The founders of nursing acknowledged the need for sleep and rest to aid the body in healing, but with 60% of patients requesting a sedative, this shows the hospital environment is not one that promotes sleep and rest. There is renewed interest in exploring the best nonpharmacological methods of helping achieve sleep and rest while in the hospital to promote healing (Robinson, Weitzel, & Henderson, 2005).
Evidence-Based Practice
As nurses frequently interact with the patients, they are the ones exploring evidence-based practice to identify ways to modify the hospital environment and use more nonpharmacological methods to promote sleep to help the body repair itself (Robinson et al., 2005). Florence Nightingale noted patients require proper nutrition, sleep, quiet, and “unnecessary noise harms the patient” (Robinson et al., 2005, p. 263). Nurses have identified many ways to help patients get rest, including relaxation techniques, music, warm blankets, warm drinks, massage, and aromatherapy (Robinson et al., 2005).
There are still many barriers interfering with sleep in the hospital, as the disruption of sleep is common through frequent monitoring and procedures, noise, lighting, and anxiety about being in the hospital (Robinson et al., 2005). Another barrier is the critical care environment, which has more invasive monitoring and tests and noise from monitors and ventilators (Eliassen & Hopstock, 2011).
The implications of using nonpharmacological method of sleep, while not only providing more rest to support healing, also can allow patients to feel as if the medical staff is concerned about them and gives them some control (Jones & Dawson, 2012) while reducing the adverse effects that can accompany sedatives (Robinson et al., 2005...
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...uality of sleep and rest while in the hospital while being given an element of control over their care. By continuing to explore and offer these interventions, the field of nursing continues to provide patient-centered care that holistically treats patients in an effort to restore them to their maximum health.
Works Cited
Eliassen, K. M., & Hopstock, L. A. (2011). Sleep Promotion in the Intensive Care Unit - A Survey of Nurses’ Interventions. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 27, 138-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2011.03.001
Jones, C., & Dawson, D. (2012). Eye Masks and Earplugs Improve Patient’s Perception of Sleep. Nursing in Critical Care, 17(5), 247-254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-5153.2012.00501
Robinson, S. B., Weitzel, T., & Henderson, L. (2005, November/December 2005). The Sh-h-h-h Project. Holistic Nursing Practice, 19(6), 263-266.
Fontana, C. J. (2010). Sleep Deprivation Among Critical Care Patients. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly , 75-81.
Wilson, J.F. (2005). Is sleep the new vital sign? Annals of Internal Medicine, 142 (10), 877-880.
Implications for nursing practice are as follows. First, the study indicated that additional medical intervention is not always supportive of positive patient outcomes. Instead, it
Potter, P.A. & Wood, M.J. (2009). Research as a basis for practice. In P. A. Potter, A. G. Perry, J. C. Ross-Kerr, & M. J. Wood (Eds.), Canadian fundamentals of nursing (4th ed., pp. 74-88). Toronto, ON: Elsevier Mosby
Neubauer, D. (2009). Current and new thinking in the management of comorbid insomnia. The American Journal Of Managed Care, 15 SupplS24-S32.
In the recent past, nursing has come to the forefront as a popular career amongst students across the globe. The demand for nurses has kept increasing gradually over the years. In fact, the number of registered nurses does not meet the demand of the private and public health sector. This phenomenon has resulted in a situation where the available registered nurses have to work extra hours in order to meet the patients’ needs. With this in mind, the issue of nurse fatigue has come up as a common problem in nursing. According to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), nurse fatigue is “a feeling of tiredness” that penetrates a persons physical, mental and emotional realms limiting their ability to function normally. Fatigue does not just involve sleepiness as has been assumed before. It involves utter exhaustion that is not easily mitigated through rest. When nurses ignore the signs of fatigue, they risk the development of chronic fatigue and other health problems that may not be easily treated. Additionally, fatigue may cause nurses to lose more time at work as they may have to be away from work for several days to treat it. The issue of nurse fatigue has permeated the nursing profession to the extent of causing errors in the work performed by nurses. Fatigue causes a decrease in a nurse’s ability to make accurate decisions for themselves and their patients. It is therefore important to find ways to curb nurse fatigue such that it is no longer a problem. Nurse fatigue is a danger to the patients, organizations and to the nurses themselves and must be mitigated adequately.
A nurse is able to achieve this great balance, with the patient and self, by being conscious of the environment that surrounds them and through self awareness. For example, in the scene of an emergency, first and foremost, a nurse must check the environment before started emergent care. Both the patient and nurse must be safe for treatment to be effective. The environment is what surrounds us; our workplace, home, communities, issues we think about, the people we interact with, and the emotions associated with these interactions. The nurse knows that all of these components play an integral role in maintaining stability in a person’s life and health. The nurse assumes care of not just a disease process but of a human being as a whole; a family, a livelihood, a spirit, a person. A nurse knows that in order for holistic care to be effective, the care taker themselves should be at a point of stability as well. A true nurse knows that in order to excel you must know your limits and understand that while your main goal is to help the patient regain their strength, identity, and independence, that goal does not have to be achieved by compromising your own self, identity, and
After a long while of looking at small tools and a lack of sleep, a nurse’s eyes can be weary, just like anyone else. Nurses need rest just as much, if not more than, the rest of the general population. There are only twenty four hours in a day and if one works for a twelve hour shift it does not leave much room to enjoy family or have a social life. Because of this, nurses are often sleep deprived and they find alternative sources of escape. Some of the so called sources or coping mechanisms are medicinal. Nurses have a good knowledge of medications and their side effects, so one might think they would be confident in taking drugs they provide their patients on a regular basis; however, many nurses use that knowledge to abuse these medications. They may take some from work instead of giving their patients their full dose and may overdose on those drugs to escape the stresses of daily
This article has shown me that new strategies are needed to reduce sleep disturbances, improve sleep quality, and support the need for supplemental daytime sleep in hospitalized individuals. These strategies include monitoring patients’ sleep and assess quality of sleep and duration, resolving the problems of sleep disturbance, recognizing that nighttime noise, light, and other factors potentially interfere with patient sleep, minimize lighting in shared patient rooms and turn off lights earlier at night, frequently assess for pain and administer prescribed pain medications to minimize sleep disruption. This article taught me more about sleep cycles and disturbances in hospitalized patients. As a future nurse, I have to accurately assess the patients’ personal characteristics and health education needs, and share this knowledge with my classmates.
In certain cases patients are provided with mouthpieces and other breathing apparatus which helps them sleep properly.
Nursing behaviors that improve patient comfort are as simple as positioning and repositioning, knowing patients special comfort habits, and advocating for family presence (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). It is important to use a measurement tool to assess comfort and remember to reassess for a positive outcome or plan a new intervention. Comfort is associated with the pursuit of healthy behavior, increased patient satisfaction, and better cost-benefit ratios (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). Although Watson’s caring model is a broad philosophy that applies to nursing practice in general, nurses utilizing this theory would find Kolcaba’s middle-range comfort theory aligns well within the framework those
Nurses are an equally important part of each client’s life. Nurses provide stable care to each client, answers their questions, gives medications and treatments, and assists with medical procedures. They also have the responsibility to explain to clients and family members what they should and should not do as they go through treatment and recovery. Nurses must quickly respond to patients needs. Every individual nurse has his or her own unique way of caring. There are so many ways to show caring that the possibilities are never ending. Nurse’s support, comfort, and help allow the patients to recover to the best of their ability. Their experiences in dealing with different patients that have unique situations on a daily basis helps the nurses become better caregivers. Therefore, every nurse is capable of demonstrating care in their respective environments.
The impact nurses have on their patients physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually is astonishing. They are a fundamental key in society and we may tend to overlook the impact of their job. Nurses are responsible for many different duties in their everyday life not just patient care but providing support and advice to patients and their loved one. They must be able to balance the emotional aspect that comes with their job in order to maintain an emotionally healthy life. They witness patients in chronic or acute physical or mental ill health and must know what techniques to use in order to make the time with their patient sufficient.
Nursing practice can be complex due to the fact that people in general can be vastly different in their wants, needs, and expectations. However, one thing that has been found to be true amongst people is their desire for comfort. One middle-range theory that is essential in nursing practice today is the theory of comfort. This theory emphasizes the importance of comfort within the health care setting. Comfort increases the overall experience of the patient and their family, it increases their ability to heal and cooperate, and it also positively impacts health care and medical facilities. This research shows how the theory of comfort needs to be implemented across all medical fields, especially nursing, if professionals want to provide the highest quality of care for their patients.
“Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep.” (2009, Dec. 18). The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Healthy