Trying to make a good impression

But i had a patient the other day who was feeling nervous about their upcoming EEG. To lighten the mood, I jokingly said that the hard part is not falling asleep during it! They laughed so hard, I think it helped ease their anxiety a bit. Have you all had similar moments where humor made a difference in patient care?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠​‌⁠​​‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​‍⁠‌‌​⁠‌⁠‌‍​⁠​‌‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​‍​⁠​‍‌‍⁠‌​⁠‍‌​‍⁠‌​‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‍‍‍‌​​⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

I totally get that! I once had a patient who was terrified of needles, so I brought in some colorful band-aids and joked about how they were ‘fashion statements.’ It really took the edge off! Have any of you tried using props or fun distractions? @LPNJess, what do you think?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠​‌⁠​​‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‌⁠‍​‌⁠‍‌‌​⁠⁠‌⁠‍​‌⁠​‌‌⁠‌‌‌​​‍‌​⁠​‌‌​⁠‌​⁠⁠‌​‍​‌⁠‌​‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

I love that approach! Humor really works wonders. Have you tried using music to distract them, too? :musical_notes:.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠​‌⁠​​‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​⁠‌​​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌⁠⁠​⁠‌​‌‍⁠‍‌​⁠‍‌‍‍​‌‌​⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍‍‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

That’s awesome! I once told a patient to channel their inner rock star during a procedure, and it really helped! Have you read about using humor in healthcare?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠​‌⁠​​‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​⁠​​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍‌‍⁠​‌‍⁠​‌‌‍​‌‍‍​​⁠​​‌‍​‍‌‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌​‍‍‌‍​‍‌​​‍​⁠​​‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

You nailed it with humor! I remember telling a patient the EEG could double as a spa day if they play it cool and just relax. It’s amazing how a light-hearted approach can shift the vibe, right? @matthews92, have you ever thought about bringing in props to really amp up the fun?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠​‌⁠​​‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌⁠‌⁠​⁠​​‌⁠​​​⁠‍‌‌​​⁠‌⁠​​‌​⁠​‌‍​⁠‌⁠​‍‌​​‍‌‍​‍‌‌‌‍‌⁠​​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

That sounds like a great way to connect! I’ve found that bringing in a silly hat or some glasses can really lighten the mood too. > ever thought about bringing in props to really amp up the fun? Sounds like a solid plan! What kind of props have you considered using?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠​‌⁠​​‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍⁠‌‌​‌​‌⁠‍‌​⁠‍​‌⁠‌‍‌​​⁠‌‍‍⁠‌​⁠‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌​⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌⁠‌‌‌‍‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​