Massage therapists and nurses both treat people but in very different ways. Whereas a nurse will be in more medical settings, massage therapists naturally take a much more hands-on approach to teaching patients. However, there are many similarities between the two.
There are types of care that can really make a difference to people’s lives. Even if the seriousness of the treatment can differ, both massage therapists and nurses can help change people’s lives for the better.
While the roles may not be the same, the traits needed to be an expert in your field are similar. If you have these traits, you may be interested in a fast track to nursing to enjoy a career befitting of your talents. Here you’ll see what these traits are in greater detail.
Empathy That Builds Trust
The foundation of any type of healthcare is empathy. The best nurses and massage therapists will listen to you properly. They will notice your concerns and look for red flags with your health that you may not have even considered.
As a patient, you never want to be seen as just a number. You want to know that your needs are being listened to. If a treatment is being given that you are unsure about, you want it explained clearly why they feel it’s in your best interest.
For a nurse, this may be explaining a procedure or checking in on your comfort. For a message therapist, it’s about adjusting to the pain you are feeling and seeing how your lifestyle may be affecting the issues you’re having.
Nurses are commonly known for their empathy. However, the listening skills required by a massage therapist need to be excellent as well. When the patient trusts that you have their best interests at heart, it makes the healing process much easier.
No Afraid of a No-Nonsense Approach
While both professions are great listeners, neither is afraid to take a no-nonsense approach if needed. If a patient is unsure about treatment or hesitant to take the next steps, the friendly voice can turn into firm encouragement.
Both nurses and massage therapists will often have to deal with people doubting their work or being uncooperative. Sometimes all it takes is a confident voice that speaks from experience to snap them out of it.
The best exponents of this approach are able to make that switch without the patient feeling attacked or made to feel stupid. It’s a subtle skill but one that both nurses and massage therapists are capable of when the time is needed.
A Deep Understanding of the Human Body
Another thing they both have in common is a commitment to learning and applying this knowledge when treating patients. Nursing does require a more complete understanding of the body that covers the full spectrum of health.
Even though their breadth of knowledge isn’t as wide, massage therapists will still know about muscular structure, biomechanics and how lifestyle affects movement. With both roles, they will employ their knowledge and ever-increasing experience to provide the best possible care.
This deep understanding of the body will extend to understanding how seemingly random signs can be connected. For a nurse, that may be spotting an early sign of a complication before it becomes more serious. For a massage therapist, that may be explaining how arm pain can be connected to stiffness in your neck.
In both roles, you have to be capable of being the whole picture. Often healthcare can be about putting the jigsaw pieces together to create a clearer picture of the care needed. As a patient, this can guide you to better outcomes that you may have not even considered.
Professionalism and Ethics in Care
In both roles, you are dealing with people who are vulnerable. While seeing a message therapist may not be life or death, you may still feel scared. People are likely to be nervous about the treatment, any potential pain, and the awkwardness of getting undressed.
In nursing, that understanding of vulnerability needs to be taken to the next level. Invasive or embarrassing treatments or samples may sometimes need to be taken. In both roles, boundaries need to be respected and confidentiality is paramount.
This includes keeping information private, explaining clearly what you are doing, asking for consent, and respecting your decisions. When done in the right manner, most patients will trust the process.
The Gift of Presence
Healthcare requires a whole lot of people behind the scenes. Whether it is imaging technicians or vital administration staff, there are those in the background who are partly responsible for ensuring you get the right care.
With massage therapists and nurses, they are the ones who have to be present with you. Even if others behind the scenes are making decisions or giving advice, the patient will feel you are the most important person to them. Having that presence can make a huge difference to how they feel.
It may feel as though they are worlds apart but there are more similarities than many might expect. It shows a clear crossover between the roles and how to excel in frontline health care, you need some vital common traits.