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.
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