The Risks to the Health Care Staff and Quality of Service and Essay - 2

The Risks to the Health Care Staff and Quality of Service and Profitability - Essay Example When patients are pursuing the health care talents of care providers, they are usually already experiencing heightened emotions as they attempt to cope with their current health issues. When a client is ill, it can bring feelings of â€Å"guilt, resentment, bitterness, anger, fear, grief and even shame† which, when expressed through less-productive client behaviours, can be â€Å"alarming and unsettling† for care providers (MacDonald, 2004, p.14). For example, in a health care clinic devoted to providing walk-in care to multiple patient demographics, there is always going to be different personalities which adjust to health crises quite differently. Some patients will likely express their fear and anger in more productive, socially-civilized formats while others explode at the health care provider and can even exhibit aggressive behaviour. In this more volatile client environment, health care staff must recognize that these are normal human behaviours and consistently m aintain professional decorum. Unfortunately, however, in more volatile situations where patients are raging out of fear and anger, staff reactions to patient anger â€Å"is often a defensive one that actually fuels more anger† (Thomas, 2003, p.103). For example, in a health care environment where staffing levels are insufficient to meet client demand, the last thing a patient wants to hear are explanations for the delay in service provision. A staffer who offers, â€Å"We’re simply short of help and there are other people ahead of you waiting for service†, will likely create considerable animosity between the patient and the care provider (Thomas, p.103).