LETTERS GRIEVING FAMILIES
to the Editor
The article “Fetal Demise: Caring for the Parents” (AJN Reports, August) resonated with me on a personal level. I’m an RN and I have suffered multiple miscarriages. Dealing with the loss of what could have been is more difficult than words can describe. The grief process is long and arduous, and takes an emotional toll on the patient and family. Health care providers often focus on getting the patient back to physical health, but the physical and the mental components of health shouldn’t be separated. It was heartwarming to read about the innovative and thoughtful interventions some hospitals use to comfort these families. Kind words and caring gestures can go a long way in helping a patient cope with this type of loss. Tempering the negative with something
[email protected]
positive, such as therapeutic touch, a kind word, and refraining from minimizing the patient’s loss, is one way nurses can provide comfort. Keisha Semelfort, BS, RN Cambria Heights, NY
MORAL DISTRESS
In “Moral Distress as a Contributor to Nurse Burnout” (Viewpoint, April), Cheryl Wagner highlights how staffing issues often prevent the implementation of the basic principles of patient care. Ultimately, they also lead to less patient advocacy. Clearly, understaffed facilities, inadequate training for new nurses, and redundancy in patient care can cause moral distress in nurses. It’s time to make optimal staffing models a priority and to take a proactive approach before a crisis occurs. Yeni Pineda, ADN, RN Browns Summit, NC
WORKPLACE SAFETY
As a bedside nurse, I’ve noticed that the safety of health care workers providing direct patient care isn’t monitored or evaluated. Rather, it’s left up to the employee to manage her or his own safety while at work. I’m pregnant and have certain physical restrictions; however, no one follows up with me to make sure I’m working within parameters that are safe for my baby or me. We need parameters or guidelines that are enforced by management, a safety crew, or other professional bodies. Safety is always a top priority in patient care, but it tends to be overlooked when it comes to nurses and other health care workers. Rebecca Heffner, BA, RN Charlotte, NC ▼
AJN ▼ December 2015
▼
Vol. 115, No. 12
17
to the Editor
The article “Fetal Demise: Caring for the Parents” (AJN Reports, August) resonated with me on a personal level. I’m an RN and I have suffered multiple miscarriages. Dealing with the loss of what could have been is more difficult than words can describe. The grief process is long and arduous, and takes an emotional toll on the patient and family. Health care providers often focus on getting the patient back to physical health, but the physical and the mental components of health shouldn’t be separated. It was heartwarming to read about the innovative and thoughtful interventions some hospitals use to comfort these families. Kind words and caring gestures can go a long way in helping a patient cope with this type of loss. Tempering the negative with something
[email protected]
positive, such as therapeutic touch, a kind word, and refraining from minimizing the patient’s loss, is one way nurses can provide comfort. Keisha Semelfort, BS, RN Cambria Heights, NY
MORAL DISTRESS
In “Moral Distress as a Contributor to Nurse Burnout” (Viewpoint, April), Cheryl Wagner highlights how staffing issues often prevent the implementation of the basic principles of patient care. Ultimately, they also lead to less patient advocacy. Clearly, understaffed facilities, inadequate training for new nurses, and redundancy in patient care can cause moral distress in nurses. It’s time to make optimal staffing models a priority and to take a proactive approach before a crisis occurs. Yeni Pineda, ADN, RN Browns Summit, NC
WORKPLACE SAFETY
As a bedside nurse, I’ve noticed that the safety of health care workers providing direct patient care isn’t monitored or evaluated. Rather, it’s left up to the employee to manage her or his own safety while at work. I’m pregnant and have certain physical restrictions; however, no one follows up with me to make sure I’m working within parameters that are safe for my baby or me. We need parameters or guidelines that are enforced by management, a safety crew, or other professional bodies. Safety is always a top priority in patient care, but it tends to be overlooked when it comes to nurses and other health care workers. Rebecca Heffner, BA, RN Charlotte, NC ▼
AJN ▼ December 2015
▼
Vol. 115, No. 12
17
