Professional Courtesy, LLC

Karen Hickman specializes in Etiquette and Protocol Consulting and is based out of Fort Wayne, IN | TEL: 260-486-7758

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How to Eat Pasta

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Italian pasta spaghetti on fork on black background

How to eat Pasta
There is a debate about how to eat pasta, even among etiquette experts. I have seen both methods listed as “correct” in American etiquette books. And I, too, have seen both methods of eating spaghetti while dining with others. And I am not offended when people use the bowl of the spoon to twirl the strands of pasta. However, if you were in Italy or asked an Italian how to eat long strands of pasta, he or she would tell you the only correct way is to eat it with a fork only. Italians consider eating pasta with a fork and a spoon for children, amateurs or people with bad table manners. So, it is up to you as to how you eat your pasta; the American way, with a spoon and fork, or the Italian way, with only a fork. Or consider the old adage, when in Rome do as the Romans do.

If you are going to use the fork only method, pull a few strands of pasta to the side of the plate or edge of the pasta bowl and twirl the strands around the tines of the fork, with the fork tines perpendicular to the plate, and then convey the pasta to your mouth. You may want to have your napkin poised and ready to collect any errant drops of sauce from dropping on your clothes. Bibs are a no-no when eating pasta, unless you are a child. And you would not cut the pasta in polite company.

It is important to gauge when and with whom you will be eating pasta. If you can’t eat it with confidence and without getting it all over yourself, choose something else to order — you may make a better impression.

t way is to eat it with a fork only. Italians consider eating pasta with a fork and a spoon for children, amateurs or people with bad table manners. So, it is up to you as to how you eat your pasta; the American way, with a spoon and fork, or the Italian way, with only a fork. Or consider the old adage, when in Rome do as the Romans do.

If you are going to use the fork only method, pull a few strands of pasta to the side of the plate or edge of the pasta bowl and twirl the strands around the tines of the fork, with the fork tines perpendicular to the plate, and then convey the pasta to your mouth. You may want to have your napkin poised and ready to collect any errant drops of sauce from dropping on your clothes. Bibs are a no-no when eating pasta, unless you are a child. And you would not cut the pasta in polite company.

It is important to gauge when and with whom you will be eating pasta. If you can’t eat it with confidence and without getting it all over yourself, choose something else to order — you may make a better impression.

So, how do you eat your pasta?

Keeping Your Patients Well Informed

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Doctor with female patient

 

Keeping Your Patients Well Informed

Are you giving your patients adequate information after a surgery or a major procedure? It may be time to re-evaluate your patient education materials and or the way you respond to patient questions.

Post-op and post procedural care is so important to patient outcome and success. And I am often surprised when I hear from family members and friends that they didn’t get adequate information or adequate answers to their questions about recovery expectations.

What may seem obvious to medical people may not seem at all obvious to a patient without any medical background who is experiencing something way out of their comfort zone or area of expertise.

Responding to the question, “when can I expect to start exercising after my surgery?” with “whenever you feel like it,” doesn’t seem to be a good enough response to me. Surely adding some time frame to that response would be more helpful. How about giving the typical recovery time and go from there. Certainly, a patient’s age, general health status and many other factors make each case different, but in the case of patient information, “more is more.”

Take a look at your material, evaluate it and look at it from the perspective of a non-medical person and see if it answers the repeated questions that you get from your patients. If you are getting lots of calls after procedures from your patients with lots of questions, then your material probably isn’t doing the job.

Here are a few things to consider when developing patient information material:

  • Develop a check list as to what material is given and by whom, to your patients post surgically and post procedural.

  • Designate a specific person in your office to deliver the information and take the calls after the procedure is over. Giving their name and extension number can save a lot of frustration for the patient who might otherwise have to navigate a difficult phone tree.

  • Address the most common issues that can go wrong after a certain procedure and what the patient should do about it.

  • Define clear expectations for optimal recovery. For instance, how much physical therapy is going to be needed to get back up to speed.

  • Be clear about pain medication; how to take it to get the maximum benefit. And how to get refills if allowed and needed.

  • Educate the patient on signs of infection and any other serious things that can go wrong after a procedure.

  • List limitations and general time frame for those limitations.

  • Make sure the patient has adequate help at home. If they don’t, social services may need to be brought in to evaluate things.

This list could go on and on, but most importantly be open to patient questions. Try to anticipate what could come up and treat patient questions the way you’d like your questions treated in the same situation…with respect. There are no dumb questions in this case.

Do you wish you would have had better information from your physician after a surgery? If so, what?

Modern Medical Attire

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It has been said, that the way we are dressed can influence the way we work and how we are perceived by others. This point was made when my colleague and fellow medical etiquette trainer, Darlene Das in Hendersonville, N.C. took her husband’s office staff from looking unremarkable to looking great with some changes in the way the entire office dressed.

She and the staff shared their before and after photos. Looking good, Darlene. Darlene can be found at www.today’setiquette.com.

Before…..

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After…..

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Just as in any other arena, the dress for medical people has changed dramatically over the years. The traditional white uniform with white hose and a nursing cap is rarely seen anymore. Those crisp white uniforms have given way to “scrubs.” 

While scrubs may be more comfortable than uniforms of the past, they make it more difficult to look tidy and to identify your position in a hospital or office. So, a good way for the public to know if you are nursing staff or cleaning or dietary staff is to color code each department and post the color key in patient’s rooms and in patient info material.

One of the most important ideas of uniforms is to let the public know who you are, that you are at work, not at play, that you are not some stranger off the street who comes into a patient room in the middle of the night. In short, you should look like what you do and who you are.

Here are some basic tips for dressing in the medical arena today:

  • Establish well-defined dress codes and enforce them.
  • Be clean and well-groomed. Shorter fingernails are more professional and more hygienic. Save nail art and dramatic nail color for social situations.
  • Keep hair up and out-of-the-way. And keep make-up subtle.
  • Keep fragrances to a minimum.
  • Make sure your clothes fit well. Well fitting clothes are a benefit to everyone, no matter the size.
  • Keep clothes well maintained and pressed.
  • Panty hose should be worn with skirts, bare legs are unprofessional.
  • Invest in, and use a full length mirror before leaving the house.
  • Wearing pants may not be flattering to all women. If that is the case, consider a uniform with a skirt.
  • Avoid quirky and cartoon prints. Solid colors are often more flattering than prints.
  • Adding Jackets and blazers give an air of authority and professionalism to men and women.
  • Wear identification badges on right shoulder so they are easily seen (first names only may be necessary for security reasons). Reinforce identification with a verbal introduction.
  • Save athletic shoes for athletics. Wear clean, polished, professional shoes. No sandals or Crocs.
  • Keep jewelry to a minimum.
  • Avoid chewing gum…it isn’t professional in any setting.

Individuals in administrative positions or positions that do not require a uniform, including physicians, should use care to look professional and well-groomed. It is just as important as those requiring a uniform.

What is your office or hospital doing to make staff look more professional?

Seek Patient Permission

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Seek Patient Permission

It is not unusual for physicians to be shadowed by all sorts of people. Sometimes, college students will seek out summer jobs in a physician’s office to see if they want to consider a career in medicine or even, nursing. Med students will follow physicians for a period of time to gain some practical experience in their field or specialty. And certainly, in teaching hospitals, it is very common for a group of students and physicians to round on patients.

However, regardless of who is following or shadowing the physician, there are some important considerations to be observed.

  • Be sure and seek the patient’s permission before bringing an unexpected person into the patient exam room.

  • Introduce those who are following the physician and let the patient know who they are, and why they are there.

  • Seek patient permission before allowing a student or intern to do a procedure on a patient.

  • Respect the patients right to decline having someone else in the room during their exam or do a procedure on them.

  • Train the people following the physician in patient privacy guidelines.

  • Limit the number people allowed to follow the physician at any one time.

Always remember to put yourself in the patients position. If you were in the same situation would you want to be exposed to crowd? Being naked in a crowd can be a humbling experience for anyone.

YOUR PROFESSIONAL COURTESY EVALUATION

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PROFESSIONAL COURTESY EVALUATION

Your Professional Courtesy Evaluation
Could your professional skills and that of your office or practice use a little tweaking? Respond to the questions below and see what jumps out at you. If most of your answers are “poor” or “fair” more work is needed.

How do you rate your professional courtesy skills?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

How do you rate your courtesy quotient?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you consider yourself to be a good listener?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you consider yourself to be a kind person to your co workers and friends?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Are you a critical person?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you gossip or participate in spreading gossip?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Are you a positive person?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you shake hands and introduce yourself to your patients?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you make good eye contact when speaking to co workers, patients or clients?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you consider yourself to be a good team player?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you welcome new staff members?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you have a “not my job” mentality at work?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

RATE YOUR OFFICE OR MEDICAL PRACTICE

How do you rate the general feel of your office or practice?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Do you think your patients and clients perceive your office to be courteous?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

Is your office welcoming to new staff members and coworkers?

  1. Poor
  2. Fair
  3. Good
  4. Great

What improvements do you feel could be made to improve the courtesy and general tone of your office or practice?

Company Profile

Founded in 1999, the mission of Professional Courtesy and Karen Hickman is to present programs of the finest quality with the highest degree of professionalism.

The purpose of the seminars and programs is to enable professionals, executives, and individuals to conduct business in diverse cultural arenas with ease.
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Professional Courtesy, LLC
Etiquette/Protocol Consultants
P.O. Box 15353
Fort Wayne IN 46885-5353

Telephone: 260-486-7758
Facsimile: 260-486-7758
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