Nursing: Meeting Patient Needs

Study Notes

Basic Needs

The basic needs are also known as physiological needs, these are things that we can't live without, like food, shelter, water, oxygen, sleep, protection from pain, activity, etc.
If we dont meet these needs, we can die.
As a nurse, you need to ensure that patients have their basic needs met.

Safety Needs

Keeping patient information confidential and being professional are essential for meeting patients' safety needs.
Preventing harm, reassuring patients of their safety, and making sure they have access to a call line and security are all crucial.
Not meeting these needs can lead to feelings of fear, anxiety, and fear in patients.

Love and Belonging

Feeling connected to the healthcare team and their family is essential for patients.
Showing you care, allowing family visits, and providing privacy, especially in long-term care facilities, are ways to meet this need.
Failure to meet these needs can result in isolation and loneliness, potentially even leading to suicide.

Self-Esteem

Feeling confident and important is fundamental to self-esteem.
A diagnosis like cancer can lower self-esteem.
As a healthcare provider, use encouraging words and support to help boost their self-esteem.

Self-Actualization

Reaching one's full potential is the essence of self-actualization.
This includes being ready to be discharged from the hospital and having a positive outlook on the future.
It involves achieving personal goals and recognizing that you have more time behind you than ahead.

Emotional Needs

Providing comfort, compassion, active listening, and acknowledging and supporting their emotions are ways to meet emotional needs.
Encourage patients with words like "Take a deep breath" to help them manage their emotions.

Spiritual Needs

Allow patients to have privacy to practice their religion.
If they need a pastor, priest, or someone to pray with them, find one for them if they ask.
Provide religious equipment like Bibles and Qurans.
Meeting these needs can contribute to their hope and ability to cope with their illness.
Tolerance is a crucial quality for healthcare providers to have when supporting spiritual needs.

Mental Health Needs

Dementia

Dementia is a condition that impacts memory and can lead to Alzheimer's disease.
People with dementia may forget basic needs, family members, how to talk, and how to bathe.
Healthcare providers need to be patient and assist them with their activities.

Death

The end of all body functions is death.
Hospice care and palliative care are both options for preparing for death and managing its impact.

Hospice Care

A peaceful and comfortable environment for patients preparing for death, where they receive care and medication.

Palliative Care

This type of care can be for patients dying from cancer, offering medication to relieve and prevent suffering.
It can be provided during improvement or during the dying process.

Grief, Bereavement, Mourning

Deep sadness and distress over a loss is grief.
Grief can occur following the loss of a pet, a loved one, a body part, a friendship, a job, a home, etc..
Grief is a personal process with no set time limit.
Mourning is the period of grieving the loss.

Stages of Grief

There are five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Denial

The individual may not believe the loss has happened.

Anger

Violent and angry behavior might be observed.
Healthcare providers should allow the person to express their anger without arguments, losing patience, or taking it personally.

Bargaining

A negotiation occurs, often with God.
Individuals may make promises (e.g., “I will never smoke again if I get another chance”).

Depression

Deep sadness leads to behaviors like:
- Not eating
- Neglecting self-care
- Withdrawing from others
- Spending prolonged periods in bed
Supporting them with encouragement, empathy, and listening is important.

Acceptance

Crying less and acknowledging their situation with a sense of peace.
In cases of cancer, they may accept the diagnosis and begin treatment or accept the reality of their mortality.

Quality in Healthcare

Providing the correct health care services at the right time, using appropriate methods for the best possible outcomes defines quality healthcare.
The Institute of Medicine outlines six attributes of quality healthcare: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.

Description

This quiz focuses on understanding the basic needs of patients, including physiological, safety, and belonging needs. It highlights the importance of nurses ensuring these needs are met to promote patient well-being and prevent negative outcomes. Test your knowledge of these critical concepts in nursing care.