A dear friend, Jody Schoger, shared some recent thoughts about the nurses around her this past week. There’s no denying her feelings for nurses.

One of the things that struck her, and subsequently me, was that great nurses state the obvious.

During her recent experience, the out-going nurse and incoming nurse conducted shift change at the bedside with the out-going nurse introducing the incoming nurse and explaining exactly what she had seen throughout the shift and what she was monitoring. In turn, that nurse introduced the next nurse taking over care, ensuring that all the right people knew one another and heard everything that was going on – even the obvious.

It’s true. Nurses state the obvious a lot. The reason is three-fold. First, we may not know what everyone else knows, so it is a form of education; it’s the “why” behind the “what.” Obvious to one person may catch another person by complete surprise. Second, we understand that the healthcare environment produces fear and anxiety, and the brain doesn’t tend to retain information so well in such circumstances; reiteration is key. Lastly, stating the obvious contributes to trust. Nurses want to make sure you know exactly what is happening or going to happen. Step-by-step details, no matter how obvious, also relieves anxiety, letting patients know that we know the plan.

Obviously, nurses rock like that.