Which nurse has never had verbal disagreements with patients or relatives of patients during their work? There are days in the ward in which it seems difficult even to breathe because there is no time. After all, you have to run, because the bells ring and as you go to answer, you already know that you still have to administer the therapy, request specialist consultations, and then the shift is almost over, you think you have given enough, but he is there to frustrate the end of that shift. The aggressive patient.

By having frequent contact with patients, the nurse often becomes the target of this anger. For example, when the patient has suffered a major loss, anger becomes a means to help him cope with pain, or the patient diagnosed with cancer may oppose the nurse’s assistance instead of expressing the fear of death.

It can be very stressful for the nurse to deal with such a patient, and sometimes the efforts dedicated to these patients can lead to other patients’ priorities not being met. Knowing how to contain the aggression of the patient in anger is not at all simple, that’s exactly why I’m bringing these tips to you;

1. Create a welcoming atmosphere for the patient

A warm welcome gives a sense of care and tends to make people feel at peace, this also makes them feel they’ve made the right decision in choosing to use your service rather than your competitors.

2. Respect the personal space

As a nurse If you have to enter another person’s personal space to assist, explain what you are doing so the other person will feel less afraid and confused. Providing the patient personal space decreases the agitation and allows you to stay at a safe distance.

3. Avoid Excessive reaction

Positive thoughts (“I can do this …” “I can handle the situation …”) will help you stay calm and rational. Stay calm, rational, and professional. You can’t control the patients’ behaviors, but how you respond to their behaviors will affect how the situation progresses.

4. Ignore the challenges

Ignore the challenge but not the patient, focus on how to solve the problem together. If you respond to the challenges, you enter an endless tug-of-war. If the patient challenges your authority, bring him back by simply explaining.

5. Focus on feelings

As a nurse, look and hear the real message of the patient in front of you. The facts are important, but what the other feels are at the heart of the matter. Sometimes people don’t even realize they are angry and scared, try to make them understand that you understand what they are feeling.

6. Allow time to reflect

Believe it or not, silence is a strong communication tool. Silence allows the person to reflect on what is happening and to decide how to continue

7. Be empathic and not judging

Keep in mind that whatever the patient is going through might be the most important to their life at the moment. If the patient says something that seems strange or irrational to you, try not to judge or belittle his feelings. React appropriately and empathically to the patient and his or her wishes, but also show boundaries.

8. Use non-verbal not threatening communication

Maintaining a neutral, non-aggressive tone of voice and body language will help you reduce potentially risky situations. The more a patient loses control, the less he will listen to your words and the more he will react to your non-verbal communication.

9. Recognize the motivations behind the complaints

Do not downplay the patient’s complaints and avoid sentences like “Now calm down for a while” or “It’s not that bad” – that usually only adds fuel to the fire. Instead, listen carefully. Talk to the patient and try to find out why they are acting this way. Communication should always be the first approach. Also, try to explain objectively why the behavior bothers you.

10. Get help

If you feel overwhelmed by a patient or if you are attacked by him or her, then get help and talk to your supervisor. Perhaps there will be a colleague who gets along better with him or her. After all, you don’t have to endure everything!

11. Introduce Humor

Humor can take the edge off stressful situations. However, do not give the impression that you are not taking your patients’ concerns seriously.

12. Try to maintain a calm and serene facial expression

It is important not to send the patient any sign that could provoke him even more, such as frowning, raising the eyebrows, pursing the lips, or any other expression that he may perceive as a sign of hostility.

13. Set limits

There may come a point where you are forced to set certain limits. Be safe, but let your patient know that you are listening. Disable situations before they escalate. Remember that every patient has the right to participate in their medical decision-making, however, they cannot use that right to make irrational demands.

14.Control

The nurse must show that he controls the situation, that he is the one who assumes that the rules have to be followed, but without assuming an excessively authoritarian position. It is important to avoid intense eye contact that the unruly patient may translate as offensive.

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