Introduction: Providing Care When Patients Are "Difficult"

This symposium includes twelve personal narratives from healthcare professionals who have worked with patients whose behavior, attitudes, or life situations make providing care challenging. At the lower end of the estimates, at least 15% of adult patient encounters are with patients described as "difficult" by the treating team, and these encounters often evoke feelings of dread, frustration, and anger in healthcare professionals. Verbal abuse of staff, repeat hospital admissions due to self-injurious behaviors, and negative beliefs about health may make providing care to this group of patients a daily struggle. Despite these challenges, healthcare providers-especially those who work in an in-patient setting-are obligated to treat all comers, sometimes at the expense of their own mental health. This symposium aims to learn from health professionals' stories the kinds of struggles they face, the lessons they draw from those struggles, and the constructive responses they employ to work successfully with challenging patients.