4 answers
Matthew
Student
Morehead City, North Carolina
1
Question
Updated
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How can I make sure I keep a my humanity when working in the ED?
How can I make sure that I don’t begin to take the humanity out of patient care by dissociating and looking at them as a “patient” and not as a “person.” I am an aspiring nurse and a high school senior with an internship in the PCU, CCU, and ED.
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4 answers
Charlotte Geiger
Public Health Science Student at the University of Maryland
151
Answers
Sykesville, Maryland
Updated
Charlotte’s Answer
Hi Matthew,
That’s such a thoughtful and important question. Maintaining humanity in patient care, especially in high-stress environments like the Emergency Department (ED), can be challenging but is absolutely possible. The fact that you’re thinking about this now shows that you have the right mindset to become a compassionate and dedicated nurse. Here’s how to keep your humanity intact while working in critical care settings:
1. Start with a Mindset of Compassion:
Remember Your “Why”:
Always reconnect with why you wanted to become a nurse—your desire to help people during their most vulnerable moments.
See the Person, Not Just the Patient:
Even when you’re busy, take a moment to look your patient in the eyes and address them by name. This simple act reaffirms their individuality.
Empathy in Small Gestures:
A gentle touch on the shoulder, a kind word, or even a smile can remind both you and the patient that they are being cared for as a human being, not just a medical case.
2. Humanize Each Interaction:
Learn a Personal Detail:
Ask a quick, simple question like, “What’s something that makes you happy?” or “Who’s someone special waiting for you at home?”
These small insights can remind you that they have lives outside the hospital.
Use Their Name:
Instead of saying “the patient in Bed 3,” use their name when discussing their care with the team.
Acknowledge Emotions:
It’s okay to say, “This must be really hard for you.” Validating their feelings helps keep your focus on their humanity.
3. Protect Your Emotional Well-Being:
Acknowledge Your Own Emotions:
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, sad, or frustrated. Ignoring your emotions can lead to burnout and detachment.
Debrief with Peers:
After a tough shift, talk with a trusted coworker or mentor. Sometimes just voicing how a situation made you feel can help you process it.
Practice Self-Compassion:
Recognize that feeling emotionally drained doesn’t mean you’re uncaring—it means you care deeply.
Balance Empathy and Professionalism:
It’s okay to feel, but find healthy ways to process those emotions outside of the patient interaction.
4. Avoiding “Clinical Detachment”:
Reframe Your Perspective:
Instead of thinking, “This patient is critically ill,” think, “This person is in a critical situation, and I’m here to support them.”
Stay Curious:
Even in routine tasks, remind yourself, “This person is someone’s family, friend, or loved one.”
Challenge Yourself:
When you feel like you’re slipping into detachment, consciously focus on one humanizing detail—like the patient’s story or their family members’ concerns.
5. Develop Mindful Nursing Practices:
Practice Grounding Techniques:
Before entering a patient’s room, take a deep breath and remind yourself, “This is someone who needs my help.”
Reflect Regularly:
At the end of each shift, think about one moment where you made a positive difference.
Journaling:
Write down one patient interaction that touched you. This will help you process your experiences and maintain empathy.
Maintain Hobbies and Social Connections:
Having a life outside of nursing helps you return to work refreshed and more empathetic.
6. Learn from Experienced Nurses:
Mentorship Matters:
Talk to seasoned nurses in the PCU, CCU, and ED about how they maintain their compassion.
Observe Their Approach:
Watch how they balance efficiency with empathy—especially when caring for high-acuity patients.
Ask for Tips:
Many will share personal practices, like quick mental resets or strategies for managing emotional fatigue.
7. Embrace the Reality Without Losing Heart:
Accept That Not Every Outcome Will Be Positive:
You can’t always control the outcome, but you can control how you treat the person in front of you.
Focus on the Small Victories:
Sometimes, the best you can do is make someone feel seen and respected. Celebrate those small but meaningful acts.
Keep Growing:
As you gain experience, your ability to balance clinical efficiency and human connection will naturally strengthen.
That’s such a thoughtful and important question. Maintaining humanity in patient care, especially in high-stress environments like the Emergency Department (ED), can be challenging but is absolutely possible. The fact that you’re thinking about this now shows that you have the right mindset to become a compassionate and dedicated nurse. Here’s how to keep your humanity intact while working in critical care settings:
1. Start with a Mindset of Compassion:
Remember Your “Why”:
Always reconnect with why you wanted to become a nurse—your desire to help people during their most vulnerable moments.
See the Person, Not Just the Patient:
Even when you’re busy, take a moment to look your patient in the eyes and address them by name. This simple act reaffirms their individuality.
Empathy in Small Gestures:
A gentle touch on the shoulder, a kind word, or even a smile can remind both you and the patient that they are being cared for as a human being, not just a medical case.
2. Humanize Each Interaction:
Learn a Personal Detail:
Ask a quick, simple question like, “What’s something that makes you happy?” or “Who’s someone special waiting for you at home?”
These small insights can remind you that they have lives outside the hospital.
Use Their Name:
Instead of saying “the patient in Bed 3,” use their name when discussing their care with the team.
Acknowledge Emotions:
It’s okay to say, “This must be really hard for you.” Validating their feelings helps keep your focus on their humanity.
3. Protect Your Emotional Well-Being:
Acknowledge Your Own Emotions:
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, sad, or frustrated. Ignoring your emotions can lead to burnout and detachment.
Debrief with Peers:
After a tough shift, talk with a trusted coworker or mentor. Sometimes just voicing how a situation made you feel can help you process it.
Practice Self-Compassion:
Recognize that feeling emotionally drained doesn’t mean you’re uncaring—it means you care deeply.
Balance Empathy and Professionalism:
It’s okay to feel, but find healthy ways to process those emotions outside of the patient interaction.
4. Avoiding “Clinical Detachment”:
Reframe Your Perspective:
Instead of thinking, “This patient is critically ill,” think, “This person is in a critical situation, and I’m here to support them.”
Stay Curious:
Even in routine tasks, remind yourself, “This person is someone’s family, friend, or loved one.”
Challenge Yourself:
When you feel like you’re slipping into detachment, consciously focus on one humanizing detail—like the patient’s story or their family members’ concerns.
5. Develop Mindful Nursing Practices:
Practice Grounding Techniques:
Before entering a patient’s room, take a deep breath and remind yourself, “This is someone who needs my help.”
Reflect Regularly:
At the end of each shift, think about one moment where you made a positive difference.
Journaling:
Write down one patient interaction that touched you. This will help you process your experiences and maintain empathy.
Maintain Hobbies and Social Connections:
Having a life outside of nursing helps you return to work refreshed and more empathetic.
6. Learn from Experienced Nurses:
Mentorship Matters:
Talk to seasoned nurses in the PCU, CCU, and ED about how they maintain their compassion.
Observe Their Approach:
Watch how they balance efficiency with empathy—especially when caring for high-acuity patients.
Ask for Tips:
Many will share personal practices, like quick mental resets or strategies for managing emotional fatigue.
7. Embrace the Reality Without Losing Heart:
Accept That Not Every Outcome Will Be Positive:
You can’t always control the outcome, but you can control how you treat the person in front of you.
Focus on the Small Victories:
Sometimes, the best you can do is make someone feel seen and respected. Celebrate those small but meaningful acts.
Keep Growing:
As you gain experience, your ability to balance clinical efficiency and human connection will naturally strengthen.
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
67
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
You are wise to consider this question. It can be very challenging to treat all patients with the respect and dignity they deserve when things are going crazy (as is oh, so common).
I recommend working on the processes and systems of care to remove as much wastefulness as possible, so the time spent by you and by other care providers is all value-added. When you are constantly interrupted, don't have what you need..., it is easier to forget to be "human" to others. Remember to take short pauses to reconnect with your core values. Take those big breaths to say to yourself "I am here to help these people in need, not to be everything to everyone."
Habituate yourself to look people in the eye. Take the extra moments to use pleasantries. Ask if communication is meeting their needs. Set limits on what you and the ED can accomplish, but within those constraints, try to really help.
Develop relationships with the entire team, including social workers, chaplains, inpatient teams... so you can all help one another more fluidly.
Avoid referring to patients as their diagnosis or their bed number.
Connect, when possible, the patient/family and their primary care provider to improve continuity, and possibly reduce ED visits that may have been managed by that team instead.
Advocate at the State and Federal levels for laws that improve access to non-emergency care, and to reimburse well enough that hospitals can afford good equipment and supplies and adequate staffing.
I recommend working on the processes and systems of care to remove as much wastefulness as possible, so the time spent by you and by other care providers is all value-added. When you are constantly interrupted, don't have what you need..., it is easier to forget to be "human" to others. Remember to take short pauses to reconnect with your core values. Take those big breaths to say to yourself "I am here to help these people in need, not to be everything to everyone."
Habituate yourself to look people in the eye. Take the extra moments to use pleasantries. Ask if communication is meeting their needs. Set limits on what you and the ED can accomplish, but within those constraints, try to really help.
Develop relationships with the entire team, including social workers, chaplains, inpatient teams... so you can all help one another more fluidly.
Avoid referring to patients as their diagnosis or their bed number.
Connect, when possible, the patient/family and their primary care provider to improve continuity, and possibly reduce ED visits that may have been managed by that team instead.
Advocate at the State and Federal levels for laws that improve access to non-emergency care, and to reimburse well enough that hospitals can afford good equipment and supplies and adequate staffing.
I appreciate you taking the time to answer this.
Matthew
Paul Treuhaft, MD, MA
Retired surgeon who replaced hips and knees
50
Answers
Santa Rosa, California
Updated
Paul’s Answer
Dr. Hanson's answer above is complete and through. The one thing I would add is something which you appear to be doing now. Keep your thoughts about how to treat people properly in your mind. Your focus on this concern makes you a better person in all regards, not just as a medical care provider. Your ability to think about the importance of this idea is probably the basic idea that underlies everything Dr. Hanson suggested. If you think about it, you will do it without much stress or strain, and it is one of the most important things any doctor, nurse, or other care provider can do. So congratulations! You are off to a good start, and the quickest way to keep it up is just to do whatever works for you as a reminder in your thoughts. There are tricks that can help accomplish this. The easiest is just you write yourself a note and keep it in a place where you will see it at the start of every day.
Paul S. Treuhaft, MD, MA
Paul S. Treuhaft, MD, MA
Thank you so much for the advice.
Matthew
Julian Moreno MSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, CRRN, CDP
Registered Nurse
7
Answers
Middletown, New Jersey
Updated
Julian’s Answer
I recommend consistently recharging your emotional and mental batteries, as this practice is essential for maintaining your well-being. Seek out environments that nurture your personal growth and bring you satisfaction, as this can significantly reduce the likelihood of experiencing burnout or caregiver fatigue. Such well-being is not only important for you but also has a direct impact on patient outcomes. Now as a disclaimer: No environment/workplace or otherwise is ideal. Seek out what is the closest to ideal within the parameters of the scenario in all aspects of life and adjust your responses to life's challenges. Ground yourself, it will serve you well!
Your question reflects thoughtful consideration of these issues, which is a valuable trait. By prioritizing your own health and happiness, you position yourself to provide the best care for others. Keep striving for balance and fulfillment in your work!
Your question reflects thoughtful consideration of these issues, which is a valuable trait. By prioritizing your own health and happiness, you position yourself to provide the best care for others. Keep striving for balance and fulfillment in your work!