Phoenix Home Care’s slate of services includes home health nursing. This type of care includes a skilled nurse providing medical care in the patient’s home. Today’s blog from Phoenix Home Care talks about four clinical nursing skills that are vital to home health workers.
Related Post: A Day in the Life of a Home Health Nurse
1. Assessment & Observation
Assessment and observation are two facets of the first step in the nursing process. You’ll need to apply critical thinking skills for assessment and observation because you must collect information from your client, analyze the data, and decide what steps to take (if any).
Collecting information goes beyond taking vital signs. How does your client look? How does the client feel? Does your client seem like his or her normal self, or does something seem off? Yes, you must collect evidence to support your caregiving regimen, but knowing your client does play a part in the assessment and observation process for our home health services.
2. Medication Administration
Medicine represents another important factor in a client’s care regimen. Home health workers need to make sure their clients are taking their medications on time and in the right doses. Phoenix Pharmacy helps with this process. Another way we administer medication is through injections or intravenously. You’ll need a caring bedside manner and cheerful disposition when administering medications to clients who are afraid of needles.
3. Wound Care
When clients come home from the hospital, they may need wound care following surgery. Home health workers must pay close attention to a doctor’s instructions regarding wound dressings. Keen observational skills are important here. If a wound looks different as it progresses through the healing process, a skilled nurse must recognize when to consult with a doctor to ensure that the wound heals properly.
4. Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal skills play an important part in skilled nursing services. Without a pleasant, reassuring personality, all of the medicine in the world may not help the patient get better. Not only must home health workers reassure their patients that everything is okay with a great bedside manner, but they must also educate family members and loved ones about what’s happening. Interpersonal skills are about creating connections with patients because these connections help our clients heal faster and live more comfortably at home.
Related Post: Top 10 Reasons to Be a Home Health Nurse
Skilled Home Health Care by Phoenix
Phoenix Home Care prides itself on quality, compassionate home health services following a Christ-like model. Do you or a loved one need skilled nursing care? Talk to us about our quality in-home care services following extended hospital stays or when long-term care becomes necessary. Interested in working for us? Give us a shout! Contact Phoenix Home Care or call toll-free 1-888-830-2388 for more information.
