Nursing in the community

NHS Health Careers

16 Jan 202009:25

Summary

TLDRThis transcript shares the experiences of community nurses, highlighting their passion for providing holistic care that goes beyond just medical tasks. Nurses explain how their work allows them to spend more time with patients, support them emotionally, and help keep them at home rather than in hospitals. They emphasize the wide range of skills involved, including advanced nursing techniques and compassionate communication. The nurses reflect on the rewarding nature of their work, its challenges, and the strong bonds they form with their patients, encouraging others to consider community nursing as a fulfilling career.

Takeaways

😊 The speaker became a community nurse to spend more time with patients and provide holistic care, valuing autonomy and personalized care planning.
🏥 Community nurses provide care for patients of all ages, from 18 to end-of-life, adapting to unpredictable days and situations.
💉 The role involves a variety of nursing skills, including injections, intravenous drugs, and advanced assessments, breaking the misconception that community nurses only perform basic care.
❤️ Emotional support is a key part of community nursing, particularly for end-of-life patients, where nurses provide both medical and psychological care.
👐 The speaker takes pride in forming personal connections with patients, often becoming a friend and confidante, which positively impacts patient well-being.
📦 Holistic care extends beyond physical health, with nurses considering patients' living conditions, mental health, and even helping create memory boxes for families.
🚶 Community nursing offers flexibility and autonomy, allowing nurses to manage their own schedules and provide patient-focused care.
🎯 Communication skills are essential in community nursing, as understanding patient needs often goes beyond the medical aspect to include emotional and psychological support.
👩‍⚕️ The speaker appreciates the continuous learning opportunities in community nursing, having developed more skills than during hospital work.
🌟 The speaker finds immense fulfillment in their work, stating that community nursing is not only rewarding but essential for keeping patients out of the hospital and providing comprehensive care.

Q & A

Why did the speaker choose to become a community nurse?
-The speaker wanted to spend more time with patients, plan their day flexibly, and make a difference in patients' lives by ensuring those who want to stay at home can do so.
What range of patients does the community nurse care for?
-The community nurse sees patients from ages 18 to the elderly, providing care for any nursing needs, from physical health to emotional support.
How does the speaker feel about the unpredictable nature of community nursing?
-The speaker enjoys the unpredictability, as they appreciate the challenge of not knowing exactly how their day will unfold and finding satisfaction in helping patients, even in uncomfortable situations.
What holistic approach does the speaker take in community nursing?
-The speaker looks beyond just medical tasks, considering where the patient is sleeping, their diet, mobility, spiritual support, and overall well-being when delivering care.
How does the speaker describe their relationship with long-term patients?
-The speaker describes their relationship with long-term patients as friendly, sometimes playful, and built on mutual respect and care.
What groups does the community nursing service reach out to beyond the general population?
-The community nursing service supports vulnerable groups like the homeless, sex workers, asylum seekers, gypsies, and travelers, ensuring they receive care and assistance, especially when admitted to hospitals.
What did the speaker’s colleague encourage them to do, and how did it change their career?
-The speaker's colleague encouraged them to pursue nurse training despite their initial doubts. This led them to complete their training and begin a fulfilling career in community nursing.
What are some of the emotional challenges the speaker faces as a community nurse?
-The speaker finds it emotionally tough to care for patients nearing the end of life, but they balance these difficult moments with lighter activities like exercise classes, making the work more varied.
What is the common misconception about the skills used in community nursing compared to hospital nursing?
-There is a misconception that community nurses do not use advanced nursing skills. However, the speaker explains that community nurses use a wide range of skills, including advanced assessment, prescribing, and specialized care for long-term conditions.
What personal story does the speaker share about a patient's memory box?
-The speaker recounts a conversation with a patient who wanted to create a memory box for her 13-year-old son. The patient reminded the speaker that the memory box is also about receiving memories from others, not just giving.

Outlines

00:00

👩‍⚕️ Why I Became a Community Nurse

The speaker explains their motivation for becoming a community nurse, emphasizing the desire to spend more time with patients and help people in a more personalized way. Unlike working on the same ward daily, community nursing allows for planning the day autonomously. The role offers a wide range of patient interactions, from young adults to elderly individuals, often involving holistic care that extends beyond medical treatment. The nurse values forming deep connections with patients and helping them maintain independence, even though some tasks may be difficult or uncomfortable.

05:01

💼 Challenges and Joys of District Nursing

In this section, the speaker elaborates on the diverse nature of district nursing. They describe the various skills involved, from advanced nursing procedures to providing psychological support. Contrary to common perceptions, community nurses employ a broad range of advanced skills, such as administering intravenous drugs, prescribing, and managing long-term conditions. Holistic care is a major focus, addressing not just physical health but also emotional needs. The speaker shares a touching example of helping a patient create memory boxes for her son, underlining the emotional depth of the job.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Community Nurse

A community nurse provides healthcare services outside of the hospital setting, often visiting patients in their homes. The concept is central to the video as it discusses the speaker's role in delivering personalized care to patients across different environments, enabling them to stay at home while receiving medical assistance. This role allows for more holistic and compassionate care, as illustrated by the speaker's desire to spend more time with patients and make a difference.

💡Holistic Care

Holistic care refers to treating the whole person, including their physical, emotional, and social well-being, rather than just addressing their medical condition. In the video, the nurse talks about not only tending to medical needs but also considering where patients sleep, how they eat, and even offering spiritual or psychological support. This approach underscores the video’s theme of providing comprehensive and compassionate care in the community.

💡Autonomy

Autonomy in nursing refers to the ability to make independent decisions regarding patient care. The speaker highlights that community nursing involves working autonomously, where nurses often need to make quick, independent decisions on treatments and care without immediate supervision. This is especially important in community settings where the nurse is the primary healthcare professional attending to patients’ needs.

💡Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care means focusing on the individual needs and preferences of the patient in healthcare delivery. In the script, the nurse emphasizes forming personal connections with patients, understanding their needs beyond just medical treatment. For example, they discuss creating memory boxes for a terminally ill patient’s son, showing how emotional and psychological needs are also addressed in patient care.

💡End-of-Life Care

End-of-life care refers to healthcare provided to individuals nearing the end of their life, focusing on comfort and quality of life. The nurse in the video mentions dealing with patients towards the end of their life, which can be emotionally challenging but also rewarding. This type of care is a significant responsibility for community nurses, who help ensure dignity and support for both patients and their families during difficult times.

💡Advanced Nursing Skills

Advanced nursing skills involve a higher level of clinical competencies, such as prescribing medication, administering intravenous drugs, or conducting advanced assessments. The nurse in the video addresses the misconception that community nurses don’t use advanced skills, explaining that their job requires a wide range of these skills to manage various patient conditions autonomously. This underscores the complexity and versatility of community nursing.

💡Vulnerable Populations

Vulnerable populations include individuals who are at greater risk of poor health outcomes due to social, economic, or environmental factors. The video references working with homeless people, asylum seekers, and gypsies, highlighting the nurse’s role in reaching out to vulnerable communities. Community nurses often play a critical role in providing care to these populations, helping them access necessary healthcare services.

💡Memory Boxes

Memory boxes are a form of emotional support, especially for terminally ill patients and their families. In the video, a patient discusses creating a memory box for her son to remember her after she passes away. This concept emphasizes the holistic, compassionate care approach of community nursing, where emotional and psychological support is integrated into medical care.

💡Primary Care

Primary care refers to the day-to-day healthcare provided by a medical professional, often as the first point of contact for patients. In the video, community nursing is described as part of the primary care system, helping keep people out of hospitals by providing care at home. The role of primary care is crucial in preventing hospital admissions and managing long-term conditions in a more familiar and comfortable environment for patients.

💡Emotional Challenges

Emotional challenges refer to the emotional strain and stress that healthcare professionals, especially nurses, face when dealing with difficult situations such as terminal illness or patient suffering. The nurse in the video acknowledges the emotional difficulty of providing care to end-of-life patients, yet also emphasizes the fulfillment that comes from making a difference in their lives. This concept highlights the emotional resilience required in community nursing.

Highlights

Desire to spend more time with patients and make a real difference.

Prefers the flexibility and autonomy of planning her own day.

Cares for patients from ages 18 to the elderly and provides any nursing care required.

Finds satisfaction in the unpredictable nature of the job and enjoys building relationships with patients.

Holistic approach to care: looks at patients' environment, nutrition, mobility, and spiritual support.

Experiences a strong bond with patients, comparing it to friendship.

Works with vulnerable adults including the homeless, asylum seekers, and gypsies, offering daily support.

Believes in the significance of each person and values the chance to make a positive impact on their lives.

The job involves making autonomous decisions about patient care and dealing with emotionally difficult cases like end-of-life care.

Feels privileged to work as a nurse and acknowledges the importance of communication in delivering care.

Discusses the emotional aspect of supporting patients, including creating memory boxes for loved ones.

Feels enriched by the holistic approach in community nursing, focusing on more than just clinical treatment.

Community nursing provides numerous learning opportunities, and she's developed more skills than in hospital settings.

Highlights the importance of psychological support in nursing and delivering compassionate, whole-person care.

Proud of her 35 years of nursing and encourages others to join community nursing for a fulfilling career.