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Conversations with patients require empathic listening to ensure quality patient care

  • Writer: Jessica Teresi
    Jessica Teresi
  • Sep 7, 2020
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 21, 2021

Being present in conversation allows people to fully engage with others and confidently communicate thoughts and ideas. As a society with access to technological platforms that can reach thousands in seconds, it seems that engaging in the privilege of communication whether through speech or writing is effortless for most. Yet, there is still a large range of topics that are rarely discussed due to fear of judgment or invalidation. In PHIL 213: Communicating Moral Issues, my class dove into some of these difficult conversations by openly speaking on numerous controversial social and political issues presented in published argumentative essays written by philosophers with different viewpoints. Some of these topics included aspects of the death penalty and drug prohibition in the criminal justice system, views on abortion and parameters for determining the beginning of one’s right to life, and uncovering components of personal and societal responsibility for addressing social and economic injustices. While these topics naturally provoked alternate viewpoints and morals among a class of students with diverse backgrounds, engaging in civil discourse allowed me to challenge my own assumptions by critically assessing both sides of presented arguments to enhance my understanding of these pressing issues with a non-judgmental point of view.

A large component of strengthening civil discourse within the classroom was by setting up ground rules for our discussions. While most were straight forward such as not using derogatory language, speaking with a respectable tone, and refraining from side conversations, the most important for me was to create a welcoming environment for contrasting opinions by being internally and externally mindful of my behavior when another student was sharing their thoughts. When another student was speaking, I made efforts to always position myself in their direction to give them my full attention and allow myself to process the words they are saying rather than jump to a rebuttal in my head. Through this patience, I could exemplify empathy and intentional listening by focusing on what my peers were trying to communicate and how they felt in that current moment regardless of if I agreed or not. This also enabled me to develop follow up questions as an opportunity to better understand their perspective rather than discredit their beliefs.

As mentioned above, there are many conversations left to have to break down negative stigmas and stereotypes in our daily lives, especially in the healthcare field. In the summer of 2020, I continued my journey of gaining patient care experiences as a medical and surgical assistant intern for a plastic surgeon in my hometown. Plastic surgery can come with a negative reputation of being sought out solely for services that alter a person’s appearance for aesthetic purposes. I myself not having any exposure to the field before fell into this misconception that the majority of my time in the private practice would heavily focus on these services. While I witnessed firsthand how aesthetic procedures drastically improved a person’s confidence and quality of life, the reconstructive side of plastic surgery and its role in improving a person’s bodily functioning is repeatedly overlooked.

While assisting the physician with patient consultations, I found the frequency of patients feeling the need to gain acceptance and justify their reasons for making an appointment disheartening. One particular patient case that comes to mind was when the patient followed expressing that they were considering a breast reduction surgery with an instinctive apology hoping we did not view their interest in this procedure as them being vain or unappreciative of their natural appearance. As the consultation continued, the doctor and I practiced components of civil discourse to allow the patient the comfortable space and self-assurance to truthfully share their concerns. Through our empathic listening that guided our medical interviewing, we gathered that the patient had been struggling with severe back pain for years that inhibited their ability to stand through their day at work as a teacher. They could not sleep restfully through the night which impacted their daily functioning and relationships. They also never sought treatment because their support system did not view their current frame to be an adequate reason to complain about pain, even when the patient’s concerns were valid and chronic back pain and insomnia can contribute to health complications down the road. By providing a non-critical atmosphere and relating to the patient’s feelings, their case exemplifies how a procedure that seems solely aesthetic on the surface can transform into a necessary reconstructive procedure that improves conditions inhibiting a patient’s long-term health and quality of life.

Practicing components of civil discourse with other students in PHIL 213 and patients at the plastic surgeon’s office developed my abilities to empathically listen to those I interact with. In regard to my future career as a physician assistant, it takes a lot of strength for patients to be open about a condition that is bothersome, a medication that they are nervous to continue, or concerns with a suggested plan of action. By being aware of the emotions present during a patient consultation and actively listening rather than jumping to a conclusion in my head, I can provide suitable treatments both I and the patient are comfortable with and efficiently give my best efforts to all patients who took time out of their busy lives to meet with me. I realize not every interaction will go perfectly and there will be instances of patients not pursuing certain treatments, taking care of themselves as advised, etc. However, through this skill I can understand, accept, and maintain empathy while hearing a patient’s reasons for these situations and make necessary adjustments to their care plans.


Cornerstone Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine

During the summer of 2020, I had the opportunity to intern as a medical and surgical assistant for Dr. Coville at Cornerstone Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine. Through this experience, I valued maintaining empathic listening to contribute to an open and compassionate environment for providing quality patient care.


PHIL 213: Communicating Moral Issues

The above PDF is an outline of my informative speech assignment I wrote in the spring of 2019. Here, I addressed the arguments made by philosophers Phillipa Foot in “Killing and Letting Die” and James Rachels in “Active and Passive Euthanasia” on the topic of voluntary active euthanasia for terminally ill patients receiving end of life care. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, along with the other speeches made by classmates, it was important to implement elements of civil discourse to fully respect and learn from each other’s perspectives.

 
 
 

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