Patient safety and satisfaction are not just passing fads. They are two thirds of what patients expect from their health care system. The Intelligent Nurse was created to help nurses learn the soft skills that will allow them to become more effective providers of care to others, enhance their profession and position themselves for advancement. Starting with the basic skill of communication, The Intelligent Nurse explores the some of the pitfalls that affect both verbal and non-verbal communication. Many patient safety issues are directly related to how we communicate. Often, the overwhelming portion of our communication with patient and family are non-verbal. Knowledge of how this interaction occurs, within the realm of emotional and social intelligence, will lead to higher patient satisfaction. Throughout The Intelligent Nurse, other aspects that affect our ability to lead patients to better health are explored. These points also enhance our ability to lead others on the health care team. When these skills are learned and practiced, they become the stepping stones to our own personal and professional advancement. This book, while short in length can serve as a stepping stone to greater learning and increased skill competence. The Intelligent Nurse also seeks to enlighten nurses about their role in the marketing and sales of health and health care. Too often, through lack of marketing knowledge, much of what we do and say puts out a negative message. When those patients and their families leave our care, the word of mouth advertising that occurs can wreck havoc in a multitude of venues. These same skills, used in a positive fashion, can sell patients on the actions necessary to increase their level of wellness long after they leave our care. These same skills can be used to enhance the professional life of a nurse by giving them the competence to promote their ideas to others in an efficient manner.
About the Author: Long ago, a young man saw the progress in the field now known as emergency medicine. Advanced first-aid was giving way to medical treatment in the pre-hospital setting. That teenager thought that one day in the future, nurses would be providing that early, critical treatment. So Donald Wood entered the nursing program at a junior college right after graduating from high school. That was 1971. Since graduation from Florida Junior College at Jacksonville in 1973, Donald has been providing direct patient care in a variety of settings. He graduated from nurse anesthesia school in 1977. Through the many years Donald has always remained true to the fact that, no matter what he does, he is a nurse. To say that he is part of the nursing family is an understatement. His wife is a nurse as is his daughter. Three sisters-in-law are nurses and his brother-in-law's wife is a nurse. Along the way, Donald served as a decorated member of the U.S.Air Force Reserve. His duties included clinical anesthesia administration, disaster relief and teaching in a leadership school for five years. He was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal in 2004. He left military service with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Donald lives with his wife in North Central Florida and continues to administer anesthesia, while working as a health care consultant and writing with the endeavor to improve nursing for patients, the profession and the individual nurse.