Dear Barbara, How do I support an RN who gets yelled at by families and MDs at this precious time of life...it is a constant battle. The hospice MDs are more stressed than ever.
The word “constant” concerns me because that implies it is happening a lot. Are you referring to yourself or physicians and families in general yelling at RN’s? If it is just yelling at you then I suggest you look at your people skills. Most families are stressed, tempers can flare, nerves get frayed. It is up to us, as professionals, to use our communication skills to ease the tensions. The next step is to not take the family tensions personally. Do your job of educating, supporting, and guiding then leave the tensions where they originated and move on to the next family.
Physicians are a different challenge. In the hierarchy of the health care professions it is the physician that has the power. The physician makes the referrals, writes the prescriptions, calls the shots. SO, again using our communication and people skills is a huge part of our job.
There is a thin line being walked with end of life care when it comes to a good number of referring physicians. Instinctively they have a hard time releasing treatments. I used to tell my nurses if you don’t want something from the attending physician don’t call them with just an update. They will think they have to do something. It is just their nature. I know that is an exaggeration so I will qualify it and say not all physicians are in this category, but you get my point. Physicians are often going against their own beliefs by referring to hospice. They are uncomfortable, and that internal conflict can be directed at the hospice employee. They could also just be an unpleasant, irritable person (they are everywhere, not just in health care).
What do you as an employee do? If it is a big outburst and in your eyes inappropriate and unacceptable, tell your supervisor. Ask that they speak to the physician about the appropriateness of the interaction. If it continues, ask that you do not work with the particular physician’s patients.
Again, do not take the conflict personally. Look at your part of the disruption. Learn what you can from the interaction and then let it go.
We of all people know the precariousness of living. We see daily how quickly our time on this planet is. Time is too precious to let negative interactions with others affect how we enjoy each day.
Something More… about Support For A Hospice Nurse Being Yelled At
There is a special kind of pressure that the EOL nurse feels- helping the patient have a "good death", caring for families who are under duress, and doctors who may feel failure that their patient is in hospice. But you, the caregiver need care too! Caregiver burnout happens when we only care for others. I wrote a new book and made a dvd to address this issue. It's called Care For The Caregiver. I hope that you take advantage of this resource!
