Ok I'm going to get away from the challenge for a second. I'm guessing most of you reading this blog work in the health care field. If your reading this tonight, I hope you go to work tomorrow with a new perspective or if your reading this in the morning I hope you have a super day.
I know a while back, I wrote about making a difference. This post goes along side the ability you have to make a difference. Since that one post, I've had the opportunity to read a bit more, to visit with more patients, and just really take a look at what most of us do when working with patients.
A few weeks ago I was having breakfast with one of our oxygen patients (yes I do visit many of our patients outside of work) and had great time listening to this guy's story. A retired green beret now fighting terminal cancer. I asked him how his treatment was going and he said it was OK but it would be better if only the people that were responsible for his care would actually listen.
I won't go into the details of how he described his feelings but, when I left I thought a lot about what he said. How many times do you clock in before your shift only to look forward to finally clocking out? I've worked in the medical field since I was 17 and the one thing I know most of us can't stand and that is all that tedious charting. It consumes the time you should be spending with your patients. It adds at least an hour to your shift and really all it's about is covering your butt just in case something happens.
We as health care professionals are given such an awesome opportunity to make enormous differences in the lives we come in contact with. You may be the only smile that Mr. Smith gets to see that day. Or you may be the only hand that Mrs. Johnson in 211 gets to hold before she takes a turn for the worse. The human touch is so unbelievably powerful. I've had several conversations with my staff on how important it is to take the time to talk to their patients. Learn something about them. Sit and talk with them. Make the time to listen when normally you wouldn't.
It's scary sometimes to become too attached to our patients but, I believe it's so important and life changing if we put our hearts out there. We are not here for our happiness but life is fulfilled when bringing happiness to others. Tomorrow or today (whenever you read this), make it a point to spend a little more time with your patients. Learn about them. Take a whole hearted interest in whatever they want to talk about. Relax, let your guard down and enjoy the conversation. Don't talk about medications or IV's but about family, cares, worries, whatever comes up. You will be amazed at how fast your day goes by when you focus on your patients versus focusing on your job. I promise you, it will make all the difference in the world, not only in the life of your patient, but in yours as well.
Anyway, I hope you have a super day. Make it a point to make a positive difference in the life of someone else.
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