No one likes being in the hospital, especially during the holidays. Even when patients are lucky enough to have lots of visitors, the people they rely on most during a hospital stay are often their nurses. Those nurses not only have the all-important job of helping patients regain their health, but they can also help make the holidays better and brighter for them. Here’s how they do it:

Get them healthy. At the top of a nurse’s priorities is doing whatever they can to help their patients get healthy. That means following doctors’ orders and making sure that their patients understand all that they can do to get well. Nothing will make patients enjoy the holidays more than seeing signs that they’ve turned a positive corner on their way to recovery.

Alleviate pain. By following the attending physicians’ prescriptions, nurses actually help to ease patient suffering. It’s pretty hard to enjoy the holidays—wherever you are—if you’re in pain. Nurses give medications orally and intravenously that help fight disease and ease pain.

Listen. Often, what patients want most of all is just someone to talk with; someone who shows an interest in what they say. Nurses can offer a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. They can serve as liaison between the patient and other members of the healthcare staff and be an advocate, so the patient’s voice is heard.

Assist in personal grooming. Don’t you feel better when you’re showered and dressed in clean clothes? Well, so do patients, whether they’re at home, in the hospital, in a nursing home or at other healthcare facilities. Nurses often assist with personal grooming tasks that make people feel good about themselves. They can even help them choose festive clothes so they feel like they really are a part of holiday celebrations.

Spread some cheer. A smile, a gentle touch, a kind word and a respectful and positive attitude can often do as much as medicine to help someone feel better (especially during the holidays). Nurses are trained professionals with clinical skills that help patients overcome illness and injury. But they’re also compassionate humans who chose a profession where they get to help people every day.

Does that sound like you?

If you’d like to work in healthcare doing a job that really matters, consider training to become a practical nurse. At Porter and Chester Institute, you could complete your practical nurse career training in as little as 12 months. Give us a call at 1-800-870-6789 to schedule a school tour at one of our Connecticut campuses today.