How do you deal with very difficult patients and their families?

Question

Some people treat the nursing staff like servants. Is it standard pratice for people in certain cultures to treat staff like servants. And when they can't get their way, to cause confusion and complain.

Answer 1

thats just human nature iwth anything...selfishness. doesnt just happen to nurses

Answer 2

It kinda is a "serving" type of job. I know that one way to deal with difficult people is with sheer kindness and a very loving attitude (it worked with me in customer service). Your dealing with people that are in pain and maybe have lost all hope, too as a nurse. Just remember when you a sick person (I've been in the hospitol many times in very bad pain) you may be a little out of your mind, too. I still believe the loving attitude works even with the nastiest of people. I had customers that had blew up at me one day and then the next day come back and apoligize after they settled down . After a person gets back to a point that there not in some type of misery they become sorry for the way they acted. If you have kept your attitude cool when the trouble took place- then you will have nothing to regret. For all that is why kindness works in dealing with disturbed peoples. I hope that helps. Thank you for being a nurse- I couldn't finish the schooling- I wanted to be one.

Answer 3

Well, as a nurse your job is to nurture, so perhaps some people feel that they can complain to you since your duties are geared towards their well-being. Most people who need nurses probably aren't the most comfortable or reasonable, so I'd take it with a grain of salt - obviously if you are taking care of them while they are ill, they are far worse off than you are. If this isn't your cup of tea, maybe you should find a different profession. I'm not trying to be mean, because I agree that this happens in a lot of fields (not just nursing), but these people are depending on you to help them recover.

Answer 4

I can only imagine a nurse's job is difficult. However, I've found that while I'm polite, I get worse treatment from them. I've had so many bad experiences with nurses I can't even count. It's refreshing to actually find a nice one. I know patients and families are stressed, and things may come off across as crass and rude. Just be gentle and inform them. And you can also be friendly and supportive. The best nurse I ever met could be harsh, but she hugged me to death and sat with me when my father died.

Answer 5

I know what you mean and you are right to say that some cultures bring people to treat servants like s...t . The only response as a nurse is to tell them politely that you are a qualified nurse and not their slave because slavery was abolished long time ago in case they do not know....

Answer 6

I suggest that you trust your intuition. There are many who can be told that their behaviour is distressing and you could find immediate change for the better. However you could also encounter people who are not only rude or unreasonable but do not hesitate to vitiate the atmosphere and become more violent when told to behave. Avoid confrontation in these cases. You will notice that sooner or later these sort of brutes tend to get into trouble with many including those with the time and reesources to set them right. Choose your oppurtunity wisely and contribute to the corrective measures.

Answer 7

People who are in hospitals are miserable because most of them are in pain or discomfort sometimes in excruciating pain. Of course theyre going to complain and be cranky.

I've met obnoxious nurses myself who didnt care about the client until they fit into their own schedules. I had to call the doctor after 3 hours of trying to get the nurse because during the middle of the hot summer the back of my leg cast was giving me a rash. I couldnt get the obnoxious nurse to give me a moment of her time to even hear me out. She was very rude and condescending.


Please if you dont know what this job implies then you shouldnt be doing this job. Its a lot of work. I always tell people that i couldnt do it..takes very special people to do this type of work.


Oh and one last thing...doctors and nurses need to stop treating clients like they're stupid. We do some of our own research at times and we do sometimes know what we are talking about. So please do listen before making such judgements and before dismissing us.

Thank you

Answer 8

It can be very difficult to maintain composure and resolve conflict appropriately in some of today's sticky healthcare situations.

If you're a healthcare professional or work in a healthcare environment, you're bound to deal with difficult patients. And, if not handled correctly, a difficult patient can escalate into a hazardous event. Most patients don’t set out to be difficult. Rather, they become difficult out of frustration, anger, confusion, and/or fear.

Recently a patient came to the office for his scheduled appointment with the enclosed memo (Table); his name has been changed to protect confidentiality. I was so grateful that he brought the memo. It made the visit more focused, more efficient, and more effective. I wish that patients would more frequently bring similar notes with them when they come for their appointments.

Table. Items to Discuss at My Next Doctor’s Appointment

MEMO
DATE: March 21, 2006
TO: Dr. **********
FROM: John Doe, 7 Eye Drive, Philadelphia, PA
Status of Eye Health

Objective: The purpose of this visit is to decide whether I can continue WITHOUT glaucoma medication. Since about last November, I have been using no meds. This was a joint decision by Drs. Fuchs and Spaeth, in response to an inflammation of my left eye.

Eye Health: I continue to suffer from dry eyes, which I treat with compresses. (The artificial tears are no longer helpful, and frequently irritate.) I have learned to adapt to this problem, mainly by changing my reading and driving habits. Each week, I still experience one or two severe headaches that emanate from the vicinity of my left eye — although I don’t know if the eye is to blame. My theories are:

sinus problem
a migraine syndrome
eyestrain caused by an improper correction in my left lens
a combination of the above


This experience brings to mind a comment I occasionally hear from my medical colleagues. In speaking with each other, physicians sometimes discuss “difficult patients.” For example, the person who “brings a list” with him or her to the office. But isn’t this just what we as physicians want our patients to do? How can we answer our patients’ questions unless we know what those questions are?

I have now come to instruct my patients to write out issues that should be addressed at their next visit to my office. This includes their questions and concerns, and, in addition, those areas in which they believe they have made real progress.

I’m sure many of us make similar requests of our patients. Those who haven’t should try it. Such lists make for better, more efficient patient care.

Answer 9

You could remind them that when the patient returns home they will be the care giver and find out it is not that easy.
But in the meantime allow you to care for them in the best way you know how. also tell them they are not your only patient.
You have to respect the wishes of the other patients who may be in worse shape then they are.