On a typical visit to the clinic (fertile ground for blog post topics) I see a lot of process and procedure going on around me. Some of it is bureaucracy, some of it is logistics and some of it is just “style.”
One would think that there isn’t room in a clinical environment for personalization when administering precisely prescribed medications (and to a certain degree there isn’t). But I’ve noticed over the years that each health care provider brings a certain amount of panache to the pattern. Some have a little and some have a lot, but they all infuse a bit of themselves along with the meds.
During a recent clinic visit, I experienced a methodology employed by my nurse that was equal parts comforting and noteworthy. With every step of each varied administration, she would dutifully explain what she was going to do before performing the action. “Now I’m going to . . .” preceded each maneuver - almost as if she was making me aware of what to expect as well as serving as a sort of checklist for herself of the correct steps for the given protocol. It never came across as patronizing, nor did it feel like she had to say them out loud to make sure she got them right. Rather, it felt quite reassuring really. Frankly, I’ve been through the same mechanics so often that I could almost repeat them myself, but I appreciated her technique and thanked her for it. I even asked her if she worked a lot with pediatric patients - because it felt so natural and proactively comforting (though I exhibited no signs of fear or concern).
I've been going through various iterations of infusion processes for nearly seven years (over 350 sessions), and in that time I've been treated by more than 200 different nurses (some visits are with a repeat provider). Each one starts from a core platform of professionalism that follows a well-defined and well-prescribed protocol. But they all have slight differentiations of "style" as to how they manage me and the procedure. None of the various variations have even been problematic or concerning, but they all have been as unique and interesting and singular as the unique and interesting and singular human being who is taking care of me.
