The importance of empathy in Healthcare

The only time I have stayed at a hospital is when I had my kids. With my first child which is my son, the doctors and nurses were so sweet, and they let me know everything they were doing before they did it and made sure to ask me what I wanted throughout the whole process. When I had my daughter, I had the opposite experience when it came to the nurse that checked me in. I had to drive myself to the hospital while in labor and as soon as I got there, they took me from the covid tent to labor and delivery. During that time, I forgot to bring in my lab work from my car. The nurse that checked me in was very rude to me once she realized I did not bring in my papers she began talking to me as if I was a child (which is my biggest pet peeve) letting me know that I should have brought the papers in and that she does not know the information that she needs and have to do bloodwork on me. I feel like she could have improved on her empathy when it came to that situation because research shows that “expressing empathy is highly effective and powerful, which builds patient trust, calms anxiety, and improves health outcomes” (Stone, 2019). I noticed she was ending her shift so I don’t know if that played a factor in her behavior but the whole situation was already different because of covid and different protocols when it came to people that are allowed to be with you. Other than the nurse my stay at the hospital was great.

Stone, J. (2019, January 30). The importance of empathy in Healthcare: Advancing humanism. MedicalGPS Healthcare Industry Blog. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://blog.medicalgps.com/the-importance-of-empathy-in-healthcare/