There’s something strange about being around so many happy patients. In fact, unusual happiness has been perceived as so unsettling that author Ira Levin created The Stepford Wives; in order to produce a literary representation of what this level of euphoria really means.
My name is Sarah Jacobson. I’m a student physical therapist at Jamestown Regional Medical Center.
JRMC has found a way to embody a genuine version of this pleasantness. Each staff member greeted me in the halls and was eager to help me find my way. The most amazing part was that everyone sincerely cared. At first, this felt like a worthy comparison to Levin’s imagination. Clearly, there must be something in the coffee.
I quickly learned that this hospital was not based on a science fiction novel or additives in the coffee. In my full-day new employee orientation, I learned that JRMC simply values the importance of interpersonal interactions. Communication occurs constantly between patients, providers and employees. They have found a way to harness this communication and cover it with smiles and respect. A crucial component of this communication that I learned in orientation includes a technique of connecting with patients utilizing the AIDET method. The purpose of this method is to reduce the anxiety of our patients through the acronym described below. In fact, I’m rather positive that I utilized this method on myself to reduce my own anxiety.
A – Acknowledge our patients respectfully by name so that they may feel at ease.
I entered the rehabilitation waiting area with a warm welcome, “You must be Sarah! I will go get Mac or Tracy for you!” This was a pleasant surprise. My previous experiences include office members who are confused with my arrival and definitely don’t give me the impression that they were expecting me. This perception has never faltered; JRMC has been exceedingly welcoming and supportive from the moment I entered their doors.
I – Introduce yourself, your qualifications, and your role in their care so that your patient may feel that they are in good hands.
A hospital can become easily overwhelming. JRMC could have encouraged me to personify my nine-digit identification code and become just another employee. Instead, the president of the hospital spent an hour with the six newest employees, including myself, to introduce him and welcome us to the facility. Each of us had unique start dates over the past few months, yet somehow he knew that I started a few days prior to this orientation. He then proceeded to show us why JRMC is the most qualified provider for our new careers.
D – Let your patient know how long this process will take so that they will not wait in anticipation or anxiety.
Let’s be honest; my duration is eight weeks of studying and that does very little to relieve my apprehension. However, there is so much truth within this concept of duration. Nobody enjoys staring at the wall and not knowing if they have been forgotten or ignored with no end in sight. We must give our patients something to work towards so that they don’t lose motivation along the way.
E – Explain to your patients what you are doing and why you are doing it so that they may be fully informed about their care.
I may not always know where I’m supposed to be or what I’m supposed to be doing, but that is the reality of being new. I do, however, know my end goal. Mac, my clinical instructor, was quick to inform me about his goal of teaching me the manual skills that he was provided during clinical rotations. Knowing what to expect puts us all at ease. When it comes to patients, I have not found anything that puts them more at ease than the power of education. The unknown is extremely fear-provoking, especially when it comes in the form of radiating pain or degenerative disc disease splattered all over the MRI results. The patients at JRMC are well-informed recipients of healthcare.
T – Thank your patients for trusting you with their healthcare.
Instructors deserve a thank you for willingly taking on an extra responsibility to their day. Patients deserve a thank you for willingly letting the stumbling hands of a student manage their care. JRMC deserves a thank you for proving that happiness in the workplace doesn’t have to feel like a science fiction novel, but rather something to aspire to.
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