NORMALISE THE PATIENT’S SITUATION (HOW TO CARE FOR A P.A.T.I.E.N.T.)
How to care for a patient? Here are seven very practical points/ways on how to care for a P.A.T.I.E.N.T…
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Ask About the Patient’s Medical Condition
Include Others When Caring for the Patient
Encourage the Patient to Get Better
Normalise the Patient’s Situation
Normalising the patient’s situation could make the patient feel less awkward or out of place. There are times when someone becomes seriously ill, the patients situation will have 180 degree shift and when this happens the patient may feel uneasy or out of place.
Situations can include someone diagnosed with cancer and chemotherapy has left the patient bald. Or someone diagnosed with a bowel condition and surgery or treatment has left the patient relying on a continence pad. Or it can even be something simpler like someone diagnosed with a bone condition and pain or surgery has left the patient on crutches or wheelchair-bound. These are the 180 degree shifts where you could come in and try to normalise the patient’s situation. For example, Billy’s brother shaved his hair to support his little bro at the oncolgy ward. This example is not a true story but I trust that you get the picture I’m trying to paint here. Or perhaps another example I could paint is signing the patient’s crutches, cast or wheelchair, which has already been done before, to make it a fun thing for the patient.
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Talk to the Patient About Other Stuff
