Hope and Change
For that is the true genius of America--that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. - President-Elect Barack Obama's acceptance speech, 11/4/8
Here in Maine flyover country, there are few Obama-Biden signs on lawns and even fewer stickers on pickup trucks. But many still voted for Obama, as I did. Penobscot County, where I live, gave him 52 percent of the vote. And northern Aroostook, called simply "The County" here in Maine, gave him 54 percent.
As I've already written, discussing politics at work is risky. People can forget a belief is a choice or understanding another's point of view can be enlightening. Once a friendly exchange heats up, the work suffers. Management needs to set a tone for discourse that maintains an all-important safe work environment.
But there was no way to avoid talking politics on November 5.
This election is extraordinary, in circumstance and outcome. Patients are worried about their investments, their healthcare and how to heat their homes this coming winter. Since our rural population is largely elderly, I don't blame them. Many outpatients Wednesday morning poured their feelings onto the staff, and some of that spilled into discussion in the main lab. My staff response was to listen to patients with compassion, in turn to each other. It was a remarkable opportunity to walk in different shoes.
Often in healthcare, we seem to treat a symptom; in the laboratory we are sometimes characterized as treating a specimen. It is refreshing to be reminded we are treating a whole person and important for laboratory workers to make that connection, the reason many of us chose healthcare in the first place. It's also the reason patients may prefer your laboratory.
What was the reaction in your laboratory to this historic event? Please share your stories.