"Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all he or she needs is to talk it out. Just offering a listening ear and an understanding heart for his or her suffering can be a big comfort." -Roy T. Bennett
You know those times when you're incredibly busy, stretched to the limit, and you pop into a patient's room to evaluate them quickly and they just won't....stop.....talking. You get anxious. You're hoping for an overhead page, a way out. Looking for a break in the conversation to say, "ok, sounds good, let me run out and put those orders in for you".
We've all had those moments. We're all busy. And it's always about seeing more patients, more quickly, and moving the room.
But that's not why we got into medicine. And likely, if patients are talking, it's because they need to feel heard. Although it seems like forever, it usually only takes a few extra minutes to sit down, fully listen to the patients, and let them say all they need to say. You might even learn a little something about why they came in, if you take the time to listen.
