Your professor might have asked you to build your knowledge of psychology even though you are a nursing student. Being asked to study psychology while studying a challenging subject like nursing might make you feel like pulling your hair out in frustration. Below we can discuss the ultimate importance of psychology in nursing.
The fields of nursing and psychology might seem unrelated to you at first. But they are not! Yes, you heard right. Psychology and nursing are pretty much related to each other. Let’s put it this way. Have you ever taken care of a sick family member? You might have noticed that sometimes they are in a very good mood while other times they drive you crazy. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could read what’s going on in their mind? This is exactly where psychology comes in.
In this blog, we will explore what is the importance of psychology in nursing. If you want to understand. Why all nursing students need to study psychology then read the full blog and become an informed nurse.
What is Psychology?
In simple words, psychology is the study of mind and behavior. It helps us understand what people think and why they act the way they do. It gives us a passage into people’s minds. Not just this, it helps us build a strong and healthy relationship with people around us.
Have you ever noticed how sometimes small things set you off while other times you don’t care enough? You just brush off big issues like nothing happened. These are all mind games. When you study psychology, you get to know the reasons behind such behaviors.
Therefore, psychology is important not just in understanding other people but in understanding one’s behaviors. It helps us know what’s going on in our minds and why we behave in certain ways.
Now that you know what psychology is and why it is important, let’s discuss the Importance of Psychology in Nursing.
Importance of Psychology in Nursing
Teachers give nursing students tons of assignments. The reason behind these assignments is to evaluate their knowledge of nursing. However, we understand that studying psychology on top of nursing and completing all the assignments is too much. But don’t worry! You can ask experts to complete your assignments by getting our ‘Nursing Assignment Help UK’ service. Our service is specially designed for struggling students like you.
Now, let’s quickly look at why psychology is important in the field of nursing.
Understanding Your Patient
One of the most important reasons for studying psychology in nursing is that nurses have to deal with many patients daily. These patients suffer from different kinds of illnesses, some of which do not have any cure. Patients grow angry and resentful due to their illnesses. When dealing with such patients, you should not only be understanding but you should also be able to tolerate your patients’ rude behavior.
Psychology helps you to understand not just what your patient says but why they say it. It aids you in knowing the reason behind their behavior. This will help you to recognize what your patient needs even when they don’t ask for it.
Other than illnesses, there could be other factors that you as a nurse should take into account when dealing with your patient. Two such factors are the age and gender of the patient. By studying psychology, you get to know how to interact with children and aged people. Unless you understand your patients, you will not be able to give them proper care.
Communicating Effectively
Having good communication skills is key if you are a nurse. Nurses have to communicate with all kinds of people every day. They not just include patients but other healthcare workers such as doctors, staff members, etc.
Psychology helps nurses understand other people’s viewpoints. Moreover, nurses need to gain their patient’s trust to help them. This can only happen if nurses know well enough how to communicate. Good nurses are active listeners. They not just listen to their patients but try to understand them. This can only be done if nurses have a knowledge of psychology.
Managing Stress
Human beings are kind by nature. When they see other people struggling with illness or other issues, they often get depressed. However, as a nurse, you have to listen to your patients and understand their problems.
Other than that, there are many issues that arise in the healthcare setting. Nurses have to deal with not just issues concerning their patients but other problems within the hospitals as well. These problems can cause severe stress. Therefore, studying psychology is important for nursing students. It helps nurses in managing their stress so that they can provide proper care to their patients.
Convincing Patients to Collaborate
It is very important that patients follow their treatment plan properly. However, it becomes challenging to convince patients to do as told. When nurses have knowledge of psychology, they can convince patients to take part in their own treatment. Psychology helps nurses to connect with their patients and understand their fears, emotions, and concerns.
As a result, they can deal with their patients’ concerns and motivate them to take part in their recovery process. They can support their patients and reduce their stress by using psychology.
Empathizing Toward the Patient
When patients suffer from long-term illness, it affects their behavior. Even the most loving people become angry and rude when they are sick.
As a nurse, you should be able to empathize with your patients. Unless you put yourself in their shoes you will not be able to help them properly. Therefore, as a nurse, you should try to understand your patient’s condition. And psychology will help you do just that. Nurses who have in-depth knowledge of psychology not only help their patients properly, but they also tolerate their patients’ rude behavior without losing their temper.
In addition, psychology teaches nurses strategies and techniques that can help them calm their patients and make informed decisions.
Winding Up
In a nutshell, if you are a nursing student who wants to become a good nurse, you should allot some time from your busy schedule to the study of psychology. The knowledge of psychology will make your nursing practice smoother. It will not only help your patients, but it will also help you in handling difficult situations. We have listed some of the many reasons that you should study psychology if you plan to become a nurse. We hope this blog will clarify your mind and remove any frustration you may have about studying psychology.
