Handling difficult visitors

Managing between visitor expectations and hospital’s ground rules is difficult. 

However, we must ensure other patients can have undisturbed rest. Here are a few ways you may consider;

1) Visitor may visit the patient at odd timings such as; in the midnight. Usually, most will still abide by the rule, while a handful will try to intimidate you. For such cases, we will have to activate security.

2) Some elderly visitors may refuse to leave after visiting hours. This is when we have to explain to them the ground rules. We may allow them to stay for a while longer as an act of kindness, and they usually would follow.

3) Knowing that the patient is not allowed to have food that may trigger a relapse of their medical condition, we have to keep a lookout on their family members who delivers to them. If they did, we would have to intervene and explain the reasons behind our actions.

4) Some family members may come with issues. This includes;

i) Placing their bags and belongings on beds and chairs of other patients causing conflicts

ii) Command us to make them drinks 

iii) Challenge us if we explain with reasons the importance of hospital rules

Always explain to difficult visitors that what we do is always for the well-being of their loved ones. Also, allow them to understand and empathize with the importance of ensuring other patients have the right to have a good environment for recovery.