To enable participants to practice and refine non-verbal and verbal communication skills when managing difficult interactions with patients who feel entitled and are overly demanding.

Participants brainstorm examples of non-verbal cues and discuss how they impact communication, both positively and negatively.

Characters

Patient: A demanding individual who believes their concerns outweighs others.’ A busy individual due to their professional life and they are very stressed..

Nurse: Tasked with addressing the patient’s frustrations professionally and empathetically.

An outpatient consultation office with two patients waiting for the doctor who is 40 minutes behind schedule. The third patient, a local prominent figure, who expects to be seen immediately, at the time of his appointment and expresses frustration with the delay.

Outpatient clinic consultation room.

Patient (Entitled and Demanding Individual):

Behaviours:

Display visible frustration. Use assertive or demanding language. Interrupt or challenge the nurse when they try to explain the delay. Show stress.

Tone:

Forceful, impatient, and occasionally condescending or sarcastic.

Attitude:

Expects priority treatment and becomes more agitated if their frustration is not acknowledged. Open to calming down if reassured and given a clear plan or timeline.

Nurse (Professional and Composed):

Behaviours:

Maintain calm and steady body language, avoiding defensive or confrontational gestures. Acknowledge the patient’s frustration using empathetic statements. Provide clear and honest explanations about the delay without over-apologizing or making excuses. Use de-escalation techniques, such as lowering tone of voice and matching the patient’s energy level with calm assertiveness.

Tone:

Professional, empathetic, and composed. Reassuring without being overly formal.

Attitude:

Patient-centred and focused on resolving the situation collaboratively. Aims to defuse tension while upholding respect for all parties involved.

Arrange a consultation room.

Brief participants privately on their roles. Reinforce the aim and objectives of the simulation – practicing non-verbal and verbal communication skills in dealing with difficult, though not threatening, patients.

The simulation starts with the patient entering the waiting room and approaching the nurse’s desk. The interaction unfolds naturally, focusing on the nurse’s responses to the patient’s behaviour.

The simulation concludes once the nurse has effectively de-escalated the patient’s frustrations and addressed their concerns.

The other two patients offer the VIP patient to see the doctor before them. They inform the nurse about it. (Two more students join the simulation from the beginning).

The stressed-out patient starts to feel seriously unwell.

Possible Twists

The other two patients offer the very important person (VIP) (patient) to see the doctor before them. They inform the nurse about it. (Two more students join the simulation from the beginning).

The stressed-out patient starts to feel seriously unwell.

By the end of the simulation, the participants should be able to:

1. Apply strategies to manage challenges during difficult interactions with demanding or patients that feel entitled.
2. Demonstrate professional non-verbal and verbal communication techniques appropriate to the situation.
3. Recognize non-verbal cues that indicate entitlement or demanding behaviour in patients.

1. Self-reflection – the participants express their immediate emotional reactions to the simulation.
2. Analysis - explore together what happened during the simulation and why.
3. Highlight strengths and areas for improvement.
4. Summarise main takeaways from the session.