#Speak

I wanted to start with some #advicetobabynursingstudents, after being able to put it into practice again this past weekend. It was something I had recognized in nursing school, but remembered and utilized in my past four days of work. 

No matter what state your patient is in, always speak to them as if they can hear you. 

If a patient can't speak back to you, that doesn't mean they aren't listening to what you are saying. Too often, I see people speaking to each other over a patient, without letting the patient know what they are doing. This would be okay in an emergent situation, of course, but if you're simply going in to do trach care, for instance, this is very important to remember. 

If they aren't alert and oriented, we can't be 100% sure that they aren't hearing us. They're probably scared just like any other patient, and they need reassurance from you, their nurse, that you are taking good care of them. This means letting them know each thing that you are doing while you're in their room, just as you would an alert and oriented patient. 

It sounds simple, and it really is. It's just sometimes easy to forget, and it can probably make the biggest difference to that patient and their family. I hope you all will think about this advice as you continue in nursing!