Diabetic Neuropathy: Nurse Communication (Nursing)

00:01 So how do we reduce the risk of diabetic neuropathy? I've got those three words on there: Collaborate, don't dictate.

00:11 Collaborate, don't dictate.

00:15 You may recognize this Mr.Sanchez. There he is.

00:17 Our goal is to work with him, collaborate with him.

00:22 We're not in charge of him or not the boss of him.

00:25 We're a team member working with him.

00:27 So we want to have a conversation with mr. Sanchez by first listening to how he's feeling about the impact of diabetes on his life.

00:35 Then I want to think about diabetes fatigue syndrome.

00:38 We've also introduced that in another series because diabetes is a big diagnosis to deal with as an individual.

00:45 So if I'm going to collaborate with him, I'm going to listen first.

00:49 I'm going to remember that this is a big deal.

00:52 Diabetes fatigue exists.

00:54 Not going to dictate what he does.

00:56 I'm going to help him take the next steps.

00:59 You'll hear us say think like a nurse. This is what a nurse does.

01:02 But sometimes we don't take enough time to really walk you through that process in nursing school.

01:08 So we've got plenty of time to do it right now.

01:12 Here's how you think like a nurse.

01:14 Start from a place of understanding.

01:17 Not being condescending, not being judgmental, but a place of understanding.

01:22 So we're going to assess risk factors, but coming from the perspective of being a partner with mr. Sanchez.

01:29 So I know the risk factors because I've studied and I've done my homework and I'm going to assess the risk factors based on the cues he gives me.

01:38 So when I'm assessing that means I'm going to recognize what mr. Sanchez needs because I've listened to him.

01:45 I've listened to his cues.

01:47 I've asked him appropriate questions.

01:49 That's what I'm doing an assessment.

01:50 See I'm not going to use yes or no checklist that I'm paying more attention to my paper or my computer than I am to mr. Sanchez.

01:59 I'm going to look for ways to therapeutically communicate with him.

02:03 I want to develop a therapeutic relationship.

02:06 I can start developing that relationship from very short interactions or repeated interactions over time.

02:13 Either way, nurses need to communicate therapeutically whenever we're interacting with a patient.

02:20 So ask more open-ended questions.

02:23 What have you found to be the most difficult about and then fill in the blank.

02:27 Practice this at home.

02:30 You will practice with patients, but it's going to take practice for the you just role-playing even if you feel silly so these questions feel natural to you when you're talking to patients.

02:40 Use your clinical expertise to make helpful effective clinical judgments that fit mr. Sanchez's life and the queues he's given you.

02:49 This is how you make clinical decisions and that is thinking like a nurse.