S6E60: Communication Tips - Patients and Their Support Systems

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Kati Kleber, MSN RN CCRN-K – Nurse educator, former cardiac med-surg/stepdown and neurocritical care nurse, author, speaker

Communication Tips – Patients and Their Support Systems Show Notes

Predictability is SO important to decreasing anxiety
- Someone new constantly coming in, with lord knows what vs. having a general understanding of when people will be by and what they’ll need so they can anticipate this
- As much as I HATE whiteboards, this do really help with this
Start off right – educate about plan
- Never assume family member roles – ask, “So who is this you’ve got with you today?” or if the patient is nonverbal, “So can you tell me your relation to ____?”
Be confident – they want to feel safe with you
- Ask for privacy when you need it in a business like tone
- “We’re going to get ______ all bathed and cleaned up for the day. It would be a great time to take a break and grab some coffee or something from the cafeteria!”
Build trust early
- Follow through on something small
- Provide predictability
Create a team mentality and dissipate the us vs. them thought tendency
- This will decrease anxiety, and turn it from constant conflict to collaboration
Lean into any misunderstandings or when someone appears angry with curiosity, not avoidance.
- “You seem frustrated. Can you tell me what’s up?”
- Most people really just want someone to hear them, their concerns, etc. even if there is nothing you can do about it