Imagine if… we knew what matters to our patients so we could develop plans of care that they will actually comply with and will work for them. When they know that we listen to them, treat them with respect and dignity, and care about their limitations and support need, we will build the trust and partnership needed for improved outcomes.
It’s an old chestnut of staff talking about “the gall bladder in room 201,” or that we don’t have time to have empathy for our patients. You may have been taught that you needed to develop a tough stance toward patients and their families. After all, the common wisdom is that caring too much will cause you to burn out and be ineffective in your work.
Popular television shows portray the hardened, even rude doctor with terrible bedside manner, but is supposedly “the best in his field.” The patient is supposed to be grateful such a fabulous clinician is curing them of their ills. The staff asks the patient “What’s the matter with you?” But rarely “What matters to you?”
“When you put compassion at the center of patient care, the patient feels that they matter. Being treated with dignity and respect is the beginning of healing. We can start that process by asking “What matters to you?” and listening to the answer.”
Research is showing very clearly, that compassion matters. Patient outcomes improve when staff treat them with dignity and respect.
When we know what matters to our patients, the plans of care we develop will work for them. They will take in consideration their care priorities, their social determinants of health, their personal preferences, and many other aspects of their lives.
Everyone has a story, and until we listen carefully to that story, we can’t really know that person. What I’m not asking you to do is to feel deep empathy for each patient – that would burn you out quickly and cause what experts call “empathic distress.” What I am recommending, is that we connect with our patients in a way that sees them as individuals deserving of respect, and honoring their story.
There is a way to learn to have this kind of compassionate care for your patients and their families. We’ll be using a step-by-step process I call C.A.R.E. It will work with any facility, charting system, or care delivery model. Because it’s a shift in perspective, not a policy or procedure. I’m looking forward to introducing you to all of the steps. Keep reading, and you’ll see how all of this fits together.
Let me know what you think in the comments below, and click the button to register for the continuing education portal. You can try out some free courses to try things out.