Some hospital ponderings
One danger of working in the health care or medical field is that over time, you see so many sick people that you become somewhat immune to it all. Or perhaps you become burnt out, jaded, cynical, bored...the options are numerous and hard to avoid. Working with people every day isn't easy and seeing others at their worst just adds an extra stressor to an already difficult job.
However, this is my call to every health professional to remember why you pursued that job in the first place. Most doctors, nurses, PTs, OTs, SLPs, etc., would say that they chose their career because they wanted to help people. There are other factors, of course, but this is the one common thread that draws us all together. We want to help people. That phrase doesn't distinguish between people at their best and people at their worst. It doesn't say that we only want to help people that are pleasant, well-spoken, and motivated. We just want to help people, and people come in all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and circumstances.
It doesn't matter if you've been a health professional for 20 minutes
or 20 years. The things that patients need from you don't change.
They need skilled care, encouragement, positive attitudes, empathy,
enthusiasm, and the feeling that they have some say in their
treatment. Even the prickly, angry, loud, smelly, rude, demented,
complaining, nitpicky, strange, lewd ones.
There is so much talk about client-centered care these days. OT
is very much in line with this concept; we look at the whole person, we
consider their life story, and we ask them to help determine their own
goals. We're already there. I think that if we can follow a few simple
guidelines, we can do something positive for any patient, or better yet, help them to do something positive for themselves.
The Rules:
Don't judge your patients. They aren't perfect, but neither are you.
Have compassion. Even if a person has contributed to their own problem, they are still a person and deserve to be treated that way.
Don't expect your patient to be motivated if you aren't motivated to work with and do your best for them.
Watch what you say. Even if you think your patient can't hear you or doesn't understand you because of their condition, you might be surprised. I find that the only things my grandmother can hear from clear across a crowded room are the questionable things that are said about her, and she's been hard of hearing for nearly 10 years.
Remember that one of the only differences between you and your patient is a set of circumstances. Someday you may be in their place.
I think if we all followed this code while treating then we would stand out as a true advocate, professional, and compassionate helper to our patients, even more so than we already do! Consider this a pep talk. Now, go forth and make your grumpy patients do their stuff - and make them even grumpier because they can't actually find a real reason to dislike you.