Ask A Magnet Nurse 

Knowing Your Caregivers And Their Roles In Your Treatment

Venus Stevens RN
6 North, Candler Hospital

Smart Living: When a nurse first meets a patient, it’s about more than just learning their name. How do St. Joseph’s/Candler nurses make sure their first interaction with a patient is a positive experience that will set the tone for the rest of their hospital stay?  

 Venus Stevens: Nurses always greet and introduce themselves when they meet their patient, whether it is in the beginning of a shift while doing bedside report or in the Outpatient Surgical Services Department prior to a procedure.  We always explain to our patients what we are doing and why. We understand how important it is for our patients and their families to feel informed. Each patient room also has a white board that we fill out with important information about the patient’s care. 

We also give our patients an orientation packet that lists all the important information—how we will be rounding at least every two hours to see what they need, the timing for vital signs and lab draws, meal times, our focus on safety and even the TV channel guide. It is another great resource that keeps the information that patients and families need in one place.

 SL: Does it help patients experience less anxiety when nurses take extra care to keep them informed? 

 VS: Definitely. That’s why it’s so important to us, not just on our floor but every floor. Patients feel more prepared and at ease when they know what the role of their caregiver is.  Every shift, we always write the names of the entire care team including the physician, nurse, patient care tech, etc., on the white board in the room, along with the phone number to the nurses’ station.

All of the staff in the hospital—such as transporters, physical therapists, patient care techs and even the volunteers who help deliver flowers—share the same values and use the same protocol as nurses. We find that if we are communicating well and care for the patient based on their individual needs and preferences, this significantly reduces the anxiety patients and families feel while in the hospital. Great communication is always one of our highest priorities.