Healthcare professionals have the tough job of taking care of patients who are sick or recovering from surgery. Their training has steeled them for seeing difficult things and staying calm in an emergency.
However, when things are touch-and-go, you may wind up dealing with outbursts from the patient’s family, or even the patient. In healthcare settings, these eruptions of explosive behavior are all too common. This is why de-escalation training for healthcare workers can make a difference in the health and safety of everyone.
Understanding What Makes Patient Interactions Challenging
Every patient is different, and when challenges arise, they will all react differently. With de-escalation training, you can learn to defuse tense situations before they get out of control.
Many encounters will revolve around frustration, confusion, and other negatives that aren’t unsafe situations. However, they have the potential to boil over. These tips will help you defuse the situation, allowing you to do your best in your healthcare role.
How to Deal with Difficult Patients in a Healthcare Setting
Although it can be difficult to remain cool and calm when a challenging situation arises, you should learn these skills for the well-being of your team, your patients, and yourself. Here is how you can put these skills to use:
Mentally Prepare Yourself
The first step is being calm and collected, and if you need to take a few deep breaths to get there, then so be it. Reflect on your feelings and try to release your anxiety, tension, and fear. Once you acknowledge these feelings, let them go and calm your nerves before handling a difficult patient.
Strategize with Your Team
If anyone else on your team has already interacted with the difficult patient or their family, they may have relevant insights. Perhaps they know that the patient is upset because they are nervous or in pain. Armed with this information, you stand a better chance of defusing the situation by knowing how to calm the patient down.
In situations that could escalate into violent encounters, it is important to have a team ready to provide support. You can have security on standby and assert your personal boundaries to let the patient know your expectations.
Enter with an Air of Calmness
One thing that healthcare providers often forget is that many patients are not in these settings every day. Your workplace is foreign to them. When you enter the room, keep your actions, words, and tone calm and empathetic.
Be an Excellent Active Listener
Most of the time patients get upset because they feel like no one is listening to what they say. When listening to them, let them share their concerns. Ask questions to clarify by restating what they have said and then try to remove any confusion by providing answers. Keeping eye contact and a non-aggressive stance in your mannerisms will help them to feel more at ease.
Show Empathy
It may be more difficult to empathize with a challenging patient, but these are the people who need empathy more than anyone else. Counter negativity with kindness and remember that this situation is scary for them. They may have just learned that they have an incurable disease or that they need surgery that their insurance will not cover. This could be the worst day of their life.
Avoid Getting Defensive
Sometimes, combative situations bring out a person’s natural defensive instincts. Your difficult patient may be testing your limits, but you must refrain from becoming defensive. They are likely anxious and stressed, which may make their tone and mannerisms accusatory.
Even if they are being inappropriate with their words or actions, you are not within your rights to sink to their level. It is critical that you maintain a professional demeanor and work to de-escalate the event by using a calm demeanor. Address their frustrations and concerns and steer the conversation in a positive direction.
Maintain Clear Boundaries and Communication
If speaking in soothing tones isn’t calming the situation, state your boundaries for safety. Your facility should have protocols if physical contact or threats are made and you should follow all set procedures.
By using these tactics, you may find it much easier to handle difficult patients.
Last Updated on by Icy Tales Team
This article provides a comprehensive guide for healthcare professionals to navigate challenging patient interactions with skill, empathy, and professionalism, ultimately contributing to a safer and more supportive healthcare environment.