By Georgia Koutsoumbi, Director of Nursing Services at ANAPLASI Medical Rehabilitation Center
Every year on May 12, we celebrate International Nurses Day, a day dedicated to those who serve every day, dedicated to human life, health, and dignity. The date is no coincidence, it is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the woman who laid the foundations of modern nursing science.
International Nurses Day is an opportunity to say a big “thank you” to all the nurses who steadfastly work every day with knowledge and genuine concern. In the field of rehabilitation, their contribution is vital.
Among the dozens of nursing specialties, the rehabilitation nurse holds a special role, a professional with specialized knowledge and a human-centered approach, who is called upon to accompany the patient on the difficult journey from illness to independence.
Rehabilitation is not simply “recovering” from an illness or injury. It is a multidimensional process that requires holistic care, planning, and collaboration, and at ANAPLASI, our nurses are well aware of this.
In ANAPLASI, the rehabilitation nurse has a dual role:
- Providing clinical and practical care, which takes into account the patient’s needs.
- Undertaking the patient’s training, by transforming their nursing care through knowledge into self-reliance.
The approach is interdisciplinary and collaborative: the nurse works in consultation with physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists, clinical dietitians and social workers, in order to support the patient in every aspect of rehabilitation.
In ANAPLASI, education is a key element of rehabilitation and is not only about providing information, but also about cultivating skills, attitudes, and self-confidence. The rehabilitation nurse designs and adapts individualized training programs that respond to the needs and capabilities of each patient.
In detail, education includes:
- Understanding the disease
The patient is informed about their condition, its causes, prognosis, and possible difficulties. This knowledge is the first step towards acceptance and cooperation.
- Learning everyday skills
Training in activities such as dressing, hygiene, and feeding.
- Medication and symptom management
The patient learns how to take their medications correctly, how to recognize warning signs of deterioration, and when to seek help.
- Education of caregivers and families
In rehabilitation, the family plays a crucial role. The nurse makes sure to train caregivers so that they can support the patient practically and emotionally.
- Psychological support and empowerment
Returning to life after a serious illness is often psychologically painful. The nurse acts in a supportive manner, building a relationship of trust and encouraging the patient’s active participation in their treatment.
The goal of rehabilitation is not only to improve physical deficits, but also any functional problems with the aim of the patient’s full personal, professional, family, and social reintegration. In ANAPLASI, nurses play an active role, as they know that the success of rehabilitation does not end with the patient’s discharge from the Rehabilitation Center. On the contrary, that is where the greatest challenge begins: the application of what has been learned to everyday life. The rehabilitation nurse continues to be a point of reference, helping the patient’s gradual and safe reintegration into work, social activities, and functional independence.
At ANAPLASI, the same principle applies to our nurses as to all members of the Trans-Disciplinary Rehabilitation Team:
“We do the maximum possible, not the minimum necessary.”
“We care for our patients as we would care for our own family.”
