A patient with burn injuries has had good coping skills for several weeks. Today, a newly assigned nurse is poorly organized. The patient's usual schedule was not followed. By mid-afternoon, the patient is angry and loudly complains to the nurse manager
Which is the nurse manager's best response?
a. Explain the reasons for the disorganization, and take over the patient's care for the rest of the shift.
b. Acknowledge and validate the patient's distress and ask, "What would you like to have happen?"
c. Apologize and explain that the patient will have to accept the situation for the rest of the shift.
d. Ask the patient to control the anger and explain that allowances must be made for new staff members.
ANS: B
When a patient with good coping skills is angry and overwhelmed, the goal is to reestablish a means of dealing with the situation. The nurse should solve the problem with the patient by acknowledging the patient's feelings, validating them as understandable, apologizing as necessary, and then seeking an acceptable solution. Often patients can tell the nurse what they would like to have happen as a reasonable first step.
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