The health-care system is under immense strain, and nurses are working at—and beyond—maximum capacity. I asked a group of nurses what we, as patients, can do to get the best care possible. Here are their thoughts:
Maintain a healthy weight. Being obese is linked to the leading causes of illness and death, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. It can make illnesses like COVID-19 worse.
But that’s not all: It can affect hospital care, too. Lifting a fallen patient or repositioning someone in bed is much more difficult when that person is very heavy.
“I don’t think anyone realizes that severely obese people don’t get the same quality of care simply because one little nurse can’t move them as often as they need or keep them as clean and dry,” Anna Carlyle, RN, BSN, told me.
Stay mobile and active. Simple exercises like tai chi, walking, or resistance training reduce your risk of falls, increase your physical independence, and reduce your chances of having to wait for assistance for simple things like going to the toilet. “The number of patients who come in to the hospital for something like an ankle fracture and are then bed-bound is too high,” shared Amy Evans, RN.
Get vaccinated. Both studies and anecdotal experiences clearly show that people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are much less likely to need hospitalization. If they do wind up in the hospital, they are less likely to need intensive care. COVID-19 isn’t the only vaccine you need. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about recommended vaccinations for flu, shingles, and pneumonia, too.
Be patient. If you do find yourself in the hospital, have realistic expectations about how quickly a nurse can get to you.
“You need to give a nurse about 30 minutes to respond to a call,” explained Elizabeth Gamble, RN. “It can take that long to help somebody to the bathroom and back, and you can’t really hurry that up. A nurse can’t be in two places at once.” The more patients each nurse has, the less time she can spend with each one.
Nurses are trained to prioritize the limited time they have. “You may need to go to the bathroom, which is uncomfortable, but a patient down the hall may be having trouble breathing, which could be life-threatening,” she added.
Do what you can on your own. Whenever possible, do as much as you can yourself. If you have someone with you in the hospital, ask them to help with simple tasks that don’t require a nurse’s specific skills, like fluffing your pillows, brushing your teeth and hair, or refilling an ice pack.
Plan ahead. When you do need a nurse, try to ask for everything you need at once. It’s a good idea to have a pen and notepad so you can write down what you need. Ask your nurse when she or he is planning on coming back so you can gauge whether you can wait while he or she does rounds.
Trust the experts. Because nurses treat patients all day, every day, they have developed a wide range of strategies to perform tasks safely and efficiently. Let them do what they do best. “I promise I’ve had dozens of patients with this illness, injury, or surgery,” said Sienna Reader, RN. “I’m telling you the easiest and safest way to do whatever it is.”
Don’t harm your nurse. Almost every hospital-based nurse has experienced physical violence or verbal abuse. Nurses caring for COVID-19 patients are at the highest risk.
“I experience verbal abuse from patients on a daily basis,” shared Roseann Garber, RN. “The worst is when they get combative. … On the bright side, I am so good at dodging punches from patients.”
This behavior is never appropriate and never justified. Nurses deserve to do their jobs without fear of being harmed or berated.
“Some nurses are working lots of extra shifts, staying late all the time, not getting enough sleep, we are being asked to work while sick, and we are TIRED,” Jana Rice, RN, told me. “Your nurse may be feeling worse than you are.”
