Both registered nurses and nurse practitioners play a crucial role in modern healthcare, not only by providing frontline healthcare to patients but also by acting as a bridge between patients, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. As part of this work, they are often involved in various aspects of patient communication, including the development of various initiatives from healthy diet and exercise programs to disease prevention and encouraging people to get important vaccinations. So how do these campaigns work, exactly, and what kind of difference can nurses make?
In this article, we examine how nurses can contribute to promoting healthy choices and positive outcomes in patient-centered communication. In addition, we also look at the potential career path of registered nurses who would like to extend their level of expertise in this area and the importance of experience and lifelong learning.
Raising awareness
Campaigns and promotion of information have long played an important part in both public and private health. Often, they are used to raise awareness of a specific topic among the general population. This could be any topic where additional information or encouragement could be useful, from the dangers of smoking or drug use to the importance of seeking assistance and guidance for mental health issues. All kinds of institutions will carry out promotional campaigns of varying descriptions, from hospital or psychiatric facilities to outpatient clinics and family practices.
Campaigns can also be used to provide practical information, including informing patients of a new IT system, discussing opening hours during the holiday season, and mentioning the arrival of new physicians or specialties in the clinic. Campaigns can also be used to encourage patients to make positive choices: to adopt a healthier lifestyle, for instance, or to take up practices such as exercise or mindful meditation that have been shown to benefit physical or mental health.
Nurses at the center of communication
Because nurses are often the main point of contact between the patient and the medical institution, they tend to play a particularly significant role in this kind of activity. One of the most common, most traditional, and most effective forms of campaign is conducted in person on the site of the medical facility itself. In this case, patients are usually presented with information when they attend a consultation, examination, or check-up at the institution in question.
For example, if there is a drive to promote healthy eating, perhaps with special seminars and educational materials available, nurses and physicians might take the time to discuss it with patients on their visits for check-ups. In addition, the receptionist might also be asked to offer additional information, perhaps in the form of leaflets or informative data sheets.
Working as a team
Indeed, teamwork is essential to any effective promotional campaign. Often information will also be provided through direct communication, usually in the form of email, text messages, and phone calls. This is particularly useful with something like seasonal vaccinations, where a campaign to encourage vulnerable people to get the flu jab, for example, can be especially advantageous. Here, patients might expect to receive text or email reminders of the approaching flu season and perhaps phone communication to schedule an appointment. Naturally, in any kind of campaign of this nature, the medical institution needs to ensure that they remain helpful and informative without causing the patient to feel that they are being bombarded with too much information.
With direct communication, the reception and back office staff are often responsible for sending the messages themselves, while nurses may be called upon to provide medical clarification and advice and, in some cases, to liaise with physicians and other staff. Often, the clinic’s website and social media accounts are also used to help boost the campaign and reach patients who might not otherwise have access to the information. Again, nurses may be required both to provide their own expertise and also to assist with getting the communication and medical details right.
The best pathway
Needless to say, like all aspects of healthcare, preparation and the right training are absolutely crucial in this field; getting the information right and, in particular, managing campaigns and driving them forward takes a significant amount of expertise. While most registered nurses (RNs) will have the requisite knowledge to make a valuable contribution, some will look to increase their level of training through further formal qualifications. One particularly popular option for RNs is to train to become a nurse practitioner.
This kind of choice will provide registered nurses with a more advanced understanding of medicine and nursing but will also enable them to focus on areas such as patient communication, holistic care, and cultural and socioeconomic factors. So, how long does it generally take to become a nurse practitioner? The initial step is to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in order to become a registered nurse, which usually takes three to four years. Registered nurses will then need to complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with a nursing practitioner specialty, which usually takes from 15 to 24 months. Universities such as Carson-Newman University are an excellent choice for those looking to further their education. At Carson-Newman, the MSN-FNP program offers 100% online coursework that allows work-life balance along with clinical placement support. Future NPs would do well to examine their options carefully, knowing that a top-notch education can yield greater job opportunities.
A crucial aspect of modern healthcare
Of course, even upon graduation, nurse practitioners will have much to learn in these fields. Fortunately, most medical institutions are fully committed today to awareness campaigns, which means that most qualified nurse practitioners will have plenty of further opportunities to gain experience in these areas. Naturally, lifelong learning is also an important aspect when it comes to patient communication, with the modes and messaging of these campaigns changing at a rapid rate.
Today, promotional and awareness campaigns are often far more than just a useful extra; if done well, they can make a genuine difference to people’s health and can also help to build a closer and more personal relationship between the medical staff and their patients. By getting the right information to the right people at the right time, these kinds of campaigns can help to increase the level of awareness about important medical issues, combat misinformation, and promote healthier choices, all of which have been proven to make a vital contribution to driving positive patient outcomes.
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