I would like to be able to say that I know what the right course of action is to take in any patient or staff encounter.  Unfortunately that is not the truth.  There are many times where more than one option is available and which to choose is not clearly obvious.  I had some discussions with staff members this week trying to get background information on several specific patients so I could form my response with a better base of knowledge.  Rather than feeling foolish for asking for information I felt affirmed as the other staff also conveyed their lack of clarity about what options might be valued most by the patient.

That is collaboration in action.  Caregivers discussing a patient for the single purpose of trying to improve the care we provide.  When I am in doubt as to what the patient wants I often ask the patient.  Sometimes they are able to let you know what they want and at other times they aren’t able to put their thoughts into words.

Even though my responses vary in these situations I always try to look for a solution and don’t give up until I have made several attempts to determine what will be the most helpful.  I would like to hear from you about situations where the comfort you were able to provide took a form that is not commonly used or in some way surprised you.  That way we can all learn and improve our patient care in the future!