BEDBUGS

IN OUR BEDSIDE MANNERDEVELOPING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

By: Steven E. Jones, NREMT-P

REASSURANCE AND COMPASSION

• Reassurance can enhance your patients response to your efforts.

• Reassure your patient that you are doing everything possible to help in their time of need.

• Be compassionate to your patients needs and listen with interest and intent.

IS EVERYTHING “REALLY” OK?

• Avoid “minimizing” your patients crisis• Be honest

LOST THE PERSONAL TOUCH?

• Remember your patients are more than just “calls”.

• Meet your patient at HIS level.

• Make eye contact

• Avoid an “Intimidating Stance”

SYMPATHY vs. EMPATHY

• Never try and “relate” your personal experiences to your patients crisis.

• Sympathy involves emotion and feelings, avoid sharing your personal feelings with your patient.

• Empathy involves understanding of the patients needs and recognizing their suffering while doing what is necessary to treat with proficiency.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

• Bedside manner is a learned process that is often imitated by co-workers, students, and even your patient.

• Your initial approach is key in developing a rapport with your patient

• 30 minutes of your time could impact your patient and their family for a lifetime.

• Remember our patients are calling you on what could be the worst day of their lives.

LISTEN AND LEARN

• Your patient has a wealth of information to offer.

• Listen with interest and intent.

• Interact with your patient and statements they make and acknowledge them with an appropriate response.

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION

• A planned, deliberate, professional act that uses communication techniques to achieve a positive relationship and shared understanding of information for desired patient goals.

VERBAL TECHNIQUES

• Use fewer words• Express ideas slowly• Use examples when possible• Repeat important parts of your message• AVOID technical jargon• Use appropriate speed or pace with your patient

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

• Source – Spoken or written words• Encoding – Placing the message in an understandable

format• Message – Information given• Decoding – Act of interpreting the message• Receiver – The person intended to understand the

message• Feedback – The receivers response

INTERNAL FACTORS FOR EFFICTIVE COMMUNICATION

EMT’s and Paramedics must genuinely likepeople, must be able to empathize with others

and must have the ability to listen

ARE YOU A GOOD LISTENER?

• Do you face the patient while they speak?

• Do you maintain eye contact?

• Do you show an attentive posture?

• Are you fidgeting?

• Do you nod in acknowledgement?

• Do you lean toward the speaker to communicate involvement?

EXTERNAL FACTORS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Patient privacy

• Interruptions

• Private/personal space

• Eye contact – Equal level

• Personal dress and appearance

PATIENT INTERVIEW

The patient interview is as important, if not

more important, than the physical exam!

PATIENT INTERVIEW

• Begins with introduction– This step can be used to assess LOC

• Assess patients non-verbal cues– Voice inflection, facial expressions, body language

PATIENT INTERVIEW

• Open ended questions• Limit “yes” or “no” answers• Ask one question at a time• Answer patient questions• Echo, empathize, clarify, explain• Silence can be golden

THE PATIENT “TRAP”• Avoid giving false assurance

– remember to reassure• Showing disapproval, being judgmental• Making opinions known• Stereotyping the patient or complaint

– Our patients do not see what we see everyday• Avoid using medical jargon• Avoid interrupting your patient• Avoid asking “why” questions• DO NOT BE DEFENSIVE

PATIENT RAPPORT

• Maintain professionalism• Put patient at ease and be empathetic• Show respect and modesty• Be compassionate• Show your expertise• Gain their TRUST

PATIENT RAPPORT

Patients communicate in THREE ways to EMS• They “POUR” everything out

• They reveal some problems and conceal others

• They “HIDE” the most embarrassing part of their problem

RESIST THE URGE TO REFLECT YOUR HOSTILITIES TO YOUR

PATIENTS CRISISREMEMBER, IT IS NOT YOUR

EMERGENCY, RESPECT THEIRS.

QUESTIONS ?CONCERNS ?FEEDBACK?