Nurse’s Psychology Integrated to Working with Geriatric Patients

Nurse’s Psychology Integrated to Working with Geriatric Patients

Gerontological care is often considered as a social problem. That is why the work of nurses in this field should be based on a clear philosophy. The mentioned above principles of a nurse’s philosophy can be integrated into practice. However, there are various specific geriatric care traits that should be addressed.

When organizing care for elderly patients, much attention should be paid to deontological aspects since elderly and senile patients, as a rule, have a hard time enduring the breaking of the usual stereotype and have difficulty adapting to the new hospital environment. Initially, deontology was the doctrine of the problems of morality and ethics, a section of ethics. Subsequently, science has narrowed down to characterizing the difficulties of human duty, considering duty as an internal experience of compulsion given by ethical values. In an even narrower sense, deontology was designated as a science that explicitly studies medical ethics, rules, and norms for the interaction of a medical worker with colleagues and a patient.

When working with the elderly, the nurse must know the psychological characteristics of the geriatric patient. Working with the elderly requires a lot of patience, forbearance, a sense of humor, and the art of communication. A sense of respect, often admiration for his life history, usually dramatically increases the nurse’s credibility and her authority as a specialist. Older people often have memory impairments. When caring for such patients, it is necessary to be discreet and attentive, constantly reminding them of the time to take medications and carry out a particular procedure. An important role is played in caring for elderly patients by creating an optimal medical and protective regimen. Elderly patients often have sleep disturbances. Psychotherapy and psychohygiene play an essential role in the revitalization process. Older adults need to constantly train their intellectual abilities through various types of mental stress.

In order to provide appropriate assistance to older people at an outpatient appointment, when visiting at home or in a hospital, medical personnel must not only distinguish with a sufficient degree of confidence purely age-related changes in the structure and function of an aging person from those caused by illness and requiring preventive and therapeutic measures but also be familiar with the psychology of an aging person, evaluate it in your patient, know his place in the social environment.

The main principle of care is respect for the patient’s personality and acceptance of character’s peculiar features, with all physical and mental shortcomings, irritability, talkativeness, and in many cases, dementia. Medical personnel should be aware that the deficiencies with which the patient is admitted to a medical institution, in most cases, are a manifestation of the disease and not old age, and appropriate care and treatment can improve the condition of patients and restore their health. Therefore, the mentioned experiences show that psychology in nursing practices ensures a higher quality of care. The major principle includes the provision of double-aspected care. The first is guaranteeing efficient conditions for the treatment of the patient, while the second consists of psychological and mental support. Working with the elderly requires a lot of patience, forbearance, a sense of humor, and the art of communication.

The well-defined philosophy, which includes a sense of respect, and often admiration for his life history, usually dramatically increase the nurse’s credibility as a specialist helping to provide more qualitative care.

References

Riegel, F. (2021). Florence Nightingale’s theory and her contributions to holistic critical thinking in nursing. Web.