Licensed practical nurses provide primary nursing care to their patients. They work under the guidance and authority of nurses and doctors. The LPN wants to make a difference in the lives of the patients. They promote the patient’s well-being and optimum health by preventing diseases, easing pain and promoting health.
To give their best when it comes to work, the LPN collaborates with other members of the healthcare team to ensure safety and good outcomes of their patient’s health. They also teach their patients how to promote their good health and how to take care of themselves. They guide the patients on the road to good health. The licensed practical nurse understands that communication and engagement with the patients is vital in giving the right diagnosis and having a good relationship with them. This enables the LPN to connect and communicate effectively by working to achieve the patient’s optimum health.
There is a lack of well-trained LPNs in the healthcare industry. There is a lot to opportunity to make the health care system run efficient and smoothly. An LPN spends the most time with the patient than any other health practitioner. As a result, maximum responsibility and care must be observed when a nurse is handling multiple patients.
How to Make a Difference
The best ways to make a difference for the LPN to have the right mindset, be committed to the patient, properly communicate, be empathetic, treat patients with dignity and respect, treat patients as individuals, show compassion, regularly check on the patients, and keep supplies close.
Having the right mindset
Taking care of patients requires the right mindset. There are many patients going through difficult times with their health and can at times be rude and negative. A licensed practical nurse must have a positive attitude and the right mindset to ensure that their work is done effectively. They should encourage and help their patients to regain their optimum health. The LPN must make it a priority to have the correct mindset to make sure patients are treated properly.
Commitment
Being committed to one’s job will ensure that the quality of health thrives. Focusing attention on issues of overuse, misuse, and underuse will help the LPN stay alert. With commitment, the licensed practical nurse will ensure that the patient is satisfied and always healthy and safe. Committing to one’s job is the only way to improve the quality of health for patients. When an LPN is not paying close attention to detail, poor health care is given.
Communication is Crucial
When taking care of your patients, the LPN must create an open line of communication between themselves and the patient. The patient must be able to express how they feel so the LPN can give them the proper care. The LPN must enable the patient to be heard and give them time to speak their mind, responding to questions. It is crucial to communicate properly with the patient to provide the optimum care.
Being Empathetic
The LPN must put themselves in the patient’s situations in order to understand how they feel. Being empathic will allow the LPN to handle patients with care and support them as they try to make steps to improve their health.
Treating Patient with Dignity and Respect
An LPN should not make the patient feel like they are a burden. They should feel comfortable and respected in any situation. The licensed practical nurse should not discriminate based on culture, color or religion. They should be comfortable with any human diversity and focus only on wellness.
Treating the Patient as an Individual
Patients are human beings first and sickness doesn’t define them. The LPN shouldn’t refer to them as sick or unwell. An LPN should call them by their name and not refer to them as a diagnosis or a number. This will help their patients feel cared for and important.
Showing Compassion
Compassion helps an LPN reach out and help people however they are struggling. Showing compassion to their patients will help the them relax and forget their anxiety and fear. The patient will maintain a calm presence when the LPN offers compassion and love. As an LPN, when you show that you genuinely care, it helps alleviate the patient’s stress levels and helps them focus on improving their health.
Regularly Check on Patients
Patients feel better when a nurse checks on them consistently. This enhances the patient’s trust levels with the LPN. When an LPN is doing rounds, they must check on all patients, listen to their concerns and show compassion.
Keep Supplies Close
Keep supplies close to the patients and restock the supplies regularly. It is usually frustrating when a nurse must stop what they are doing and go get supplies. It is advisable that all supplies are in the room to make things easier and less stressful for everyone.
Becoming a licensed practical nurse requires a person with compassion and kindness. If the LPN does not have these qualities, the quality of improving health care doesn’t reach its potential. An LPN must be open-minded and positive. It is the only way to ensure that their patients are comfortable in sharing confidential information freely and giving the LPN their full trust. To ensure that the patient’s health is optimum, the LPN needs to monitor the patient’s health and keep them updated on diagnosis and treatments.
Nurses must also teach their patients what their health conditions mean and how to regulate and stabilize their health. They should always be available to cater to the needs of their patients. It is vital that whenever the patient requires the LPN, they are available to solve any issue and help the patient on the road to recovery. The LPN should also administer medication, schedule and confirm medical appointments, provide basic bed care, record the details of the patient diagnosis, treatment and medical history, dress wounds, and collect samples as needed. Improving the quality of health care should be a priority for all nurses.
Did learning about how a licensed practical nurse can make a difference? Are you ready to become a licensed practical nurse? Gwinnett Institute in Orlando offers a Practical Nursing diploma program that trains LPN students for positions delivering basic bedside care to patients. The Practical Nursing diploma program provides the didactic and skills training needed to take the NCLEX-PN examination.*
*While Gwinnett Institute provides test preparation and review assistance to college students, it cannot guarantee any college student will be able to take or pass any type of licensure exam. College students must be mindful throughout their entire school training program that licensure is a required pre-requisite for employment as a nurse and to diligently prepare themselves to meet this important requirement.
Contact us today to learn more about becoming a license practical nurse at Gwinnett College.