Best Ways to Prepare Patients for Injection
Injection terrifies many patients because they are painful. It is difficult to overcome fear for injections, but it is typical for healthcare professionals to encounter patients who fear getting shots. During such times, it is essential that a nurse or doctor calm down patients before giving shots to prevent trauma. If you have not come across injection fearing patients or have never known how to calm them down, try these strategies.
Strike a good conversation
Starting a meaningful conversation that engages a patient is an excellent way to distract patients who fear shots. Explore the interests of a patient when y preparing to give a patient some injection. When you hook up the patient's attention to your message, the attention shifts to the topic and not fear of the needle. You can ask them about a trending topic, their health history, hobbies or something that engages them. Some of the patients think that nurses do not engage their clients in a conversation. When they become excited about having a discussion you will give the injection without their noticing until the needle penetrates their skin and you are almost done.
Share a funny joke
If you notice that a patient is becoming nervous, uncomfortable and sweaty, a joke can help in overcoming the nervousness by telling a funny joke. Humor is an excellent way of distracting a scared patient because it ends in laughter. Laughing helps in relieving and relaxing the patients. Telling good jokes also helps to establish a good rapport with the patients. Sharing a joke allows the injection ordeal to pass almost without the patient noticing it. The patient also forgets the pain after the injection.
Help the patient to relax
Before injecting, it helps to instruct a patient to relax as a needle goes in more easily. Tense muscles increase the pain of injections. A good way of helping patients to relax is by asking them to take a deep breath then exhale as if you are blowing a candle out. The right time to give an injection is when the patient is exhaling. Tense muscles relax during exhalation thus a patient will feel lesser pain from the injection.
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Ask kids to repeat your statement
The act of repeating something is an effective strategy in helping kids to forget the pain of injections. You can think of a simple and exciting statement that kids can recite with ease. Statements help in tackling the imagination so that the attention is on words but not the injection. For example, you can tell them to repeat "a nurse is the best person." Most kids will have a follow-up question such as what makes a nurse the best person, and as they listen to your explanation, they will barely notice the needle until it is in.
Provide accurate information
It is wrong to provide unrealistic assurances to the patients when you give shots. Do not lie that a shot will not hurt. The right action is to assure them that it does not hurt that much. You can, for instance, tell them that the needle you are using is small and that you will inject quickly to minimize the pain. You can also inform the person those other patients who feared the needle found out that it does not hurt like they were expecting but do not give false reassurance.
Use applied tension technique
Applied tension works well for patients with who faint when receiving an injection due to needle phobia. It is a technique to increase the low blood pressure level for it to return to its normal range and prevent fainting. Teach the patient to do it by tensing muscles in the arms, upper body and legs for 10-15 seconds. Do it repeatedly until the blood pressure returns to a normal rate.
Nurses and doctors can also learn more ingenious techniques to calm patients before injections from their experienced colleagues.
