotions of the patient requires empathy. When you learn to empathize, you can provide patients with more specifically tailored care. However, it would be best if you empathized with your patient without becoming overly emotional. Being able to relate while maintaining some distance from the patient’s experience should be your ultimate goal. Doing so helps you to make unbiased decisions.
Furthermore, respect the patient’s privacy, values, and opinions to build strong, trustworthy relationships. You must uphold patients’ autonomy and privacy as nurse educators and advocates. It increases the trust necessary for you to influence their care significantly.
4. Dress formally and appropriately
It’s crucial to make a good impression. For patients to trust you with their health and wellness, they must feel that you are who you say you are when they see you. Thus, one of the best ways is to dress appropriately and professionally.
Nursing uniforms are an excellent way to maintain safety and sanitary standards and foster trust. In addition, scrubs worn by nurses are a sign of authority and knowledge. Simply put, there is a high chance that patients will trust the individual providing them care because they are wearing a medical uniform that shows these professionals have received substantial training and experience.
The uniform must be spotless to leave a good impression; simply donning the nurse scrubs may not be sufficient. Do you believe a bloodied, torn, or filthy scrub will help you build a trustworthy and professional image? Of course, your patients and their families will feel uncomfortable and awkward if they see you in an outfit like this. So, ensure your attire is proper, presentable, and maintained throughout the shift. Although it might be challenging to maintain impeccable scrubs in a hectic medical environment, always have a second set on hand to change into if necessary.
5. Keep your patients and their families in the loop
Most patients are unaware of the reasons for their illnesses or the best ways to treat them. You are not always required to explain the scientific method to anyone entering your facility. Still, today’s patients prefer to stay informed as much as possible. Thus, do your best to explain what is happening and why to patients before starting any treatment.
Your patients and their families may be curious about what is happening and the necessity of specific tests or procedures. So keeping them in the loop ease their worries and help builds trust. For instance, inform them of the approximate time if you know they will get a screening later in the day. Then, in case that time changes, let everyone know. However, if there is something you might not be aware of, tell them so and let them know that you are willing to look into it for them.
Summing up
Building strong relationships with patients is essential to providing high-quality nursing care. Nursing staff members should engage in patient relationship-building regularly. When planning a patient’s treatment plan, nurses should consider various aspects, including the patient’s ethnic background, religious convictions, moral framework, and language. These factors need to be incorporated by nurses into the methods they employ to establish a good relationship with their patients.
Note that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all manual for developing a trustworthy relationship with patients and their family members. Hence, a nurse can begin developing trust with a patient right away in various ways, from making eye contact and empathizing to donning the appropriate nursing scrubs.
