Role Play 12

Setting: Hospital Ward

Patient

You are 37 years old and were admitted to the hospital yesterday with a fractured leg you are in a lot of pain which has not subsided despite the pain-killer medicine which you taken earlier. You rang the buzzer 30 minutes ago, but no one has come to see you, so you feel alone in the hospital, and the pain is making you very uncomfortable. This is the first time you have been hospitalized. You are annoyed with the hospital staff for neglecting you.

Tasks

• Tell the nurse that you are extremely upset and want to file a complaint.
• Agitatedly tell the nurse you feel alone in the hospital, and this the first time you have neglecting you while you were in pain.
• Answer the nurse’s questions about why you are angry.
• When asked, tell the nurse that your pain score is 11 and you want a strong pain-killer.
• Demand the nurse gets a stronger medication herself/himself (because calling the doctor seems like another delaying tactic to you).
• Ask the nurse if you can see the doctor and inquire about the doctor’s whereabouts.
• When asked about other concerns, express dissatisfaction with the hospital food.

Setting: Hospital Ward

Nurse

You have been called to the patient’s bedside. The patient is a 37-year-old man/woman who were admitted to the hospital yesterday with a fractured leg. You notice that he/she looks quite agitated. It’s early morning, and the doctor is on rounds in the hospital. He / She was given a painkiller earlier today.

Tasks

• Find out why the patient is angry.
• Explain that you were attending to a critical patient.
• Empathize with the patient regarding his/her complaint(s) and calm the patient down.
• Ask him/her about the pain (pain score, whether ongoing pain-relief medication is effective).
• Explain that you need to call the doctor to change his/her pain-relief medicine.
• Find out if the patient has any other concerns dietician.
• Encourage the patient to discuss his/her dietary preferences with the hospital.

Model Role Play

Nurse: Good morning. My name is Sarah, and I’m the nurse looking after you today. I understand you’ve called for assistance. How are you feeling right now?

Patient: How am I feeling? I’m extremely upset. I rang the buzzer 30 minutes ago and nobody came. I want to file a complaint about this hospital.

Nurse: I’m sorry you’ve had such a frustrating experience. I can see that you’re very upset. Could you tell me what has happened from your perspective?

Patient: I’ve been lying here in pain, waiting for someone to come. This is the first time I’ve ever been admitted to a hospital, and I feel completely alone. It seems like everyone is ignoring me.

Nurse: Thank you for explaining that. I understand why you would feel disappointed and worried. Just so I can help you properly, could you tell me what is making you most angry at the moment?

Patient: The pain! Nobody seems to care that I’m suffering. I’ve been waiting and waiting.

Nurse: I understand. Before we discuss the next steps, I’d like to assess your pain. On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means no pain and 10 means the worst pain imaginable, how would you rate it?

Patient: It’s 11. It’s definitely 11 out of 10. The painkiller I had earlier isn’t working at all. I need something much stronger.

Nurse: I’m sorry to hear that you’re experiencing such severe pain. It must be very distressing, especially when you’re already dealing with a fractured leg and being in hospital for the first time.

Patient: Exactly. Nobody understands how uncomfortable this is.

Nurse: I do appreciate how difficult this situation is for you. I also want to apologize for the delay in responding to your call.

Patient: Then why did nobody come?

Nurse: Earlier, I was attending to a critically ill patient who required urgent medical attention. However, I understand that from your perspective it felt like you had been forgotten, and I’m sorry for that.

Patient: Well, that’s not good enough.

Nurse: I understand your concern. My priority now is to make sure your pain is managed appropriately. Since the medication you’ve already received is not providing adequate relief, I need to contact the doctor and discuss changing your pain medication.

Patient: Why do you have to call the doctor? Just give me a stronger painkiller yourself.

Nurse: I can understand why you want immediate relief. However, I am only allowed to administer medications that have been prescribed for you. For your safety, any change to your pain medication must be authorized by the doctor.

Patient: That sounds like another delaying tactic.

Nurse: I assure you it isn’t. The process is in place to make sure you receive the most appropriate treatment safely. I’ll contact the doctor immediately and explain that your pain remains severe despite the medication you’ve already received.

Patient: Can I see the doctor? Where is the doctor now?

Nurse: The doctor is currently doing ward rounds in the hospital. I’ll let the doctor know you’d like to be reviewed as soon as possible. While I can’t guarantee the exact time, I’ll emphasize the severity of your pain.

Patient: Fine.

Nurse: Apart from your pain, do you have any other concerns that you’d like us to address?

Patient: Yes, actually. The hospital food is terrible. I don’t like what’s being served.

Nurse: Thank you for mentioning that. Could you tell me a little more about what you’re unhappy with?

Patient: The meals aren’t what I usually eat, and I hardly feel like eating them.

Nurse: I understand. Hospital food can sometimes be different from what patients are used to. We do have a dietitian and catering team who can discuss dietary preferences and suitable alternatives with you. Would you be willing to speak with them?

Patient: Yes, I would.

Nurse: That’s great. I’ll make a note of your concerns and arrange for someone to discuss your meal preferences with you.

Nurse: Just to summarize, you’ve been experiencing severe pain despite your earlier medication, and you’ve been upset because of the delay in responding to your call bell. I’ve apologized for that delay, I’ll contact the doctor immediately regarding stronger pain relief, I’ll inform the doctor that you’d like to be seen, and I’ll also refer your concerns about the food to the dietitian and catering team. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?

Patient: No, that’s everything for now.

Nurse: Thank you for speaking with me. I’ll start arranging these things right away and come back to update you as soon as possible.

Patient: Thank you.