Getting Cooperation from Patients Have you heard the expression that you catch more flies with honey? Well, if you go in with a positive attitude and are respectful and polite, the odds are you will win the patient over with your charm. Nurse 1 John was not a happy guy at all. He was tired of being in pain, and tired of being hospitalized. He was transferred from another medical facility, and he nothing short of a grumpy old man, which he informed the staff of upon his arrival. Nurse 1 went in to gather some information from him, and it did not go well. She asked if he was in pain, to which he explained he would not be there if he wasn’t. She went on to ask very routine admittance questions, to most he had very short answers that could easily be considered offensive to most people. After all questions needed for intake procedures were complete, nurse 1 walked out of the room and gave a big sigh of relief. Two hours later it was medication time for John, so nurse 1 walked into his room with his medications. She flipped on the light and said, time to take your medicine. John refused the medication and told her to get out. She tried again, however John still refused. Related: Top 5 New Year's Resolutions for Nurses Nurse 2 Came on duty and was assigned to John. She was warned ahead of time that John was not exactly Mr. Congeniality. So, nurse 2 took a very different approach. She entered John’s room very quietly, and walked over to him. She touched him on his shoulder, a comforting touch. John asks what shewanted, and nurse 2 took a very different approach. She told John that she understood he was in pain, and must be very tired of being moved around. She added that while he was there, she would do all she could to make his stay comfortable. It was obvious John wanted to say something back, but could not think of anything. The nurse then told him that she had some medication, and rather than saying I have pills you have to take, she said, John I have some pills for you. Would you like to try a couple with your juice and let’s see how that goes? John was compliant and took his medications without incident. Every time nurse 2 needed John to do something, she handled it much the same way, letting him know that she could relate to him, and could understand why he did not want to cooperate, however the goal was to get him better. John ended up doing everything he
was asked to do, and 4 days later was released, actually blowing a goodbye kiss to nurse 2 on his way out. One patient, two very different ways to approach the patient and get them to comply. Obviously, one worked and one did not. Related: Patients Refusing Medications
When talking to patients that are not being compliant, let them know that you are on their side, you can understand how they feel, and you just want to help them get things over with so that they can be left alone. Assuring the patient, you are on their side makes them less likely to argue, and more responsive to taking medication and doing what is expected of them. Understanding that patients may be going through a great deal mentally when admitted to the hospital, may help explain why they are not cooperative. Try to be tolerant, let the patient you that your goal is to help them get better, and discharged as soon as possible. Related: Acclaimed Registered Nurse Jodie Tremblay, RN, ASCN, will be Highlighted in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter