How to Manage Conflicts With Patients or Their Relatives, as a Nurse

Conflicts do nothing well, on the contrary, they must be prevented, avoided, or resolved before they can be harmed. Nurses may unwittingly get into various conflicts with patients or their relatives, so it is good to be prepared in this direction, with a series of strategies for effective conflict resolution.

1. Recognizes the conflict in its infancy

Conflicts often escalate very quickly and you realize that there is a problem when it is already too late. Things are said and done that cannot be easily withdrawn or forgotten. Therefore, it is good to feel the conflict when it is in its infancy, to adopt the most appropriate attitude.

Ideally, when a patient or loved one triggers a conflict, take a step back and try to avoid a more tense situation. Talk calmly and patiently, and if you are not lucky enough to apologize, apologize to the patient for the communication problems you have and explain how things are, to dispel his dissatisfaction.

2. Listen to your interlocutor

But it is important that before you explain how you see things, let him talk. People who feel unheard tend to become tenser and have more unpleasant reactions.

Listen carefully to what the patient or loved one has to say, then try to answer the questions and grievances.

3. Offer a solution

Depending on the problems that your interlocutor has, try to quickly find a series of solutions, which you will then propose. It is necessary to keep calm so that your voice and body language do not betray any negative emotion, which will accentuate the anger of the dissatisfied.

4. Contact a mediator if you feel it is necessary

There are some situations in which the communication cannot be resumed in any form with the owner of the patient, being determined not to give in and to maintain his firm position in the conflict state. In such a situation, you will need a mediator to mediate the communication so that you can solve the problem.

You can call a colleague, a boss, or even a person close to the patient/relative. Explain to the third person what the situation is and ask them to mediate the existing conflict.

In extreme cases, you will even need to ask a colleague to replace you, so that you no longer have direct contact with the person in conflict. You will apologize, explaining to the patient or relative that it is better to stay in the care of a colleague with whom he will resonate better so that there is no reason for dissatisfaction on either side. At the same time, you will talk to a colleague who you consider to keep calm and you will ask him to work with the problem patient.

5. Don't take things personally

Try to understand that the patient has a conflict with you in terms of the job you have, he does not have a personal problem with you. Detach yourself from negative energies as soon as you manage to remedy the situation and do not process your conscience later as they will not help you at all.

Many times, we tend to be burdened with conflicting situations at work, which we take home with us. It is not wise to do this because it will not do you any good.

No matter how passionate you are about what you do, conflicts are inevitable, and sooner or later you will still have to go through a conflict with a patient or relative.

This does not mean that you are not a valuable employee, that you do not have enough calm, or that you have communication problems, but it does mean that you have come across a person with whom you cannot resonate properly. Take things as they are and move on.