Question

Ways to deal with a hostile patient that would like to be scene?

Answer 1

Hostile is a word derived from Latin word "Hostilis" meaning enemy. Patients in a hospital are often found to be in pain and need help but some patients are very difficult to deal with by the healthcare personnel due to their hostility.

Being in a health care sector, we have to deal with any kind of patients with optimal professional behavior inspite of their hostile behavior. Methods to deal with such patient are as follows:

1. Apologize - very often it is never the fault of the healthcare care professional for a delay or a pain or unfavorable environment near the patient but we need to respect the patient frustration and apologize for the same. Sometimes a simple apology might work wonders.

2. Listen : patient might vent out their frustration in a loud voice or violent behavior but it's never to hurt the healthcare personnel, infact it's the pain that makes them do so. If we give a hearing ear to them, it might solve the problem.

3. Resolve the problem - we have to address with the patient that there is a problem and find out creative methods to solve the problem.

4. Health care professional attitude- professional should always have a positive attitude and be polite to the patient. Always remember not to take this behavior personally and neither keep any grudge against the patient. It's just because of their Illness that makes then behave so.speak softly, avoid having judgemental attitude, be empathetic, avoid arguing.

5. Communication- health care professional should keep a watch on their communication. Avoid negative terms, try explaining to the patient, engage patient in a conversation, ask patient if they could offer an alternative solution which is admissible within the hospital policy. Nonverbal form of communication like posture, gesture, eye contact should also be favorable or it might give a threat to the patient. Sometimes even acting dumb or silence can solve out the issues.

6. Set boundaries- if the patient is unmanageable by the healthcare personnel, they should explain the clear cut boundaries to the patient. If the demands are unreasonable and increasing, tell the patient that they will be attended after a particular time. If the patient is having some personal grudge against the personnel, let the junior staff or assistant to help the patient with his demands.

7. Shake it off - the nurse should never spoil the mood, or his day just because of a hostile patient and their demands. If not able to continue, ask some time off, go and breath some fresh air, don't allow patient comments to affect your life. Remind yourself that nursing is difficult but not impossible for you and you've been trained to do so. Just breathe out all the anger and continue on with the shift. Gain control of personal emotions.

8. Empower the patient - sometimes patient get furious on understanding that some test or therapy is prescribed for them without their knowledge. In such situations never force an evaluation. Make the patient aware that there's a remedy but totally on the descison of the patient to go for it. Empower them with descison making so that they feel in control of their health care treatment.

These methods can be utilized to help healthcare professional deal with hostile patient and their demands. The hospital administration should also look into such cases and support the staff whenever possible.