can be an intimidating presence from the patient's point of view.
Whenever possible, stoop down to their level to talk with them, hold
their hands and make direct eye contact. Also pause, and refocus on
the patient in front of you in the moment.
"Every nurse who comes in contact with our patients makes an
effort to know them, beyond their chart," says Ms. Engle. "We sit at
the bedside and talk about their life outside the facility. We've discov-
ered so many amazing things about our patients, and we have bond-
ed with them on a different level."
When talking with patients, ask them about seemingly little things
about their personal lives — family members, recent travels and pets
are popular conversation starters. You'd be surprised by how much
they'll be willing to share and how appreciative they are of your inter-
est. "Just asking about the basics," says Ms. Engle. "If you have a con-
versation with them about the dogs they have at home, it makes them
more relaxed."
Try to avoid talking about touchier subjects like religion or politics,
unless patients bring them up. "One of our newer nurses actually
bonded with a patient over religion," says Ms. Engle. "The nurse even
started taking her to church and doctors' appointments. It was amaz-
ing to see such a bond develop after they spent a short time together
in the recovery room."
3. Get out and about
Conduct "leader rounding," which is just as it sounds — a leader from
the surgical department or facility personally checks in on patients to
see how they're doing. "It's no different than when a manager at a
restaurant stops by tables to see how patrons are doing," says Dan
Lantos, MSN, RN, CNML, nurse manager of radiology at Atrium Health
Cabarrus in Concord, N.C. "The same concept applies to leader round-
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