General Forums >> Ask A Nurse >> Poll: Calming Patient Fears
Poll: Calming Patient Fears
Poll: What's the best way to calm a fearful patient?
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Posted 5 months ago Many nurses may deal with fearful patients on a daily basis - from chidlren afraid to get a vaccination to adults preparing for major surgery. When you have a fearful patient on your hands, how do you handle the situation? What is the best way to quiet their fears and calm them down? Share your success stories with the NurisngLink community! |
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| Posted 5 months ago Every patient is different, so you have to size them up to see what approach to take. Many things that patients face are uncomfortable. Patients seem to respond best when they see that the nurse has the technical competence to complete the task and also cares about them and acknowledges their fears and pain. If it is a kid or a "grown-up", I always start with a minute of time to find out what is going on with them and let them know that they are the most important patient to me. Mostly I like to keep things loose and joke with the patient, but at the same time let the patient know that together we are going to get the task at hand accomplished. |
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| Posted 5 months ago In The emergency field as an Emt and fireman I have found in the twenty three years of the service that most help you can be to a patient and calming their fears is to be honest about the procedures that you are doing and remain calm yourself! Many Patients worry that what you may be doing to help them will hurt them more then the injuries they have susatined and if you are honest with them about what you are doing and the procedures you are preforming...they will still be nervous. but you will find that the patient soon will trust you... and believe in fact that you are there to help. Tho you may be giving shots pullling traction or cleansing a wound they will understand quickly that the outcome will be worse if you dont do what you need to. With that trust is built a bond that the patient soon feels they are part of a team and not just a person needing help..and you helping them ...I have let many Patients participate in the actions im doing such as even applying a 12 lead, let them hold the leads as you take them one by one to apply them... little things like this will divert their minds from the events that are causing you to even attach a 12 lead to begin with ...thus slowly calming the patient without them even noticing that they are being Calmed! |
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| Posted 5 months ago I think, it all depends on the situation. I once was on a nursing assignment with a RN, we were taking care of a patient who had terminal breast cancer, and the doctor kept telling her that she was going to die, the patient was so depressed, that she always broke down, crying, when ever someone was providing care to her, she kept saying Im going die, im going die, the nurse and I had to sooth, and comfort her, because, depression, can kill a patient before the cancer does, especially if the patient is so depressed, that they think about ending there life. I saw a sneak preview on HawthoreRNe. I am a proud mother of three beautyful daughter. I currently live in Los Angeles California. I've worked as a heathecare provider for almost 10 years. I am curently in school to pursue my MSN in nursing, and wants to work as a pediactric nurse, in public health. |
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903 posts back to top |
| Posted 5 months ago Captain says ...
I agree on this method, you are a EMT, and fireman, you are first response, the patient in most cases, are so scared, that you have to tell them what you are going to do, to ease their fear, or anxieties. I also worked on a cardiac floor, and CCU, with heart attack patients, and I had to do a 12-lead, and a 3-lead EKG STAT!!!. The patients are so scared that they might be dying, when the doctor tells you do do a EKG on them, or they think it might hurt. I explain to them it is painless, the only thing you might feel is some cold sticky gel, that is from the leads. I tell them to stay still on their backs, and it will be over, in minutes, and I tell them the doctor needs to check your hearts rhythm. I am a proud mother of three beautyful daughter. I currently live in Los Angeles California. I've worked as a heathecare provider for almost 10 years. I am curently in school to pursue my MSN in nursing, and wants to work as a pediactric nurse, in public health. |
