what would you do
WWYD A 60 year old woman is admitted to A&E with difficulty breathing. She is visibly distressed and says to the nurse,
“Can you help me find a rhythm to breathe? I feel like I can’t catch it.”
The nurse responds,
“You need to stop panicking,”
and walks away to attend to another patient.
The woman becomes quieter, but her breathing remains rapid. She looks frightened and alone.
Other staff notice the interaction. Some think the nurse was simply under pressure. Others feel the patient’s dignity and emotional needs were dismissed.
What would you do? What would you say?
I think this is so symptomatic of a system under pressure. The staff member seems to be dealing with what is perceived as the urgent items and that means that more 'mundane' or 'less urgent items' get left. And yet taking a couple of minutes to reassure someone, perhaps give them some techniques to help, or even just being there, can actually save time in the end. people under pressure don't have the capacity to plan or think through the consequences of their actions, they just react. Yes I do think the lady's dignity was ignored, yes i do think there was a better way to handle the situation, but.... as someone once said to me "when you are up to your rear in alligators, its really hard to remember that the objective was to drain the swamp". what we need to do is give staff the tools and skills to recognise the times when you need to stop and pay attention and have the capacity to make those important decisions, that are both vital to the individuals, dignity and support and actually do save time in the long run.
I think this is so symptomatic of a system under pressure. The staff member seems to be dealing with what is perceived as the urgent items and that means that more 'mundane' or 'less urgent items' get left. And yet taking a couple of minutes to reassure someone, perhaps give them some techniques to help, or even just being there, can actually save time in the end. people under pressure don't have the capacity to plan or think through the consequences of their actions, they just react. Yes I do think the lady's dignity was ignored, yes i do think there was a better way to handle the situation, but.... as someone once said to me "when you are up to your rear in alligators, its really hard to remember that the objective was to drain the swamp". what we need to do is give staff the tools and skills to recognise the times when you need to stop and pay attention and have the capacity to make those important decisions, that are both vital to the individuals, dignity and support and actually do save time in the long run.