Once in a while, I'll have patients who will tell me that they love me and try to hug me, or tell me that they love me with big Bambi eyes if they think that it will get them out of perceived trouble or gain my favor.
I only want someone to hug me if I have known them long enough to know that they mean no harm, that I don't mind touching me, and that I have given some form of okay to hug me. In the ER, I rarely encounter people who fit these criteria. Furthermore, I am a healthcare professional, not their buddy. My first instinct is to step back and put a hand forward to keep the person at arm's distance, which I do not think is an inappropriate reaction. What I'm wondering is how to verbally set limits and explain why it is inappropriate without seeming punitive. I also want to keep it short. In the past when I didn't anticipate it, I'd simply say, "No thank you."
When I get the Bambi-eyed, "I wuv you," (yes, sometimes in baby talk), I either said, "Thank you," and moved on with whatever was occurring before the attempted distraction, or simply moved on with the conversation and actions. How should I handle the declaration of love?
Yes, I know that some people have mental retardation, are emotionally stunted, or have developmental disabilities that mean that their mindsets are that of children. I don't fault them, but I also want to explain to them why I have the right to be touched only when I want to. Pediatric or psych nurse advice would be great for this.
