I Dare You to Drink the Vinegar

I am not sure if it is the influence of movies and television (I'm looking at you Grey's Anatomy ) or if this is something that is modeled in the workplace but I have been noticing more and more the tendency for some nurses to have conversations of a personal nature in front of their patient(s) as care is being done. My observations are multi-instance: in the Care Team Station, in patient's rooms, in the common dining area. As such, my conclusion is that this is not a serious of isolated incidents (is that an oxymoron) but a rapidly changing trend.  There is a fine balance, especially in mental health nursing, of trying to role model pro-social behaviours, and maintain a therapeutic atmosphere amid the rule and structure of the inpatient setting in order to create a safe and comfortable space for the patient. I think that nurses cross a line when the content of one's conversations begins to include anecdotes about personal life that have nothing to do with patient care....

I think that sometimes mental health practitioners do expect something in return for the services that they offer, often in terms of verbal appreciation of the client, their family, other co-workers, and/or the organizations that we work for. We all want that "thank you," the pat on the back that indicates to us that we have done a good job, that we have made a difference. However, I think that, in my experience, as I develop my therapeutic skills as a mental health nurse the reward that I get in the care that I give is more intrinsic, in terms of me being satisfied by knowing that I have done that best that  I can do regardless of the outcome. I think that because the population of clients that I work with, in some of the areas of mental health services that I have worked in, there is a range of responses from clients from being appreciative of the service to being dissatisfied with the service provided. I think that when we have conversations with our clients in a co...

I think that we can demonstrate compassion to our clients/patients in many different ways, such as through respectful actions and words, seeking to learn more about their experiences, and listening to their stories from a perspective of genuine curiosity. I believe that compassion can also be demonstrated through simple actions and behaviours of the clinician, like maintaining punctuality of appointments, letting clients know when we are going to be late or when we may be short on time, and focusing on the client when we are with them rather than checking email or letting other coworkers interrupt our interactions. I believe that compassion can be clearly conveyed in more overt and more subtle ways.  I think that the language that we use with clients also demonstrate compassion, using the words that they use and reflecting the seriousness of certain situations if they feel like something is important or relevant to them. I think that compassion can also be demonstrated in being t...