Nurses care for hundreds of patients during their career. Ask any nurse and they’ll have happy stories, sad stories, crazy stories, and even horror stories of difficult patients they’ve dealt with. A blog by psychiatric nurse Angela Brook speaks about difficult patients: “We do not always like the patients to whom we administer care. It sounds harsh, but let’s be honest, we do not have to like them. We do however, have to provide...  Read More »

An integral part of handling a patient’s anger is letting the person know you understand the story, letting him or her know that you get it, or showing the person that you empathize with him or her. Recall that empathy means you recognize, perceive, and directly connect with the emotion of another. It is different from sympathy, which means you feel bad because of another person’s situation. Empathy is patient-centered. Sympathy...  Read More »

Appropriate treatment can help ease symptoms of depression in patients, but it’s essential to monitor their conditions and responses to medications to get them feeling like their old selves again. In general, remind patients that their negative feelings and attitudes are symptoms of their condition, and that positive thinking will replace negative thinking as they respond to treatment and their mood lifts. By doing this, you are acknowledging...  Read More »

So, you’ve been hired as a CNA in the hospital. Either you’re new to the field or you’ve been working in long-term care for years. So, how do you feel? Nervous? Confident? Scared? It’s normal. Relax. I’m going to share a few tips in this article that may help you ease into your transition. First, realize that you have had some training. Your education may bring something new to the floor, but don’t be...  Read More »