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Developing
the Skill of Gracious Caregiving Health
care professionals are taught to use many tools in our medical training-
phlebotomy, nebulizer administration, blood pressure measurements,
and how to roll a stretcher through a doorway without scraping the
paint (a skill that eluded me as a candy striper, but didn’t
thwart me from the pinnacle of doctorhood). However, we oftentimes
overlook an important tool in our medical arsenal- the skill of
gracious caregiving. One
of my greatest role models in medical school was a junior faculty
from physical diagnosis class, the first course that we actually
touched live patients. He insisted that we treat our patients with
graciousness, giving them ownership of their hospital rooms and
their bodies. “You
can afford to be gracious,” he said. “You are fully clothed,
your butt is not exposed, you got a good night’s sleep, ate
what you wanted for breakfast, and you’re not in pain or frightened.” “So
be gracious. Knock on their door, and ask for permission to enter.
Introduce yourself, and state your purpose. Explain what you are
going to do to them. Ask for permission to examine them. Explain
what you found. Describe the tests that they are going to have and
what they will show. Bring them on board as a partner in their own
heath care.” “When
you leave, say goodbye. Thank them. And lastly, ask them if they
would like their door opened or shut. It’s the little controls
you can give back to your patients that restore power and relieve
their feelings of helplessness.” The
lesson I learned that day provided me with the tool of gracious
caregiving. So,
how do you become a gracious caregiver? Follow these simple tips
with your ill ‘guests’, gleaned from rules of hosting
parties and adapted to medical caregiving:
Remember our advantage. You ate breakfast; your butt is not exposed. We take much for granted in our treatment of our guests. You can afford to be gracious. Virginia
Beach gastroenterologist, Patricia L. Raymond M.D. FACG is an author
and consultant, who speaks to nurses and physicians through hospital
systems and medical conventions. With her company Rx For Sanity™,
she humorously leads physicians and nurses to rediscover their joy
in medicine and to learn to first “Turn Care Inward”.
Her book, “Don’t Jettison Medicine: Resuscitate Your Passion
For The Career You Loved!” is available now. Visit www.RxForSanity.com
for complimentary information and links to better care for yourself
and for your staff, and to subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter,
Rx For Sanity™ eNews, with medical humor and simple tips to enhance
your life in Medicine. Word
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About Dr. Raymond • Speaking Topics • Articles • The Sanity Store • Sensational Free Stuff Subscribe to Passionate Health Care Newsletter Subscribe to Your Health Choice Newsletter Patricia L. Raymond, MD FACP FACG 757-547-0368 • 757-547-7727(Fax) • PLRaymond at RxForSanity.com All Rights Reserved. © 2007 Patricia L. Raymond |
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