a patient's irritability and seemingly limitless demands, the medic threw an
addressograph machine at the patient. Such behavior is unprofessional (poor practice),
unethical, and a criminal act of assault. It does not contribute to the recovery of the
patient. It may even present legal risks for the health care provider and the hospital.
2-14. CONCERN OVER BODILY SENSATIONS
A patient may become overly concerned about normal feelings and sensations
that are typically not noticed when one is in good health. Treat the patient with respect,
listen earnestly, and attend to his or her complaints. But also remind the patient that it
is quite common to become overly concerned with one's bodily sensations when
hospitalized.
2-15. SUGGESTIBILITY
All of the factors described above (dependency, strangeness, fear, irritability, and
excessive concern over bodily feelings) contribute to a heightened suggestibility.
Suggestibility is a tendency to be overly influenced by one's environment. For example,
a patient hears the complaints and symptoms of other patients. She begins to wonder if
she might have some of the same symptoms, and may even begin to believe that she is
actually experiencing those symptoms.
2-16. LOSS OF INTEREST IN SURROUNDINGS
A patient may become so totally absorbed in his or her illness that everything
else loses importance. Friends, family, job, and goals are forgotten. You can help to
steer the patient away from an unproductive single-mindedness about the illness by
regularly referring to the patient's larger framework of friends, family, job, and goals.
2-17. FRUSTRATION
a. Frustration, a condition of increased emotional tension, can be the result of
any one of several factors, such as failure to realize sought out gratifications or thwarted
interests or values. The wrong lunch menu can inspire feelings of frustration in a patient
who has little else for which to look forward. If the patient is used to commanding
respect and attention in the outside world, inadequate contact time with the physician to
discuss the illness can result in frustration. And if you are the next health care
professional that the patient encounters, you may end up bearing the brunt of that
frustration.
b. The most common result of frustration is hostility and anger. What you can
do for the patient is not to take it personally when he or she vents these feelings. By
understanding that a patient is easy prey to frustration, by being tolerant of an outburst
without being affected, you have allowed the patient a therapeutic release that helps
him or her to go on without feeling overcome by events.
MD0066
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