The Importance of Nurse-Patient Relationship

---

When a person goes into doctor’s offices of any kind, or a hospital, they will come into contact with a nursing staff. They normally trust that these nurses have been trained well and know what they are doing. However, there are times when patients doubt a nurse’s qualifications. This is not something patients need to worry about in their time of need. The nurse-patient relationship is crucial to getting the best patient care while being treated. The pressure is on nurses to be precise and cautious at all times. This is according to the rights of the patient known as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HIPAA covers all identifiable information and personal health information about a patient that is transfer to or maintained by a healthcare provider.

This includes mail, electronic, fax, paper, oral, and voice and phone conversations. A patient needs to know that their information is entered accurately and correctly and kept confidential at all times. This provides a record of all patient care and personal information in case there might be an issue in patient care. This Act not only protects the patients,. but also protects healthcare organizations.

Nurse-Patient Relationship

No matter who you are, everyone comes into contact with different personality traits everyday. Some may strike up a conversation while standing in line to make a purchase while others do not even want to make eye contact. Everyone is different in how they socialize with the public. The nurse-patient relationship has widely based on trust and knowing that the healthcare organization is providing the best care that your money can buy. However, how do patients know they are being treated fairly if they have no insurance? There are laws and regulations regarding the health wellbeing of people no matter what their financial situation may be.

Nurses are taught about interpersonal and intrapersonal skills when dealing with people inside their companies, as well as outside their companies. The medical industry delves a bit deeper because dealing with people under stress from fear and worry can amplify a whole host of different personality traits. The medical staff needs to be ready and know how to distinguish and calm potential heated situations quickly and with professionalism. They have the patient’s best interests in mind as well as their safety. However, they also represent the hospital or medical facility. Communication and relationship is critical and can sometimes be a matter of life or death.

When in college, students will learn different aspects of communication and dealing with different scenarios and personality traits on the job. There will also be social, psychology and physiology education to help them know what they may be dealing with, as well as the best practices in nursing. These practices can help them communicate even with people who are letting their anxiety and anger get the best of them. Nurses and other healthcare professionals deal with life and death everyday and that in itself can be stressful enough. Knowing how to extinguish a potential volatile situation with a patient or another doctor is crucial when dealing with nurse-patient relationships.