Dos and don’ts for violent patients

Here are dos and don’ts to consider when managing a violent patient in the ED, according to Carol Buschur, RN, CEN, clinical coordinator for the ED at the University Hospital in Cincinnati:

Do:

• remain calm;

• isolate the situation;

• enforce limits;

• listen to the person;

• be aware of nonverbals (posture, gestures, personal space, and supportive stance);

• be aware of paraverbals (tone, volume, and cadence of speech);

• be consistent;

• communicate with team members.

Don’t:

• engage in power struggles (tug-of-war situations);

• overreact;

• take the behavior personally;

• use medical jargon;

• fake attention;

• offer false promises.