Managing Difficult Persons 2015 – Victorian Perioperative Nurses Group 51st Annual State Conference

Everyone has to deal with difficult persons and situations Be honest about your own capabilities and how you react to

difficulties and stress Be committed to your actions & ready to change plans if necessary

– this means having an open mind Commit to solving problems and if unable to, find the key people

who can solve those issues So you need to develop your resources to back you up

Being Myself & Solving Problems

Always have a plan, this means being prepared A good plan comes from continual review of incidents – always

review what has happened and how you and your team performed Identify your top 10 difficult situations – where they occur, who is

involved and why they happen. Then build your planning around your identified issues and risks Then document your plan and provide the plan to all of your team for

feedback and improvement

Preparing for Difficult Persons & Situations

Managing difficult persons is stressful Putting these stressful events into context is important – How can we

do this? These events are another workplace challenge Don’t make this type of event personal If you are stressed, ask for assistance Note – managers are to note stress ‘hotspots’ in the workplace and

monitor these locations It is important to cope well because managing difficult persons is

becoming more common Remember that you cope better with stress when you are confident

and happy

Managing Stress

Good breathing can help us when we are under stress Remember to BREATHE – This is a Key word Gets oxygen to your brain Use this technique whenever you feel uncomfortable Use breathing to de-stress after an incident or when you

feel nervous

Breathing Technique

There are two options when dealing with Difficult Persons

1. begin to negotiate2. take action when negotiation has stalled or failed When to switch to Action ? Minimum - After two solid attempts to

negotiate/can be further attempts This process reduces time spent in a high risk or

stressful environment/reduces staff anxiety

Negotiate or Take Action?

Is the situation safe? – if not consider partial evacuation Do you need assistance? Do you have sufficient information to make decisions? Can the situation be solved After negotiation, is further action required Are you using approved methods and procedures Remain calm and be systematic Make good/safe decisions Solve the issues/know what to do Review, document and plan to improve your team’s

performance

Managing a Difficult Situation

1. Be prepared2. Know the approved procedural rules3. Understand how your team and other co-workers

will function during the incident4. First negotiate, then take decisive action5. Be aware that a difficult person could easily become

a violent Code Grey/Black incident6. Be professional and systematic in your decision

making, taking risks into account7. Take decisive and approved action8. Always review performance and feed the results into

you action plan for the future9. QUESTIONS ?

Summary & Review