How to navigate challenges and speak up for your patients with Gemma
Have you ever felt uncomfortable with the care one of your patients was receiving, or felt like there was more that they needed - but that you couldn’t go against your team?
Have you ever felt like you wanted more from your career but you didnt know where to start with looking for it?
If you’re nodding along with me - I get it, because I’ve been there. And so has Gemma, one of our founding academy members, who is chatting with me about just that in today’s post.
Gemma has been nursing for over 20 years and over that time, she’s completed her CertAVN, found a new passion for medical nursing, and also navigated several challenges - today she shares her career so far, and experiences dealing with tough situations in practice, as well as some of her favourite practical tips for nursing medical patients.
Meet Gemma…
Gemma began nursing over 20 years ago. She initially trained across a branch and large referral hospital, completing her ANA and then student nurse training, and qualifying in 2008.
After 10 years in her hospital, it was time for a change - and she decided to take the leap into charity medicine. Here she was able to get hands-on with her patients, do lots practically, and really found her work rewarding.
Let’s talk career progression
In her charity role, Gemma had several senior roles, moving through senior and team leader roles, and then also becoming a clinical coach to continue supporting student nurses.
To further her own knowledge, she also completed the CertAVN in Anaesthesia in 2021.
And where are things now?
Gemma is currently getting ready to start a new role, including a mixture of inpatient care and nurse clinics alongside surgical nursing - allowing her to use more of her medical skills, and nurse different patients, something she is very passionate about now!
Finding your passion within nursing
Gemma had always been interested in surgical nursing, but has found a new love of medicine from her time inside the Medical Nursing Academy - she especially loves how much there is to learn, and the potential we have to get involved with medical cases.
She loves taking the history, information and results and working to piece that together to help the vet establish a diagnosis, and then begin treatment… and then seeing those patients improve, and ultimately leave the hospital!
Focus on the things that make you happy
We’re programmed to focus on the negative - and too often in practice we spend time focusing on the things we’ve done wrong, or the things we missed.
So instead, look for the little wins throughout the day:
Picked up on a change with a patient? That’s a win right there!
Spotted your patient was painful and advocated for more analgesia? Yep, that’s another win in the books.
Got your anorexic patient eating? There’s another one!
And Gemma? Her favourite thing is one we can ALL appreciate - getting an inappetence patient eating again.
We know that so many of our medical patients are anorexic or hyporexic - and that nutritional support is one of the biggest areas we help our patients as nurses.
There’s nothing quite like that win when your patient finally takes food from you!
Practical tips for giving great care
It’s not just managing anorexic patients - there are SO many more practical things we can do to improve the care we give our patients. Here are Gemma’s top tips:
Speak up
There is a LOT to be said for speaking up. Nope, it’s not always easy - in fact, it’s one of the hardest things we have to do, especially if it means going against other people in our team.
But hold fast in your decisions and trust yourself and your gut - that nursing intuition doesn’t lie. Be honest, and remember your intentions - you’re speaking up to provide better care, not to cause trouble.
Don’t underestimate the power of TLC
It might sound silly, but TLC is such an important nursing intervention. Taking the time to really bond with your patients is so important - we’ve all had those patients who will only eat for us, or who let us do things without a muzzle but not the rest of the team.
Never underestimate that bond with your patient - it’s why we do what we do, after all.
Don’t forget those simple but effective treatments
Something like a tail bandage for a GI patient, for example, is a quick, and quite minor nursing intervention - but it’ll make a big difference to the cleanliness (and wellbeing) of your patient.
So have a think about the little things they’ll benefit from - and add those into their nursing plan!
Overcoming challenges
Like many of us, Gemma’s nursing journey has had its fair share of ups and downs. Most days in nursing can be challenging - for a variety of reasons. From difficult clients, to busy days, to difficult cases, long shifts, emergencies and out-of-hours shifts, there are always challenges for us to overcome.
Gemma’s advice when faced with a tough situation? Shift your focus to what you can learn from that situation, because every challenge gives you an opportunity to do something different next time.
Think about how you can use that situation to be an even better nurse - not just for your patients, but for their families and your team, too.
Speaking of learning…
That passion to learn led Gemma to the Medical Nursing Academy. After joining us for a webinar, Gemma became one of our founding members in February 2023.
For her, it’s especially highlighted the importance of those little nursing tips and hacks, and how they all add up to make a difference - and she’s now busy enjoy putting them into practice with her own patients, giving even better care, and developing new skills in the process.
So next time you’re faced with a tricky situation at work, or you feel uncomfortable speaking up for a patient - remember WHY you’re doing it, and the difference it will make. You’ve got a voice - use it!
Find your passion and really cultivate it, and look for the ‘quick wins’ in practice - focusing on those, so you end your days on a positive note!
Want to learn more about the academy? Get on the waiting list for the next intake here.
