Discussion Post: The Role of Nursing in Patient's Emotional Well-being

This discussion post emphasizes the significance of addressing patients' emotional and spiritual needs within healthcare settings. It highlights how these aspects contribute to overall well-being, potentially influencing physical recovery and reducing anxiety. The post discusses the impact of emotional stress on physical symptoms and the benefits of therapeutic relationships. Furthermore, it explores pain management strategies, including the use of self-reporting, palliative care, and the crucial role of nurses in assessing and alleviating patient pain. The post references several research papers to support its arguments, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to patient care. The post also stresses the importance of pain management as the first nursing priority.

Running head: DISCUSSION POST 1
Discussion Post
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DISCUSSION POST 2
Discussion Post
Supporting the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs is very important, especially
during their stay in hospital. A patient can heal more quickly physically if their emotional state it
suitable. A simple act of sitting with a loved one and receiving reassurance helps to comfort the
patient, thus assisting in the well-being. Emotional stress can trigger some physical symptoms,
which may worsen the already existing condition (Wagley & Newton, 2010). A therapeutic
relationship that contains empathy reduces patient distress. The spiritual needs of a patient help
the patient to be positive towards the treatment and to be less anxious. The belief that a stronger
power is controlling their health gives them hope that the treatment will be effective. There are
huge ramifications associated with not doing so for the patient. An example is that the patient
may become worried patient and self-report an increased level of pain (Richardson, Percy, &
Hughes, 2015).
The perception of pain is controlled by a set of biological, psychological and sociological
factors. Pain can be defined as an unpleasant sensory experience that is usually felt physically
(Tredgett, 2015). No scale has been developed to categorize severe, moderate or mild pain. The
lack of a range is why most nurses depend on a self-report to assess the level of pain. Self-
reporting is a handy indicator, especially in pain management, and through this, a palliative
medical care was developed. Palliative care involves preventing pain and providing relief from
pain by identifying early report of pain, assessing the condition, treating the pain and analyzing
some of the underlying causes that may trigger pain. It is through this method that a systemic and
thorough approach to pain management can be achieved. Pain management is the first nursing
priority (Vargas-Schaffer & Cogan, 2014).

DISCUSSION POST 3
References
Richardson, C., Percy, M., & Hughes, J. (2015). Nursing therapeutics: teaching student nurses
care, compassion and empathy. Nurse Education Today, 35(5), e1-e5.
Tredgett, K. M. (2015). Pain control. Medicine, 43(12), 699-704.
Vargas-Schaffer, G., & Cogan, J. (2014). Patient therapeutic education: placing the patient at the
centre of the WHO analgesic ladder. Canadian Family Physician, 60(3), 235-241.
Wagley, L. K., & Newton, S. E. (2010). Emergency nurses' use of psychosocial nursing
interventions for management of ED patient fear and anxiety. Journal of Emergency
Nursing, 36(5), 415-419.