4
Fall 2013
Rounding Report,
continued from page 1.
Communication is key in our personal stories. If we reflect on the many ways thoughts and feelings can be communicated, they can be surprisingly different. Following is a diagram that helps children understand the many ways to say the word “said”.
If we were a patient whose pain was not well-controlled, the chapter could read: “Please help me, I’m in pain,” sobbed the patient.
Sadness
“Please help me, I’m in pain,” screamed the patient. Pain “Please help me, I’m in pain,” mumbled the patient. Tiredness “Please help me, I’m in pain,” fumed the patient.
Anger
“Please help me, I’m in pain,” stammered the patient. Fear “Please help me, I’m in pain,” pleaded the patient.
Wanting
Each one of the above statements implies a different patient experience, doesn’t it? From the shoes of the patient, depending on the verb selected, the reader of the chapter interprets a completely different situation and the chapter takes on a new meaning — for the reader, and more importantly, for the patient. In our recent C2X Employee Communication Forums, we spoke a lot about empathy. When we feel empathy for another person, we are able to identify with and understand their situation or feelings. From a point of empathy, we can positively contribute to and co-write, along with the patient, their chapter entitled “My experience as a patient at UMMC.” The setting is the Medical Center and the characters are the patient, family members and every one of us, the people who care for or support the care of the patient. How we contribute to shape the chapter of every patient’s life is up to us. Read on to see how Eric Palmer, Patient Experience Director at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett in Bartlett, Tennessee conceptualizes it, from the perspective of the patient. continued on page 5.
Patient and Family Partnership Council: left to right - Diana MacFarlane, BS, MLS III HEW, Laboratory Integration Team; Mary Pat Yater, Family member; Melissa Parker, Patient and employee; Marjorie Fass, Patient; Jerry Chiat, Patient; Eileen Chiat, Family member; Kerry Sobol, MBA, RN, Director, Patient Experience, Commitment to Excellence, Volunteer Services, Patient Transportation Services; not pictured, Michael Yater, Patient (he took the picture).