MAY 2, 2022 —Thank you for your participation in this year’s patient experience week. It was a great time for self-reflection and focus on our unparalleled care for our patients. Your responses, including Wednesday’s photo challenge, were thoughtful and there were plenty of them. We have compiled just a few below and invite you to read them.
Monday: I CARE Values and Patient Care
“Showing compassion to our patients, most patients want to know that we understand their needs and sympathize with them. Always showing respect, letting our patients know that we hear them, we see them and we are here to help them.”
“Our I CARE values really set us apart from all other facilities from a patient, visitor, and employee perspective. First way I incorporated I CARE values is to make sure I greet everyone I interact with a genuine warm greeting and smile. Second way is to make sure I communicate well with my patients so they know what to expect for their journey in the hospital. ”
Tuesday: When I Am A Patient
“When I am a patient, I want to feel like the staff is actually listening to me when I inform them of what works, what doesn’t, areas of pain, how to help me relieve pain, etc. I live inside my body, you don’t. So please listen to me!”
“When I am a patient, I want to feel recognized for the life experiences I have had and the understanding that this experience is new and scary, know that sometimes it is okay to just be present with me.”
“When I am a patient I would like to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. I would like to have a medical staff that listens to my concerns attentively. I would also like for my physician to take the time to explain any procedures with myself and my family.”
Wednesday: I Am Patient Experience
Thursday: Thinking as a Patient to Relieve Anxieties
“I’m currently pregnant. I’ve had to rely on other nurses and my OB a lot. I think something that would have helped ease my anxiety is over communicating. All of this is so new to me and I had so many questions and things I didn’t even know to question. Over communication is key to help ease the anxiety.
“As a patient having orthopedic surgery I was terrified of the anesthesia. One thing that could have been done was for someone to talk to me about why I was afraid so they could help me feel better.”
“It is a helpless feeling to depend fully on someone else for all our needs. To ease my anxieties as a patient, someone could stop by, look me directly in the eyes and say something like, ‘We are here for you. We want you to feel better soon. We’re going to do everything we can to get you back home to your family.’ Just being fully present goes a long way to helping comfort someone.”
Friday: Improving Patient Experience
“While visiting a patient today, he shared of his wish, which was ‘I wish the nurse would slow down and take more time to listen better to me and my wife.’ Both seemed to feel unable to be assertive for the outcome of his care. I took time to be present and provide empathic listening with assurance of availability as needed.”
“I had a patient say she wished she could see our faces because it makes things more personal. She doesn’t like that our masks always cover our faces but she did say that she understood because of COVID. But overall from this, I think we can be more personal with each patient as well.”
“When I was rounding, a patient shared ‘It can sometimes be confusing to have different doctors coming and going; some covering for others and some from different specialties. It would be nice if they had cards or wrote their name and specialty on the board when they came in.'”
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