Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
07:01
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
Emotional distance to so-called difficult patients
1Health Services Research Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. J.Michaelsen@pubhealth.ku.dk
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
|July 26, 2011
Summary
Nurses use persuasion, avoidance, or compromise when dealing with difficult patients. Avoidance can lead to missed patient needs and emotional distress for nurses, while compromise allows for dialogue.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Qualitative Research
- Patient Care
Background:
- Understanding nurse-patient relationships is crucial for effective healthcare.
- Difficult patient interactions pose unique challenges in nursing practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore nurses' feelings and relational strategies towards patients perceived as difficult.
- To examine the consequences of these interactions for both nurses and patients.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study.
- Conducted in a Danish home nursing unit.
- Utilized participant observation, patient and nurse interviews, and record reviews over 18 months.
Main Results:
- Identified three primary strategies: persuasion, avoidance (emotional distance), and compromise.
- Avoidance did not preclude a return to compromise.
- Nurses experienced emotional challenges, including fear of emotional detachment.
Conclusions:
- Avoidance strategy risks overlooking patient social and health issues and can lead to nurses' emotional detachment.
- The compromise strategy facilitates dialogue and better patient engagement.
- Further research should explore patient perspectives in greater detail.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
Narcissistic and avoidant personality traits represent two contrasting patterns of behavior that significantly influence social interactions and self-perception. While individuals with narcissistic disorder seek admiration and validation, individuals with avoidant personality disorder withdraw due to fear of judgment.
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
02:34Empathy
Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:22Personality Disorders: Paranoid and Schizoid
Personality disorders represent enduring cognition, affect, and behavior patterns that significantly deviate from societal norms. These maladaptive traits often lead to difficulties in various domains, including interpersonal relationships, occupational settings, and overall psychological well-being. Paranoid personality disorder and schizoid personality disorder are two distinct conditions marked by odd or eccentric behavior.
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
The barriers to effective communication also include cultural barriers, semantic barriers, gender barriers, and time constraints.
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
02:16Stereotype Content Model
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence categorization, a person will feel...