A POTPOURRI on THE TREATMENT FLOOR

If you read the last post I wrote on working in the the real world of health care, you may wonder why anyone would. For any answers to that, ask around. See what other clinician's say.

I love being an O.T. even though the world of Health Care is ah, unhealthy. I have a master's degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling and have done Health Care Chaplaincy at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC along with certificates and long term education, too numerous to go into now. That said, I am still going to keep learning and I know that every time I step onto a clinical floor, I will be prepared to be observed.

In our clinical practice we should be aware that someone may be watching what we do. That is good. There are rewards that seem to come out of no where. Last week, a patient beckoned me to come to her. She was not my patient. This is what she said.  "I just want to tell you that I saw you working with a patient and the way you did just made it work for her. That takes a certain type of person and I have to say no one else here has that ability." I thanked her. I made note later that it was a very generous gesture for her as a patient to let me know she observed and felt something good. This is important because I really believe that treatment we give others can have a healthy impact on  other patients in the room. They may be in pain and worried. It is important for us to not have a phony guise of being a therapist, but a genuine interest of who is in front of us. This has happened to me before and my mental note is to say thank you and to tell the patient that it is a very generous thing to give that kind of feedback when you have your own health  issues. I have to thank all my teachers who kept me focused on patient centered care.

I said potpourri and here is a tid bit to gnaw on.  It is a given that our oldest population is discriminated against. Many of you will be working in nursing homes. Remember that bias, conscious, unconscious, latent, overt and abuse and neglect exists. The admonition here is don't be part of it! Do not devalue another human because they are old, frail, in ill health and dying or too difficult. Because in our health system, indeed in our world culture at this time, youth is cherished. On the treatment floor, you will come face to face with your own mortality. The face of an old woman or man may scare you into behaving in odd ways that are shameful. I have seen it. Do not partake.