No patient wants to spend their day in a hospital or doctor’s office. However, when a patient’s reluctance turns into stress or anxiety, it can cause complications in their treatment and their relationship with you. It’s important to help your patients stay as comfortable as possible—both physically and mentally—so that they can have the smoothest experience possible while in your facility. To help you better take care of nervous or overwhelmed visitors, here’s our guide on how to comfort stressed patients.
Answer All Their Questions
Communication is a core part of successful patient care. Take every question your patient asks seriously, even repetitive ones. Most of the time, anxiety and other fears stem from the unknown. Tackle these fears by helping your patient understand more about who you are, what they’re dealing with, and the process and expectations going forward. This will give your patient the information they need to better handle the stressful circumstances they face.
Be an Excellent Listener
One of the best tips for how to comfort stressed patients is to simply hear them out. By taking the time to seriously listen to your patient’s fears and concerns, you’re telling them that you genuinely care and want to make it better. This is also a great way to learn more about how your patient thinks and how you can work together to tackle the stressors that are causing the biggest problems.
Take Care of Your Own Stress
Even as you work hard to care for your patients, you need to pay attention to your own stress and anxiety. You need to nurture your own mental health and wellbeing in order to effectively handle another person’s stress. Try to set aside time for yourself to practice mindfulness, meditation, or whatever routine calms you down. By taking good care of yourself and managing your own stress as best you can, you better equip yourself to give your patients the care they need.
Medical Positioning is devoted to helping medical facilities give both their patients and their staff the equipment they need to take care of themselves. Help promote the wellbeing of your employees and visitors with our comfortable and ergonomic exam chairs, ultrasound tables, and other equipment. When you create a physically comfortable facility, you allow everyone within it to better focus on their emotional comfort.