By DR SHEILA E.DRNEC,
Medical Student, Des Moines University,USA
Thu, January 27, 2011 5:42:53 PM
Social Awareness Article
From:
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sheila specio <sheilaspecio@yahoo.com>
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To:
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drsathii@yahoo.com
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| Hi Surya! Looking forward to seeing you next month! Best wishes, Sheila |
Here is my article and picture.Hope this is what you were looking for: --------------
Humanism in Medicine -
The Gold Humanism Honor Society
The recent events of my hometown, Tucson, Arizona, devastated the United States of
America and made headlines around the world. Terrible events like this,
unfortunately, occur nearly daily throughout the world. After the
shooting, Representative Gabrielle Giffords
was taken to the University of Arizona hospital.
Among those treating her was Dr. Randall Friese, a trauma surgeon, who received
the national recognition of the Gold Humanism Honor Society when he stated that
the “most important thing I did was hold her hand.”
The Gold Humanism Honor Society
(GHHS), founded by Drs. Arnold and Sandra Gold and colleagues in 1988 at Columbia University serves to “nurture and
preserve the tradition of the caring physician.” Medical students,
currently from 92 medical schools, Residents and Physicians are inducted
annually into this Honor Society for maintaining a commitment to compassionate,
respectful care of patients. According to the GHHS website, the
Humanistic Doctor demonstrates an "I.E. C.A.R.E.S." attitude,
behavior, and sensitivity to “the values, autonomy, cultural and ethnic
backgrounds of others.” This acronym stands for:
“Integrity: the
congruence between expressed values and behavior.
Excellence: clinical expertise.
Compassion: the
awareness and acknowledgment of the suffering of another and the desire to
relieve it.
Altruism: the
capacity to put the needs and interests of another before your own.
Respect: the regard for the autonomy and values of another person.
Empathy: the ability to put oneself in another's situation, e.g.,
physician as patient.
Service: the sharing of one's talent, time and resources with those
in need; giving beyond what is required.”
This approach to patient care means
that the Health Care Provider, whether
physician, nurse, technician, student, etc. attempts to really imagine what it
would be like to be the patient they are treating. What would it be like
to eat the food in the free ward while waiting for an operation, to have the
packing removed from an abscess, or bandage removed from a burn, without
anesthetic, to be the woman lying in the same position for hours on end.
When we realize that we could be that person, that the tissues of our body are
similar to the person in the free ward, we realize that we should treat
everyone as we would treat ourselves. A simple, brief explanation of the
procedure reassures the patient that you care about them, and have thought
through the procedure, and perhaps that you have done it hundreds of times.
Be honest about pain. Say to your patient, “This will hurt, but it is
necessary to get you better. This is what I am going to do…and it will
take this long.”
While sometimes it is necessary to
temporarily hurt in order to help, it is important to listen to your patients
when they are telling you that the pain is more than they can withstand.
I was in a hospital after an accident and had a catheter in my right arm for
five days with infusions of high dose antibiotics and heparin administered
three times a day. By day five, I was in agony with what I now know was phlebitis. I mentioned the pain on day four,
but by day five, I had to absolutely insist on a different injection
site. Back then, I was very shy, and felt bad about insisting, but the
pain was too great. Now I am more educated and realize that it was okay
for me to insist. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recommend short peripheral intravenous catheters
be changed every 72 hours; however, this is not always feasible or necessary,
according to a study published by C. Ruef in the journal “Infection” in
2004. Listen to your patients, both the verbal and non-verbal cues, such
as wincing, and you will know if a catheter change is necessary. You must
remember that your patients may also be too shy to ask for something, don’t
want to bother you, or don’t feel worthy to ask. Your awareness of
non-verbal cues can greatly improve patient care.
During that same stay in the
hospital many years ago, I started to get bed sores
from lying in the same position for so many days. The pressure-pain on my
backside was actually worse than the broken bones
and torn ligaments in my legs. To ease the pain of a patient who is
bed-ridden, make sure your patients, your loved ones and your friends are
turned every two hours to avoid bed sores. Do not be fooled by the
decubitus ulcer (bed sore). They are deep and deadly. Be sure to
especially watch the heel of the foot and the sacal area of the back, mid-line
just above the buttocks. Bed sores are a sign of neglect and most, if not
all, are preventable.
To conclude, it is important to
remember that each patient could be you, your mother, your child, your friend,
etc. Treat every patient with the respect and compassion you would wish
to receive. Remember that although your patients may not be as educated in the health field, they still deserve to know what is
going on with their bodies, in terms that they can understand. You could
hold a hand during a painful procedure, softly tell them to focus on a peaceful
place while breathing in through their nose and out through their mouth.
Be the calm, knowledgeable, skilled, reassuring Health
Care Provider that will provide a better healing experience for
everyone.
The GHHS is joining in an act of solidarity
on February 14th, 2011, to honor
Humanism in Medicine and Dr. Friese for his understanding of the importance of
compassion.
Resources:
