Patient centred care
Jane was the Sister of an HIV ward in London she talks about the nature of patient-centred care in the HIV inpatient service.
“You’ve got a patient who’s just come across the threshold, who’s scared, who may have seen friends die, and then they’re suddenly in that situation and they’re sick.
Importance of touch
I wanted people to welcome them with touch, so, you know, either a handshake, which, [laughs] I really like handshakes, or a hug, or whatever. So, that first moment. Then you’ve got the opportunity, the nurse will sit down and we’ll be able to talk to that patient about, about them, how are they, what’s been going on for them? Extending it beyond just, what’s wrong with that individual, but where are they in the context of their lives?
How do you want to be nursed?
So you’re opening up the possibility of patients being able to have a say in what happens with them. So you, I think that’s what we were trying to do, was to say, you know, ‘Tell me how you want to be nursed.”
