If you’re a health care provider who sees patients regularly, there are things that you can do to help calm patients’ nerves before undergoing certain procedures. By finding ways to make your patients as relaxed as possible, you’ll have an easier time administering treatment and satisfying everyone’s needs. Here are some of the most effective ways to help patients if they have anxieties or fears about a procedure.
Explain the Procedure
One of the biggest causes of anxiety is the unknown, and explaining everything that’s entailed in a particular procedure can help put a patient’s mind at ease. When explaining the procedure, it’s important to use terminology that isn’t too technical and is easy to understand. You should also be prepared to answer questions that patients may have. You might even want to consider producing brochures or other printed materials that include step-by-step explanations of each process.
Encourage Friends and Family to Attend
Even though friends and family members won’t be in the surgery room, encouraging your patients to bring along friends and family members to wait in the waiting area can provide additional assurance. Knowing that familiar faces of loved ones will be seen soon after treatment is often enough to give patients the peace of mind that they need to get through the procedure. Even if patients are coming to you just to receive blood from leukopaks to help treat a condition such as anemia, it’s still advisable to encourage friends and family to be there to help curb any anxiety.
Suggest Alternative Therapies
Certain mind and body therapies can help alleviate the worries that many patients have over surgery. If a patient is physically capable, you might suggest partaking in activities like yoga or meditation before surgery to put the mind and body at better ease. Meditation is another alternative therapy that can yield great results. Other alternative therapies that you can suggest include hypnosis, massage and aromatherapy.
Administer Medication
When other methods for calming nerves have been ineffective, you may need to administer medication that’s formulated to combat fear and anxiety. Midazolam and lorazepam are injectable benzodiazepines that often work well in producing tranquilizing effects and blocking out unpleasant memories that are related to the procedure. Valium is another drug that can be effective in alleviating preoperative anxiety.
You can ensure the best care for your patients as possible by helping everyone feel more at ease about their upcoming procedures. Finding what works best for each patient is a great way to earn the trust of everyone who comes to see you.
