Bedside Manner Blog

Psychiatrist to nurse: “Just say we’re very busy, don’t keep saying, ‘It’s a madhouse.’” ____ While in the beginning, competency was not defined as a critical component of bedside manner; it is the essence of being a truly great provider. Everyone in the health-care industry should strive to be the most competent provider around. Creed of Competency: It is the duty of all health-care providers to be the best that they can be, to limit practice to areas of expertise and competency, and to seek quality continuing education to make sure tha ...

A woman goes to her doctor who verifies that she is pregnant. This is her first pregnancy. The doctor asks her if she has any questions. She replies, "Well, I'm a little worried about the pain. How much will childbirth hurt?"  The doctor answered, "Well, that varies from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy and besides, it's difficult to describe pain."  "I know, but can't you give me some idea?" she asks.  "Grab your upper lip and pull it out a little..."  "Like this?" "A little more...&qu ...

A resident approached an elderly man on a gurney in the E.R. Resident: “Do you know who I am?” Old Guy: “Sure, you’re the doctor, but I don’t know your name.”            Resident: “So what brought you to the E.R.?” Old Guy: “An ambulance.” ____ Branding is the commercial concept of developing a recognizable reputation that is marketable and has value in terms of goodwill. Professional practice incorporates the same concepts. Doctors, hospitals, and clinics all value their r ...

Doctors at a large hospital have gone on strike. Hospital officials say they will find out what the doctors’ demands are as soon as they can get a pharmacist to go read the picket signs! ____ Doctors with great bedside manner aren’t supposed to be angry. Unless you are the most relaxed unflinching individual, you will get angry with patients in certain situations. Anger can affect you performance, judgment, reputation, and health. If you find yourself becoming angry too often, it may be a manifestation of burnout, and even if you have infrequent bouts of anger, you shoul ...

Top Five Signs You’re Suffering Burnout 5. You’re so tired you answer the phone “hell” instead of “hello.” 4. Your mom calls and you yell, “Get off my back, bitch.” 3. You’re so stressed you can’t remember how to pee. 2. You wake up and your bed is on fire, but you’re so tired you go back to sleep. 1. You think how relaxing it would be if you were in jail right now. ____ Everyone is entitled to have a bad day, except people in service industries. How many times have you experienced a service provid ...

Doctor: “You have acute appendicitis.” Blonde: “I came here for medical help, not compliments.” ____ Everyone likes to be complimented. People feel good about themselves when they receive a compliment and they feel good about the person giving the compliment. ____ An ER Doctor: “No one likes to be told they are a terrible patient. It is very temping to agree with the patient who announces that they are the ’worst patient you’ll ever see.’ While they may be right, they prefer to hear you say, ’Oh, you’re not anyw ...

A man goes to his doctor for a complete checkup. He hasn't been feeling well and wants to find out if he's ill. After the checkup the doctor comes out with the results of the examination. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. You're dying and you don't have much time," the doctor says. "Oh no, that's terrible. How long have I got?" the man asks. "Ten..." says the doctor. "Ten? Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!" he asks desperately. "9...8...7..." ____ An ICU nurse says that when there is bad news ...

Most people want health-care providers who communicate well and offer some level of conversation. Despite this obvious fact, some doctors don’t converse with their patients, and more importantly they don’t communicate at a most critical moment: when the patient is in distress or in pain. While every doctor responds to the screaming patient, only the perceptive observer reads body language to help him or her respond to less clearly expressed patients’ needs. Body language is a form of nonverbal communication ranging from the easy-to-read (laughing and crying: both of wh ...

Each professional must decide how to address patients and how they would prefer to be titled. Some doctors strive for a casual office while others prefer formality. There is a way to have both and to please most everyone. The way to greet patients varies from one geographic or socioeconomic setting to another. As a rule of thumb, staff should address young patients (under thirty years of age) by first name and older patients (over thirty years of age) by surnames. Doctors may use first names for most patients under sixty years of age. A twenty-year-old calling an eighty-year-old wom ...

The Top Ten Things You Should Never Say During Surgery 10. “Don't worry. I think it is sharp enough.” 9. “Nurse, did this patient sign the organs donation card?” 8. “Damn! Page eighty-four of the manual is missing!” 7. “Everybody stand back! I lost a contact lens!” 6. “Hand me that...uh...that uh.....thingie.” 5. “Better save that. We'll need it for the autopsy.” 4. “What do you mean ’You want a divorce?’” 3. “Whoa, wait a minute, if this is his splee ...