Compassion in Healthcare…Stepping Outside the Box
Upon recently learning that one of my longtime Canadian friends had lost his mother, after a lengthy illness, he shared this lovely story with me…

“Let me take some time to tell a cute story about her and the nursing home. It just happens to be the same facility that my grandmother died in 1979. Mum used to say she talked to her mother today and I always said “who is to say she didn’t”. Anyway, you may recall my mother was the Head Nurse of the Emergency Department at our hospital here in our town. She was a strong woman who bordered on bossy, a good trait considering the job.

Within the first 3-4 weeks of being in the nursing facility, she heard a call over the loud-speaker that there would be a nurses meeting in the board room at 1 o’clock. Sure enough, when the nurses and the Director went to the room, there was my mum sitting there. Now this is where the story, as related to me by the Head Nurse who had trained under my mother, gets interesting. Everyone knew my mum’s background. Our town was a small town (10,000) back in the day and everyone knew everyone. Rather than confront my mother and ask why she was there or tell her to leave, they simply gave her a legal piece of paper and a pen and continued on with the meeting. Upon conclusion, the Director adjourned the meeting and my mum stood up, rapped the table with her hand and said she thought these meetings were a good idea and walked out.

As a nurse and a care giver I know you can relate to this story better than most. I told this during my mother’s funeral and must admit I got a little emotional doing so. I did write a note to the Director thanking her and her team for the compassion.”

As a former nurse and etiquette expert, who does a lot of training in the medical arena, this story points up the importance of being able to step outside of the box and adapt the rules to fit the situation in any arena, but especially in health care. The last word from my friend says it all…”compassion”. It is so key in being a care giver, regardless of your position on the team. That young Nursing Director may not realize the impact that  her small gesture of respect toward her former teacher meant to the patient’s family, but it was powerful. Obviously, my friend’s mother was a wonderful teacher and care giver…that will live on in the nurses she trained and will become part of her legacy. RIP Anne.

*This story is shared with the permission of my friend.