How Can Nurses Help Blind Patient Face Challenges
Nurses provide aide not only to the doctors, but to every patient’s need in order to recover immediately from pain or illnesses they are in.
Every year, January 4 is recognized worldwide as an important day for the visually impaired people. This is called World Braille Day, focusing the spotlight on the Braille system invented by Louis Braille which blind people used in order to be able to read.
Non-governmental organizations and disability organizations creates different fundraising and outreach events to create awareness not only about the event but also about blind people’s everyday situation.
Nurses can help attend to their blind patient’s medical needs in various ways. Nurses can make any visually impaired person or those with low vision in their care feel as special as normal people, and not hurting them emotionally in any possible way. They should make them feel comfortable to the new environment on their stay at the hospital.
Nurses can do these steps to help blind people faced their everyday challenges:
Make a good start by introducing yourself to the patient and addressing him/her by his name. Upon entering the room or ward, announce your arrival by calling the patient’s first name and talking to him or her cheerfully. This way, they will know you are referring to them and not to the patient on the other bed.
Put an indicator to the patient’s bed for other nurses to know how to attend to their needs rightfully. By putting an indicator, you are advising your co-nurses that the patient must be attended with special attention. However, do not forget to ask the patient or his family’s permission to do so.
Carefully guide the visually impaired patient to every corner of his room. Let the patient be familiar with how his or her room looks like by giving them a tour. Nurses can do this while walking with them slowly and letting them touch things. This will let them learn distances and have sensory cues if ever they want to roam around independently next time. Do not just give them verbal instructions as to which side is the window and where is the bathroom.
Keep their room free of obstacles. Nurses can make the patient’s room clutter-free to avoid any accidents once they’ve decided to roam around or go to the bathroom on their own will. Also, inform them of any changes made, even with an inch move of their bed or side table.
Introduce the visually impaired patient with other patients. Nurses can make the introduction so as to raise camaraderie between each patients. This will also make the patient feel like a normal person who can interact with others, especially children.
When talking with family members, let them be included in the conversation about procedures and medical plans. In any way, nurses should not let the patient feel disregarded whenever there is a conversation about them. They may be blind, but they’re not deaf not to hear and understand what is being said.
Courteously inform the patient if you are about to leave. Whenever a conversation is to end, notify the patient about it. Nurses must also not forget to tell the patient if they are to leave.
Constantly ask if they need assistance. Gladly offer assistance to your patient on anything, even in opening a food package, when cutting their food or when they want some fresh air by opening their windows.
Brief your patient on what you are doing. Advise them on whatever it is you're doing, like changing their dextrose, taking blood samples or blood pressure, noting down their temperature, etc. We nurses must always engage in a conversation with patients.
Nurses providing the right medical services for blind people will make them comfortable without giving the feeling that they are burden to others. This will ensure fast recovery and confidence.
Published at: 01/02/2015
