Healthcare Communication

I watch numerous drama TV shows set in the medical field like Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor. Currently on Grey’s, Dr. DeLuca has been very emotional and not getting enough sleep, so he has not been in the right state of mind to be dealing with patients or working with his peers. He has made inappropriate outbursts towards other doctors and in front of patients. He also has been getting too attached to his cases and just needs to take a step back to gather himself and rest up before he makes any major mistakes or killing a patient. Along with communication issues in the working environment, it is also very important for a medical professional to take care of themselves, physically and mentally; otherwise, it can affect the patient’s outcome and prevent growth within the facility.

I really enjoy The Good Doctor being based around an autistic doctor because it allows society to see that a disability does not have to stop someone from doing a good job in life, especially when taking care of other people’s lives. When Shaun Murphy was trying to begin his work at his current hospital, the biggest discrepancy was his inability to communicate with anyone because they knew that communication is such a large part of being a healthcare professional. Like a lot of autistic people, he has had to learn how to not be so blunt and forward with patients and how to be sympathetic during emotional situations. I find him very funny, but people like him are why I want to become a psychiatrist, to be able to help people do the best they can and be comfortable. Shaun also does not know how to deal with stress in an appropriate way and that can be difficult to not only him, but his surrounding peers. He is definitely a different type of person, but that does not mean he cannot learn what is socially acceptable.

In class we have learned that it is important to be an active therapeutic listener for our patients and I think I do a pretty good job at making my patients feel stress free and comfortable. For some people, communication comes naturally, but everyone always has something to improve on to make a better experience for patients and visitors. I think it honestly just takes experience to be comfortable with different types of communication, but you cannot be a shy person or afraid to adapt to your surroundings because you will be challenged with multiple different types of communication scenarios. From translation needed to handling a hostile conversation, it is hard to work your brain to think instantly about an appropriate reaction. Overall, I think this communications class and experience in clinical has helped a lot of us understand how hard the real world of nursing is and how much practice it will take for us to be the best we can be once becoming a nurse.

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