Choosing Who Takes Care Of You

Choosing Who Takes Care Of You!

 

Most people don't think of this but after my experience it's the first thing that comes to my mind. When picking a health care professional most of us look to creditials. Where did they graduate from? What school? What is their experience? Do they take insurance? Do they take my insurance? Those things are important. But have you ever thought about this.....how do they take care of themselves? In fact, I would go as far to say that this is the most important question. After all, how can they take care of me if they can't or don't take care of themselves? My next most important question is how do they treat their co-workers? If they don't treat their colleagues with respect they will certainly not treat me with respect.

People will argue with me that the health care's personal life has absolutely nothing to do with how they are able to perform their job. That even if they treat their staff with total indifference they can still be a great health care professional. I beg to differ. And here is my example.

Scenario 1: Let's look at how our first Healthcare Professional would feel in the following scenerio.  He is having a sleepless night. The stress of work has gotten to him.  He tosses and turns all night. Finally, after hours of frustration, he gives in to a sleeping pill. He awakens in the morning only to find that the insomnia he suffered combined with the sleeping pill has made him sluggish. He reaches for a large coffee with cream and sugar. He is hoping to wake up. After all he has to go to work.  With no time for food since he was slow to get out of bed, he runs out the door with an empty stomach. On the way he hits traffic. He is strung out on sugar and caffeine. The driver in back of him is tailgating and he feels his blood pressure begin to rise. The car passes him but not before the other driver gives him "the finger". His blood pressure rises more and he flips them back. Upon arrival to work he finds himself thirsty but he has no time to grab water. His first patient is waiting in the exam room. He decides to nurse the rest of the cold coffee he brought with him. His day begins and at around 10 am he finds his energy level is dropping. He snaps at his co-worker to get him some more coffee. Offended the co-worker pretty much throws him his mug. It isn't even 11 am. He is running on no sleep, two cups of coffee, is completely dehydrated and has remnants of a sleeping pill in his body. This is the healthcare professional you have waited 2 months to see. He is going to examine you and try to diagnose your problem. This is the professional who is the "expert" in the field. How would you feel knowing this is how he started his day?


Scenario 2: She meditates each night before going to bed at 10 pm. She has a big day tomorrow and wants to insure rest. She wakes up at 4:30 am to do yoga stretches for 15 minutes. She then takes her dogs for a 1 hour walk. Upon her return she tends to her garden. She picks freshly grown greens to juice. After her green drink she meditates for 45 minutes. She then eats a light breakfast of greens and beans. She slowly sips her green tea as she watches the sun rise. She rides her bike to her office. Upon arrival she greets her co-workers with a smile and a pitcher of her fresh green juice. She enters her office to prepare for her first patient. She takes 15 minutes to breathe, look over some outstanding work and clears her mind. She is ready to start her day with the intention of writing no prescriptions for medication but rather to help heal her patients.


Who would you rather have care for you? Do you see why this matters? Anger makes people stupid. Pain makes people angry. If we are being treated by people who are angry and in pain and ill themselves how can we heal. If the healthcare professionals are they themselves ill how can they ever heal us. Next time you go to see a healthcare professional look around. Look into their eyes. Notice how they treat the staff. Notice how they greet you. Notice if they breath and finally...ask them what they had for breakfast. It matters.


Note: Scenario two is based on a real life physician who does this every day!