Episode #17 Managing the Unsatisfied Patient
So, I have to admit also that what sparked the topic for this particular podcast was a few encounters that I have had in the past few weeks with other nurse practitioners. One encounter was with the spouse of another’s practitioner actually. It really made me aware of what’s happening to my colleagues. It also told me that I needed to do this podcast for all of you listening out there.
Having been in the profession for a long time and seeing the changes and learning how to manage my own life around it, I feel that it is my duty to help the newbies to the profession learn how to manage this themselves before they get burned out. It also has made me aware that maybe some of you seasoned practitioners out there, may be stuck in a rut. Some of you may be becoming miserable and don't have someone the pull you up out of that. Someone to remind you what this is all about, why you do it and remind you that you're human too.
The Encounter:
The one encounter was with a nurse practitioner that is actually still in clinical rotations, set to graduate very soon. I've had several encounters with her, and I feel that she is embracing me as a mentor and someone that she is able to talk to for advice and guidance in this profession that she's only barely begun without judgment. She doesn't work for me or with me, we have become connected in another way out and about. I think this young woman is brilliant and I'm so excited for where she's going to go in her career. Every time we speak, we speak about how her day was, and exciting patients that she had seen and challenges of her day. The challenges have never been very big, some of them just included charting. Asking me how to chart certain things without feeling like she is writing a whole book yet being thorough.
This last time we spoke, I could tell something was different. Almost like she didn't want to talk about her day, but yet really wanted to. Turns out that she had been disheartened by one of her. patients. In the typical way of being young and eager to please in her new professional role, she went above and beyond and had explained everything in great detail, including all of the options available to this particular patient with the pros and cons of each option. Together they selected a plan of care, however when that plan of care the patient had chosen did not turn out as they had expected, they became angry with this young lady and tried to displace everything back on her. She of course was feeling terrible about having someone who was less than pleased with her as a practitioner.
So, after listening to her, I ventured into teaching her a hard lesson to learn. One that will still take her several encounters like this one to learn I'm sure.
You cannot please everyone and not everyone wants to hold up their end of the care plan. The fact that she took it so personally and cared so much that someone thought she was not the best of the best and someone who degraded her even though it was their own choice that left them dissatisfied, assured all of my intuition that she was going to be an amazing provider as correct. We talked about people. We talked about accountability. We talked about others not taking responsibility and wanting to place the blame somewhere else. I reminded her that there are many out there who are beyond satisfied with the care that you give and are very grateful for the impact you have made because you cared enough to try to help them.
The ones who were so blatantly this disrespectful when you have tried to go above and beyond are possibly only deflecting. When someone is in pain or sick or scared, facing the unknown or the uncertain or maybe knowing of a poor outcome they often project his negative feelings on someone else. This young lady had done nothing wrong. She had done everything in her power to give them the best outcome they could possibly have. She gave him all the information he could've ever wanted and allowed him to make an educated decision. The decision did not turn out the way he had anticipated. Again, she did nothing wrong.
I want you to remember that when you're dealing with patient, you're angry and mean and just slandering your name or your practice or someone in your practice. Emotions are very hard to manage. All that you can do is continue to treat them with respect and dignity. You don't argue, you can remain very polite and in a respectful manner review the actions that you have taken and the options that you have laid out for them. Patients must still take some of their own responsibility and that is very difficult for them. Never have a negative or confrontational attitude when they blow up unless it is blatant ignorance, hatefulness the asinine behavior. Because I have found that if we treat them very respectful and remain calm you will find out the real reason, they're angry. And time and time again I have had apologies made to not only myself but my staff for such behaviors along with thankfulness for allowing them to feel and not judging them because of that.
People aren't coming to see us most often because they want to.
We're in a profession that is treating someone who is not well, unless we're providing wellness services. A lot of times when you're getting wellness services you are still fearful of something that may occur and that is why they have sought out wellness services. So, the moral of that story towards loving what you do that it isn't personal. If you're not a person who has taken the time or who has not treated your patient well, then shame on you. If you're person he knows that you went above and beyond and this was the response, don't take it personal. Not at the time of encounter and not if they return.
Share your stories below!
Have a great week! May it be filled with many Health Interventions!