Never do This - Tip #3

Never Interrogate the Patient

Hospital Visit Tip Number Three:
 

3. Never Interrogate the Patient

You don’t need to know every detail of their diagnosis, what medicine they take, how long they have had this disease, etc. We may be curious and this curiosity may show that we care, but now is not the time for interrogation.

Those details matter much less than you might imagine. 

Resist the urge to ask if they have tried this or that remedy or treatment to regain their health. 

Being admitted to the hospital involves a mountain of data and information. 

No patient can be expected to remember it all and patients may become frustrated at their lack of memory. 

Resist the urge to ask a million questions. 

If we are honest, sometimes we ask questions to make sure that it couldn’t happen to us. Or someone we love.  

That is a self-focused approach that won’t help the patient you see today. 
 

Therefore, never interrogate the patient about their condition. Offering a listening ear about how they are doing in their heart and mind will communicate an important message;  YOU are NOT a diagnosis or problem to be solved. You are a whole person in a place of suffering who needs to feel seen and heard, not questioned and frustrated.