A strong, trusting relationship with patients is crucial to building a good rapport. It helps nurses better understand their patients’ mental and physical states, making daily interactions more meaningful.
Although various nurses aim to establish meaningful nurse-patient relationships, building a good rapport is a skill best learned with time. You cannot master this skill overnight. Instead, it calls for endurance, determination and patience.
Building a solid rapport will be easier with some patients than with others. That said, as a healthcare professional, you must learn to persevere no matter how difficult the situation is.
Aspiring nurses looking to master this trait and learn more can apply for an ABSN online at Baylor University. The one-year online program combines teaching methodologies, including hybrid interactive online classes, clinical and lab experiences, and more.
What is patient rapport?
Quality nursing care is contingent on establishing a good rapport with patients. However, nurses must understand what patient rapport means before they can go on to develop it.
It helps to think of patient rapport as the relationship that a nurse develops with a patient. Based on a 2021 article in JMIR Research Protocols, the foundation of that relationship is built on qualities such as acceptance, empathy, respect and a determination to engage.
Establishing relationships with patients is not something that nurses should do only when time permits. It is rather a fundamental requirement set by the American Nurses Association’s code of ethics.
Most specifically, practicing nurses must establish trusting relationships with patients. Moreover, the code of ethics also calls for nurses to consider a patient’s ethnic and cultural background, value system, religious beliefs and language when planning their healthcare regime.
The advantages of a solid nurse-patient relationship
Research shows that the connection between a healthcare professional and a patient affects healthcare outcomes. Therefore, how you interact with patients, besides offering medical care, affects their recovery process.
This rings true in various settings. A meaningful nurse-patient relationship can help in numerous situations, including the following:
- Enhances recovery from illness.
- Results in fewer pressure ulcers and falls among patients.
- Helps patients feel more optimistic about a medical procedure and recover quicker than patients with pessimistic perspectives.
The link between solid nurse-patient relationships is so powerful that the Institute of Medicine advises all nurses to follow the patient-focused care method. Ultimately, if you seek a fulfilling career as a nurse, you must establish strong, nurturing relationships with your patients.
Tips to enhance a nurse-patient relationship
Below are a few ways that nurses can foster healthy relationships with their patients.
Communicate
Productive discussion is one of the fundamental tools to enhance patient health. One particular study found open communication to be a critical factor in improving patient outcomes. Nurses can better understand their patients’ states of mind and preferences by communicating openly, thus building a solid rapport.
Notifying your patient of changes in their condition is one way to go about this. Another is encouraging the patient to share their thoughts and feelings with you openly.
Generally, favorable clinical outcomes pertain to providing your patient with as much information as possible. It is best to convey information in a logical, organized, concise and empathetic way.
Nurses can also use the mirroring technique – i.e., emulating the patient’s disposition and demeanor to become attuned to them during complicated conversations.
Get to know the patient
The key to keeping your patient optimistic and cooperative is to get to know them and show empathy. You can do this by asking about their interests, hobbies, their family, or what brings them joy. This can help you better understand the patient’s personality, likes and dislikes, which reflects positively on the bond you aim to create.
To show respect, take your time to call your patients by their names, keeping their comfort in mind. After introducing yourself to them, ask them what they would like you to call them. Doing this may help them reduce the discomfort of the visit. Do not forget to note down their responses and share the information with your nursing staff.
Active listening
Active listening is a vital holistic health service tool. It is a non-invasive way of sharing a patient’s feelings and thoughts. This requires listening to gather information about the speaker’s intent, feelings and content. To practice active listening, nurses must pay attention to what their patients say, allowing them to finish without interrupting them or making them uncomfortable.
Repeating their given information or paraphrasing it back to them after they have finished speaking and maintaining eye contact are also crucial to active listening.
Also, consider paying attention to the patient’s non-verbal social cues, such as eye contact (or shifting), gestures and facial expressions. Furthermore, avoid filling moments of silence with your own opinions or words. Such skills help improve your relationship with your patient and develop trust over time.
Catering to their needs
Ensuring that you cater to your patients’ needs is beyond common sense. According to a 2021 Journal of Education and Health Promotion article, it is among the hallmarks of patient-focused care. To meet a patient’s needs effectively, nurses must identify and monitor those needs.
Once they address their patients’ needs, nurses must show flexibility and respond consistently, keeping in mind the patient’s cultural, spiritual and personal values.
Aside from addressing the physical needs of the patients, nurses must also learn to be mindful of each patient’s emotional, cognitive and social needs.
Educate
Educating patients about their health and progress is one of the best nursing skills. Educating patients is yet another way that nurses can build a healthy rapport with their clients.
According to MedlinePlus, nurses must remember certain considerations while educating patients about their health. For instance, nurses must keep in mind patients’ learning preferences, willingness to learn, and any likely barriers to learning about health issues.
It helps to create a healthcare education plan with the patient to obtain favorable results. Decide on the education objectives with your patient and choose the educational sources that best suit the patient in question.