How California Nurses Should Respond to and Manage Patient Complaints

| Posted in Patient Complaints on January 31, 2025

Responding to Patient Complaints | Nicole Irmer

Sometimes, patient complaints are unfortunately inevitable despite the care given. Your patients aren’t often at their best. They might be stressed, in pain, or simply not feeling great – and may direct their discomfort towards you.

Yet even if you think a patient’s complaint isn’t valid, you should still respond appropriately and take it seriously. By reacting calmly, validating their concerns, and then documenting both the complaint and how you responded, can reduce the risk that it will escalate further. If a patient does file a complaint against you with the Board of Registered Nursing, our team of experienced California healthcare license defense attorneys is here to help.

The Law Office of Nicole Irmer works with doctors, nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals who are dealing with disciplinary and licensing issues. If a patient files a complaint against you with the Board, we can guide and protect your interests throughout the process, helping you achieve the best possible resolution to the allegations against you. Reach out to our law firm today to learn more or to schedule a confidential consultation.

Tips for Handling Patient Complaints

It can be easy to feel dispirited when patients complain. After all, although nursing can be rewarding it can be equally as challenging – both physically demanding and emotionally exhausting. Yet dealing with patient complaints in the right way can often head off bigger issues – such as a formal complaint to the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

There are some things that you can do to handle patient complaints in a positive, respectful way – and reduce the likelihood of patients complaining to you, your supervisor, or the BRN. Below, we share our top strategies for managing patient complaints.

Be Proactive

There is an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is particularly true when it comes to being a nurse. 

Checking in on your patients regularly to ask how they are doing can be a great way to prevent patient complaints. Ask if they need help and if you can get them anything. Simply letting a patient know that you care about them can go a long way towards making a good impression – and reducing the likelihood that a patient will file a complaint.

Listen to the Patient

When a person is seeking medical care, they might be scared, in pain, or stressed. They might also be frustrated by things that are entirely outside of your control – like long wait times. Making sure that the patient feels heard is a great way to handle patient complaints.

Try to listen carefully, paying attention to what they are saying. Wait until they are done speaking and then respond appropriately. Address their concerns, and let them know if there is a reason why you can’t do something (such as because of an emergency,the doctor is delayed.)

Take a Beat Before Responding

It is all too easy to react to an irate patient with your own frustration. After all, nurses may seem like superheroes, but they are only human. As hard as it can be, take a deep breath, and think carefully about what you say before you speak.

A good strategy for responding calmly is to first restate your patient’s concerns so that they know that they were heard. This also gives you the time to think about what you want to say before you say it. Keep in mind that replying abruptly and exasperated will not only make the immediate situation worse – but it could result in a complaint to your supervisor and/or the BRN.

Don’t Take It Personally

As a nurse, you typically aren’t dealing with people at their best moment. Their emotions may bubble over when they get upset, resulting in confrontational responses and even insults when circumstances are beyond their control or if they are receiving upsetting news. When someone is challenging you, it can be hard to react kindly – but it is still a smart strategy.

Try to develop a thicker skin and let any insults or anger roll off of you. Chalk up any unacceptable comments to their personal situation and don’t let it trigger you. Again, take a minute and do your best to respond calmly.

Of course, if a patient is being hateful or abusive, you should not have to tolerate that behavior. Rather than responding angrily, however, you should seek out a supervisor who can intervene with the patient. 

Choose Empathy

Being at the doctor’s office or hospital can be stressful. Your patients might be in pain, worried about what is going to happen to them, or stressed about what the treatment will cost them. Try to put yourself in their shoes so that you can respond appropriately.

For example, if you are taking care of a patient who has been ill for a long time, you might think about how that affects their mood and attitude. It might help you to think about how you’d feel in a similar situation. Understanding the source of their anger is helpful in handling patient complaints better.

Validate and Apologize 

Most nurses know that some patient complaints are frivolous – while others are both valid and understandable. No matter what the situation, you can often defuse a patient’s complaint by validating how they are feeling and apologizing for what they are experiencing. You don’t have to admit that you did something wrong, but just saying “I am sorry that you are having such a hard time” can be a great way to make the situation better.

Even in situations where you truly believe that the patient is out of line, you can simply restate their concerns and then apologize. For example, if a patient is furious that you checking their vitals woke them up, you can say something like, “I know it’s really aggravating to be woken up when you don’t feel good. I’m really sorry that I have to do this!”

Document All Complaints

As a nurse, one of the best ways that you can protect yourself if a patient files a formal complaint against you is with documentation. When a patient complains about their treatment or anything else related to their care, you should make a note of it in their chart. Include any details about how you resolved the issue.

These contemporaneous notes can be incredibly useful if a patient files a complaint with the Board,your supervisor, hospital, or facility. As part of the complaint process, the BRN investigators will typically request access to patient records. Be sure to include the patient’s issue and your response in the record for clear documentation and to avoid scrutiny.

Consult with a Healthcare License Defense Attorney

If a patient does file a complaint with the California Board of Registered Nursing, then you should take immediate action. Do not speak to a Board investigator or sign any documentation until you have had a chance to consult with a nursing license defense lawyer. Anything that you say to the investigator could be used against you in a disciplinary action.

If the BRN determines that the complaint against you is valid, then they might file an Accusation against you. This could result in formal discipline, including license probation, suspension, or revocation. Even at the lower level of discipline, a public reprimand or citation and fine could hurt your career as a nurse.

The best way to protect yourself is by consulting with a California healthcare license defense attorney as soon as possible. Your lawyer will review the complaint and any associated documents and help you develop a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy for responding to it. In some cases, this may result in a dismissal of the complaint or a more favorable resolution to the allegations against you.

Remember: patient complaints are not always petty or frivolous. If a patient complains that you engaged in unprofessional conduct, failed to meet the standard of care, or were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs when caring for them, it could jeopardize your career. If they file a complaint with the Board, you should contact a compassionate nursing license defense lawyer to protect your license and your career.

Help for Nurses Dealing with Board Complaints

Patient complaints are often about things that have very little to do with the care that you are providing to them as a nurse. Nevertheless, it is important to respond in a compassionate way so that you can potentially de-escalate the situation and reduce the likelihood of additional issues. If a patient does file a Board complaint against you, we are here to help.

The Law Office of Nicole Irmer advocates for nurses and other healthcare professionals who are facing disciplinary and licensing issues. Based in San Diego, we represent nurses throughout California. For each client, we develop a multi-pronged strategy to increase the odds of a successful outcome. To schedule a confidential consultation about nursing license matters, contact us at (619) 237-6310 or email us at any time.

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