Written by Liz Swanson, Professional Education Services Assistant Director
What a start to the New Year! My first week of 2022 ended up with two ER visits and an overnight hospital stay. I will spare you the details, but the bottom line is that I am fine. From a patient engagement perspective, it was an eye-opening experience. I wanted to share a couple observations from my patient outlook.
First, I marvel at the work you do. I know there is a lot of lip service paid to healthcare heroes, but I am not sure people really understand what you are going through. With backed up ER’s, full rooms, and countless sick patients needing care, I am truly humbled by what you do. So, did everything go 100% right in my stint in the hospital? Not at all, but I met some amazing women and men that get up every day and keep fighting the good fight.
Some of what I saw: an impressive new nurse and her seasoned preceptor working together. The preceptor was so skilled at asking the right questions and working with the new nurse. You could tell they were comfortable with each other and had clear open communication. It gave me a new appreciation for the role of those exceptional mentors and nurse preceptors.
Taking time to teach new hires is invaluable. I heard the preceptor say, “Let’s go do it,” not “You need to!” How powerful is it when a leader says, “Let’s?" What a simple, comforting word it can be.
Hands down the most enjoyable, best patient experience I had was from Jason. Jason was in transportation, and it was his job to take me on a maze in a wheelchair to find my car. He was funny, friendly, and full of jokes. For the entire 15 minutes we were together, he had me laughing. When we got to my car, he waited until it started and made sure I was good to go. That is true customer service. Jason is the kind of person you would want to meet for lunch. Is he the highest paid member of the care team that served me? I would guess the answer is no. Did he make me feel good and make my overall stay a five-star experience? I would say yes.
Never discount the actions of the entire team to increase morale or drag it down.
From Jason I will share the only joke I can remember that he shared. What do you call a sleep walking nun? A roaming Catholic! That is all I’ve got, have a great week and make your day count!
Liz Swanson, ICAHN Professional Education Services
