I stop in my tracks as the patient says
“Thank you for listening”- this phrase
Triggers a flood of mixed emotions
Until that point I had been going through the motions
Trying to extract relevant history as fast as I could
Trying to come up with a plan as I stood
Before the patient- fortunately I was able to reply
To most of his queries, I was able to satisfy
His concerns regarding his treatment
In an abbreviated manner, at least in that moment
When he thanks me, I feel partly relieved
And partly embarrassed, my impatience has not been perceived
To the extent that I was afraid it would be
I was rushing through the interaction definitely
I felt I was in a time crunch, and I needed to get
To the next patient’s room, my focus reset
*
If time was not a factor, and if patients understood
What I was explaining to them without repetition, I would
Listen patiently to the patient and the family’s concerns
Address them one by one, keep open the lines of communication
But the pressure to keep moving from patient to patient is such
That with each patient it is difficult to spend time much..
*
I have since analyzed that comment and tried
To understand what I had done to leave the patient satisfied
So that the same demeanor I can replicate
Even when I have a lot on my plate
One of the things that is profound in its simplicity
Is to not be distracted by external stimuli and to see
The patient in the eye as I engage in conversation
That alone gives the patient’s concerns validation..
*
Time is finite and a precious commodity
But at the end of the day I should be
Able to listen without appearing impatient
That is the least I owe all my patients
Passion...unbridled 