Comfort Contract

 

Name: Oscar

Institution

Course

Instructor

Date: July 27, 2022

 

 

Comfort Contract

A “comfort contract” is an agreement between a patient and a healthcare provider that outlines the expectations for the patient’s comfort during their hospital stay. The contract should specify the overall level of comfort the patient is expecting and any chronic discomforts or interventions that the patient uses at home for relief (Spassiani et al., 2020, p. 50). A comfort contract can help to ensure that these expectations are met and can help to improve the overall experience for the Patient. The contract should be signed by the patient or their surrogate and the nurse or care team member who will be responsible for their care. This will ensure that all parties are aware of the expectations and understand their roles in providing comfort to the Patient.

This contract is between the patient and the nurse or care team.

The Patient agrees to:

Provide the nurse or care team with a list of chronic discomforts and interventions that are used at home for relief.

The Patient agrees to provide the nurse or care team with a list of any chronic discomforts they have at home and what interventions they use for relief. This will help the nurse or care team to be aware of these and provide similar interventions if needed (Spassiani et al., 2020, p. 47).

Communicate any changes in comfort levels to the Nurse or Care Team

This will help the nurse or care team be aware of any changes and adjust the care plan accordingly (Afriyie, 2020, p. 441).

Cooperate with the interventions prescribed by the Nurse or Care Team

This will help to ensure that the interventions are effective and that the patient is comfortable.

The Nurse or Care Team agrees to:

Review the patient’s list of chronic discomforts and interventions that are used at home for relief.

This will help the Nurse or Care Team to be aware of these and provide similar interventions if needed (Spassiani et al., 2020, p. 48).

Develop a plan of care to address the patient’s comfort needs

This will help to ensure that the Patient’s needs are met and that they are comfortable.

Communicate the plan of care to the patient

This will help the patient understand the plan and know what to expect (Afriyie, 2020, p. 439).

Regularly monitor the patient’s comfort levels and adjust the plan of care as needed.

This will help to ensure that the patient’s needs are being met and that they are comfortable.

Update the patient on the status of the plan of care

This will help the patient be aware of the plan’s progress and any changes that have been made (Spassiani et al., 2020, p. 52).

The patient and the nurse or care team agree to review and update this contract as needed.

Date: ________________________

Patient Signature: ________________________

Nurse or Care Team Signature: ________________________

 

References

Afriyie, D. (2020). Effective communication between nurses and patients: an evolutionary concept analysis. British Journal of Community Nursing, 25(9), 438-445. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32881615/

Spassiani, N. A., Abou Chacra, M. S., Selick, A., Durbin, J., & Lunsky, Y. (2020). Emergency department nurses’ knowledge, skills, and comfort in caring for patients with intellectual disabilities. International Emergency Nursing, 50, 100851. 47-55. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32273205/