Takeaway
After a challenging patient encounter, prioritize mindful breathing and reflective reframing. This may help you give your best care to the next patient.
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence | March 12, 2025 | 3 min read
By Marissa Feldman, PhD & Andrew Gill, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine
You step into the hallway, making sure the exam room door closes. You notice your chest is heavy and your heart is beating faster. That didn’t go as you’d hoped. You play the scenario over in your head, and question where things went wrong. You second guess everything. Then you recognize this isn’t helpful, not for you or the patient you need to see next.
Stressful patient encounters can be exhausting and take a toll mentally and physically. Here are five strategies to navigate these stressful moments and build resiliency:
1. Recognize your feelings.
You’re human, and your feelings matter! It’s natural to feel upset or frustrated after a challenging patient interaction. Recognizing and accepting your emotions is a necessary step for moving forward and not carrying the burdens of the day.
2. Take a beat and a breath.
Take a moment for yourself to relax and recharge. Taking several deep breaths or engaging in grounding techniques, like 5-4-3-2-1 (noticing five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste), can address the physiological aspects of distress and clear your mind. It’s easy to feel like you can’t afford this time when you have a packed schedule, but investing five minutes before your next appointment will help you be more present and effective.
3. Have a growth mindset.
Reflecting without judgement allows you to take a growth mindset. Don’t get stuck on the nitty gritty details of what went wrong. Instead, ask yourself: What went well? What could have been done differently? What might I change in the future? If negative thoughts enter your mind, try positively reframing them or thinking what a loved one or mentor would say to you. Remember, you’re more than one patient encounter. Focus on the positive impact you’re making, no matter how big or small.
4. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.
In healthcare, we often prioritize the well-being of others. But how can we help others if we can’t help ourselves? Managing stress effectively requires a commitment to self-care. The recommendations made for patients (good sleep, adequate nutrition and hydration, exercise, and engagement in enjoyable activities) applies to healthcare providers as well. It will be easier to rebound from difficult moments if you’ve built resiliency and have found ways to recover.
5. Remember your resources.
Do you have someone you can turn to for support? Talking to a friend or colleague who understands the blessings and challenges of healthcare can be helpful. If you’re consistently feeling distressed and noticing signs of burnout, it might be beneficial to talk to a mental health provider who can offer additional strategies for managing stress.
Bonus tip:
If you’re in a leadership role, consider what you can do to cultivate a culture of support and resilience for your staff. This could include modeling discussion of your emotional reactions to stressors and how you cope with them, promoting nonjudgmental attitudes towards each other’s needs, creating physical wellness spaces within your work area, or affording and encouraging time taken for recovery after stressful events. It’s not just the responsibility of the individual to cope with workplace stress—we must take care of each other!
While these strategies may appear simple, putting them into everyday practice can take time. Give yourself grace as you work towards integrating these techniques to help with recovery following stressful patient encounters.
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.