We recently finished another round of the increasingly popular Physiopedia Volunteer Orientation Course. As part of the final assignment members were tasked to write an original piece of work to share with the profession, the contributions were of the highest quality. Below is the great piece of work written by Nikhil Benhur Abburi.
In the present times, there is more need of care in healthcare than ever before. There might instances where we fail to care for the patients because of varied reasons. Lack of care givers or increase in the number of persons to be cared for or lack of time or sometimes lack of ethics to care for.
Why care?
Empathy is innate, all one has to do is nurture it. There is an old adage that urge any healthcare professional ‘to cure sometimes, to comfort often, to care always’.
Professionals involved in healthcare Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, speech therapists and others involved should develop a philosophy of caring for the patients. Not all times cure is possible. Certainly, many presenting conditions are not curable, or are beyond the stage when they might have susceptible to cure. At this, stage our obligation as healthcare workers do not go away in fact it begins now. Now comfort and care is incumbent upon us.
We do not care for people only in order to be able to cure them; we try to cure because we care for them. And comfort and care are not second best alternatives to be left out for less qualified Professionals or amateurs here one must embrace Christian injunction ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’.
Do not look your patients as potential revenue but as fellow beings in distress and work to care for them. How can one care? Implementation of care takes place in interactions with fellow human beings: with patients; with their families, colleagues, care giving team, the healthcare system, and society itself. By active listening caregivers would do well by this we make a gift of our presence both as caring individuals and as skilled professionals.
Conclusion
A professional vocation is not just a job, but also a calling. Moreover, that of caregiver is a noble vocation in which one is called for providing aid to others. Training is essential but not sufficient one has to
foster the necessary skills and be present in time of need. One must take joy in caring for others. References
References
- Brady, E.M. Telling the story: ethics and dying. Hospital Progress60, 57-62.]
- Downie, P.A. the place of physiotherapy in Hospice care. In Hospice Care: Principles and Practice.