What One Thing Would Make Today Better For You?

[Kris1984]

I am doing a clinical rotation at the VA Hospital and I am encountering a lot of patients with PTSD. I have PTSD but I need some third party opinions.

If you were a patient in the hospital or going for a quick checkup at the clinic, what one thing could a nurse do to make today better for you? It can be anything but particularly in dealing with the PTSD patient would be the most helpful to me.

I know for me I would just like to not feel judged. Everyone seems to have stereotypes and misconceptions about what PTSD is these days.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Hashi]

Hi,

What would help me would be to be informed of whatever was going to happen before it happened. So, not to have someone touch my arm to put a blood pressure monitor on, for example, until they'd told me they were going to do it and waited for me to register that.

Thanks for asking the question. I'm sure your patients will appreciate your caring.

 

[Kris1984]

Thank you for your feedback Hashi! We learned in class that you are to never touch a PTSD patient without their permission and you tell them what you are going to do first. Anyone with an anxiety disorder deserves that type of treatment. I will be sure to remember this when I am on the floor and thank you for pointing out that this is important to you!

 

[alleycat]

Spend time with me, talk to me if you have a spare few minutes. See me as a person, not just where I'm at currently (more than likely a ball of nervousness that jumps at everything and everyone) but my history, the fact that I'm more than that, more than just my PTSD symptoms.

 

[wife of]

Direct eye contact and dealing with the patient in that moment would help rather than only giving half of thier attention whilst pre planning the next set of events or chatting to someone else over thier shoulder etc.......Especialy for forces trained sufferers as much is made in thier training of eye contact being a way to determine someones level of trustworthiness...

 

[Kris1984]

Thank you Alley Cat and Wife Of. So it is important to you guys that I focus on the here and now while giving my full, undivided attention to you. That is great feedback and something to work on. On the floor there can be a million things going on and it can be hard to focus on one thing. But this will definitely be something I can strive for to help make my PTSD patients feel comfortable with me. It will help me develop my trusting nurse-patient relationship. Thank you for the feedback!

 

[OKRADLAK]

Eye contact, listening, and NO TOUCHING. I agree with all those.

Also, if you have to go after hearing us tell your something very personal, find a way to do so without making us feel like we just told someone who could care less. That happenes a lot.

So you could say something like, "I really understand and do not want to make you feel demeaned, but I am on a schedule and have to attend to something....." No that would just make me feel like you have a life and I don't......

Hmm.....trying to think of a nice way because that happens to me a lot. I think people care and I talk and then realize it was a mistake because they oculd care less.

Sometimes I think not too much talking to us would be best. Don't even open the door that we could go there because you are not our T., etc/

Does that make sense?

I guess in the end, being funny and kind might be best. Funny and kind, but apart so that we would not get confused as to crossing lines?

Hope some of this made sense!!

 

[The Albatross]

No surprises... reasonable descriptions of some things before they happen like, "This is going to be a pinch", "or this may be uncomfortable for a moment but it will be over quickly."

I had some bad experiences and meltdowns after some things because they just did things like an endometrial biopsy, removing sutures I didn't dissolve from my septoplasty without warning or telling me what they were doing, putting in a catheter, and having a port installed. But there have been other things where if I knew there might be some temporary discomfort, I could endure it. Like scopes, blood work, an IV drip, or a speculum (?)

I guess the line has been, not to tell people about possible discomfort because they might freak out, but with me, it's the opposite. If I know and understand basically that I may go through some temporary discomfort, I can power it out and make it okay without a freak out. I might disassociate to the ceiling or somewhere else in the room, but I will be still and can manage to comply with whatever's gonna happen.

 

[NIKI]

Eye contact, caring attention and a nice smile.:)

 

[Sandra]

If my siblings apologized for treating me so nasty over the years.

 

[Kris1984]

Wow thank you for all the great feedback!

 

[Sandra]

Hugs for you Kris1984.