As a nurse, you may encounter patients who are anxious or distressed due to various reasons, such as pain, fear, uncertainty, or trauma. Communicating with them effectively can help you build rapport, provide emotional support, and facilitate their care and recovery. Here are some tips on how to communicate with anxious or distressed patients effectively.
Active listening means paying attention to what the patient is saying, showing interest and empathy, and reflecting back their feelings and concerns. Active listening can help you understand the patient's perspective, validate their emotions, and identify their needs and preferences. To practice active listening, you can use techniques such as nodding, eye contact, paraphrasing, summarizing, asking open-ended questions, and avoiding interruptions or distractions.
Ways We could communicate with anxious and distressed patients through the following: -Listen attentively and empathetically to their concerns and feelings -Validate their emotions and acknowledge their perspective -Provide clear and accurate information about their situation and options -Avoid using jargon, technical terms or vague language -Use open-ended questions and reflective statements to encourage dialogue -Offer reassurance and support when appropriate -Help them identify coping strategies and resources -Respect their autonomy and preferences.
Using body-based mindfulness techniques can be very useful to help a patient who is experiencing intense emotions. I use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique to help a patient move their focus away from distressing thoughts to bodily sensations. Listing things they see, hear, feel, smell and taste can be grounding. It provides a pause that helps to interrupt spiraling thoughts. Diaphragmatic breathing is also useful in reducing sympathetic nervous system arousal and engaging the relaxation response.
Anxious or distressed patients may have many questions or worries about their condition, treatment, or prognosis. Providing clear and reassuring information can help them feel more informed and confident, and reduce their anxiety and distress. To provide clear and reassuring information, you can use simple and understandable language, avoid medical jargon, explain the purpose and benefits of the interventions, address any misconceptions or fears, and check their understanding and consent.
Calming and supportive techniques can help you soothe the patient's nerves, ease their discomfort, and enhance their coping skills. Calming and supportive techniques can include using a gentle and calm tone of voice, offering positive feedback and encouragement, providing distraction or relaxation strategies, involving the patient in decision-making, and respecting their autonomy and dignity.
The patient's family or carers can be a valuable source of support and comfort for the patient, as well as a partner in their care. Involving them in the communication process can help you gain more insight into the patient's background, preferences, and needs, and also provide them with information and guidance on how to help the patient. To involve the patient's family or carers, you can ask for their permission and consent, acknowledge their concerns and emotions, invite their questions and feedback, and offer them resources and referrals.
Sometimes, communicating with anxious or distressed patients can be challenging or overwhelming, especially if they have complex or chronic mental health issues, or if they display aggressive or suicidal behaviors. In these cases, you may need to seek professional help from other members of the multidisciplinary team, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or counselors. They can provide you with specialized assessment, intervention, and support for the patient, as well as advice and supervision for yourself.
Communicating with anxious or distressed patients effectively can make a big difference in their care and recovery, as well as your own satisfaction and well-being. By using these tips, you can enhance your communication skills and improve your patient outcomes.