Challenging Patient Encounters 

Overview

Phlebotomists are a crucial part of the health care team. We see patients on their best and worst days and in various situations. Hospital rooms, outpatient clinics, private homes, and nursing facilities all present unique challenges to phlebotomists. Patients are often courteous and kind to health care personnel. However, unexpected situations can arise, and phlebotomists need to be empowered to deal with challenging patients. Utilizing specific communication methods and other tools allows for safe collections in almost any situation. This “Phlebotomy Webinar” will discuss real-world examples of patient behavior deemed unsafe and/or disrespectful and the best practices for resolution. 

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Assess environmental and health issues that can lead to challenging patient behavior.
• Recognize when patient behavior should be reported.
• Identify communication techniques to de-escalate stressful patient interactions.

Intended audience

This series is appropriate for phlebotomists, phlebotomy managers, phlebotomy educators, and other patient care staff involved in specimen collection.

Questions?

Contact us: mcleducation@mayo.edu