Understanding and Dealing With Patient's Fears

Patients can become fearful at any time, for many different reasons. Dealing with a frightened patient often takes compassion, care and concern on the part of registered nurses, as well as other medical personnel and family members. Sometimes fear is not easy to deal with.

A frightened patient's situation can suddenly become very volatile, intense and complex. It can also be unpredictable in nature. The patient's fear may be justified, if it is grounded in something real or legitimate. It may also be rooted in that which imagined or associated with a panic attack.

How you respond to your frightened patient, as a registered nurse is extremely important! What you say or do as a professional health care giver, may also help to resolve a potentially serious, critical situation.

Here are some tips with regard to dealing with a fearful patient. Let us use this example.

Sam, a teenage patient, is screaming, as you walk down the hallway. Upon entering his room, you see him cringe and suddenly dive under the covers. Within seconds, he jumps out of his bed, pulls everything on the bedside table onto the floor and crawls under the bed.

What should you, as a registered, nurse do?

Recognize the reality that your patient is frightened. Do not panic, as this may increase his fear. Call someone to assist you, as help may be needed to resolve this crisis or you may need to notify his doctor immediately. Meanwhile, quickly assess the situation with regard to what is actually happening. Depending on what you see, it may not be visable to try to approach him. If you decide to approach him, do so cautiously and quietly, unless it appears to be an emergency situation, in which the patient is likely to harm himself or someone else. You may need to intervene very quickly. Be aware that your patient and others may be in danger, particularly if it involves a fire. (If there is a fire, pull the fire alarm immediately.)

Try not to frighten your patient by anything that you say or do. Speak to him in a quiet, calm and re-assuring manner, using his name. "Sam, everything is going to be all right." Acknowledge your awareness of his fear, by stating, "I see that you are frightened. Trust me. You can come out from under the bed now." He may or may not move, depending upon how frightened he is or what he is afraid of. Assure him that he will be safe.

Attempt to pinpoint exactly what has frightened

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