I love getting report when the RN tells me about how unmanageable a particular patient is because then I make sure that they're not going to ruin my day and it feels like an accomplishment when I've won those patients over. VERY rarely does it not work out for me. I can't even say I'm acting much different than I normally would with any other patient.
If I had to think about it, what I think I'm doing probably amounts to:
-being SUPER patient
-checking in frequently and updating with progress
-sometimes mimicking their style of communication (when patient is calm)
-offering extras
-making small talk
-sympathizing
-asking about preferences and honoring them
How do you you deal with "difficult" attitudes?