VIDEO: Dialysis staff can use the ‘five plays’ to de-escalate tensions with patients
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Key takeaways:
- Dialysis staff may not always understand the emotional and psychosocial issues patients face outside the clinic.
- Staff who can talk to a patient on a personal level can usually de-escalate a tense situation.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In this interview from the Southwest Nephrology Conference, Dara N. Rampersad, PhD, LPC, NCC, explains the value of the “five plays” that staff can use to help de-escalate tension during a dialysis treatment.
The first play is simple, Rampersad said. “Introduce yourself and then obtain a name,” he told attendees. Then, thank the patient for that information. “That gives the patient a sense of control and gives them an appreciation to share more things with you,” Rampersad told Healio.
Once the patient begins to open up, the five plays will help the staff deal with “high emotionality and low rationality,” Rampersad said. “Patients may feel a lack of trust, and a lack of power and control.”
Rampersad said it is important at this point to listen for content and feelings as patients get more comfortable. “It is important at this point to not touch the patient,” Rampersad said. “We don’t know if they have had any adverse reaction to touch,” he said.
Sometimes a summary of the points made between the nephrologist and the patients are helpful as well, Rampersad said.
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