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Nurse Karin Berntsen shares how talking with another patient with the same diagnosis can enhance care and healing.
Karin Berntsen:
I think one of the most important things you can do is to read, read up on whatever your condition is, and I have talked about that several times, but as with anything, knowledge is powerful.
The other important thing you can do is talk to other patients that may have undergone the same procedure. If it’s a cancer diagnosis or a chronic illness diagnosis such as diabetes, look for local community resources where you can talk to other patients that have may be seen a particular doctor or experienced the same kind of treatment and find out what’s worked for them and some of their valuable information, especially if somebody has been going through something for some time. They could be a great resource for you. So use your community and find out what’s in your community to help you out.
About Karin Berntsen, R.N.:
Karin Berntsen, R.N., is the Director of Quality and Risk Management at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California. She is also the Patient Safety Officer for the hospital. Nurse Berntsen has worked at Alvarado for more than four years, authored two books on patient safety, and believes passionately that all patients should have the best, safest care possible when they are in the hospital.
Visit Nurse Berntsen at Alvarado Hospital