Life Lesson

Today I took a big step and went from interviewing actor-patients to interviewing REAL patients in the hospital. My task was simple - find out why the patient is in the hospital and a bit about the experience in the hospital thus far. Within the first 2 minutes I had established that this patient had broken his back and ankle and been in the hospital for a week. Over the next 15 minutes, my questions were put on the back burner as the patient decided it was more pertinent to share with me something he felt was very important- that regardless of all else, a doctor must "have love" for his or her patient. The patient then went on to describe some encounters he had with doctors and nurses who didn't "have love" and treated him as if it were just part of "the routine". While eventually my questions were all answered, I walked away from the room feeling as if I had learned something much more important, and that the encounter with my first "real" patient would stick with me for a long time.