Provide Care to an Anxious Patient

Let your patient be heard
Explain the what and the why
Don’t tell your patient to relax — show them how
Do hourly rounding
Use humor
Prepare yourself for stressful situations
Know how negative emotional responses like anxiety or fear are activated in your body. Maybe it’s a knot in your stomach, a fast heart rate, or tense muscles. Recognize these feelings and take a few deep breaths before heading into your next task.
Be empathetic
Be aware of your own biases or assumptions. We all have conscious and unconscious beliefs about how people should or should not behave in certain situations. But, the truth is that unless you’ve actually been in that situation yourself, you shouldn’t judge how someone else should feel or act. Do your best to put yourself in their shoes.