We had our monthly house wide Caritas meeting a couple weeks ago and we discussed the Pause to Care Campaign. Because everyone hasn't seen the brochure yet I thought I would copy the pamphlet on the blog so everyone has an idea what it is...
"As healthcare providers in today's world we have to deal with a lot of stress. We have high acuity patients who need our expertise to get better and our compassionate care to help them heal. Every shift we deal with all the demands that come with providing the best care we can. Charting, assessments, labs, pain, medications...the list goes on and on. All these pressures can often make us feel rushed. We find ourselves hurried when we still need to provide safe and kindhearted care. Rushed to get to your next patient because they also deserve all you have to give. We can become so task oriented that we often burst into our patient's rooms, quickly take care of our duties and leave fast so we can move on. In our rush we might lose focus that this is their space. We can overlook their need for privacy. We can briefly forget that they need an environment that is caring and calm so they can get better.
I wonder if we were to take a moment and see ourselves through our patient's eyes what would we see? Better yet, in these moments, I wonder if we were in their shoes what would we be feeling? Can others actually feel our stress? What so we really bring with us into our rooms? Medicine...sure, supplies...often, STRESS...possibly! What if everything weighing on our minds joins us at the bedside? Is there a way to enter our rooms so that we don't inadvertently make their environment less healing? Is there a better way to deal with our mounting stress so we can keep ourselves healthy and able to continue to care for others? This is where PAUSE TO CARE comes in.
Pause to care is a simple way to remind yourself that you are entering another person's space. To be mindful of what you are dealing with on the inside so that you are aware of what you are sharing with others on the outside. Jean Watson, through her theory, "The Philosophy and Science of Caring" points out that what you hold in your heart your patient can feel. When we are truly present with our patient and focused on only them, they feel cared for. On the other hand, if we are holding onto stress, they will sense that too. Have you ever felt like you were sharing another persons' stress? That they had a smile on their face but you just had to look in their eyes or watch their body language to know their mind was on something was on their mind other than you? To ensure that our patients and families don't feel that way we are asking you to take an easy step before you open your patient's door. We want you to take a moment for yourself...simply Pause. Pause and take a deep breath. Pause to help yourself focus solely on what the next moment may bring. Pause to give your patient's the gift of being completely present. Pause to let go of your stress and not bring it with you to the bedside. Pause so that you don't burst into their room and disrespect their need for privacy and security. Pause and remember that as soon as you enter their space you instantly become part of that healing environment. Simply pause to show you care!"
Benefits for Staff
- Calms us and eases stress
- Gives us a moment for just ourselves
- Reminds us that we are part of the healing environment
- Lets us collect our thoughts and enter more ready and focused to help the patient
- Caring moments happen more readily
- Care is more meaningful and fulfilling
Benefits for Patients and Families
- Shows privacy and respect are valued
- Feel more trusting of staff and builds on our relationship with both patient and family
- Safety - Fewer mistakes happen when staff is focused
- Illustrates how much staff at TCH care
- Shows we are respectful of both their time and space
Manifesting Care in the Midst of Stress
* Pause
* Calm
* Be Present
* Trust
* Care
* Healing Environment
* Focus
Since everyone can't see this brochure...there it is! What do you think? It reminds me a lot of an aunt I have, she is very nice and always kind but every time I talk to her I can tell she is rushed and needs to get off the phone or needs to be somewhere else. I find myself speeding up my conversation or not asking something I was going to ask because I can tell she is not really present, not really paying attention to what I am saying. It has become a running inside joke in my family, often I’ll tell my mom, “I feel like I’m talking to Aunt T! Stop what you’re doing, I need you to listen to me right now.” At that point my mom will stop what it is she is doing and apologize and give me her focused attention. No one wants to feel like they aren’t important enough to have someone’s full attention. Have you ever expirenced that? Do you know someone that is that way? On the other hand, do you have anyone in your life that is the opposite? That you cherish talking with because they always make you feel like you’re the only person in the room and give you their undivided attention, they seem genuinely interested in what you’re talking about, and make you feel valued? That is the difference we want to provide for our patients. It is not something that is easy or something that comes naturally for all people but it is such a wonderful tool and gift that we can give those we interact with.
I was actually asked at the meeting to bring this to 7West. Not only is it something we think about but the Council for Caritas partnered with the Inpatient Medical Customer Service Team to create signs that would be placed outside of each of our patient's rooms that say, "Pause to Care" as a reminder to take a moment to refocus and re-center before opening that door. I would love feedback! We are so incredibly busy on our floor and our acuity has been so high that taking a moment to pause could be incredibly helpful. On the other hand, the additional signage in addition to the hourly rounding that our staff is still adjusting too could just be another source of frustration for staff. That's where you come in. I need your feedback! Please, feel free to comment on the blog and get a discussion started that is why it's here! Thanks for continuing to do an amazing job for our patients and families. I am continually getting reminders of how lucky I am to work with such amazing people. You guys ROCK!
