Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital have some of the best nurses and support staff in the country. It’s not just because we’re a Magnet designated hospital although that’s a green flag (opposite of a red flag?) We’re a special hospital because we hire and keep the most qualified staff – staff who have a caring spirit to make the patient’s stay excellent. Since a hospital patient cannot see this “caring spirit” inside of us we have to express what we feel inside. This blog’s focus is on non-verbal communication and how the power of a smile is sometimes overlooked. Our facial expressions hold more power then what we say.
Misunderstandings are widespread as we attempt to read each other’s non-verbal communication, mannerisms, and gestures. For instance, it’s possible for an excellent nurse to “bend over backwards” and provide great care for a patient but a frown or angry appearance can cause these heroic actions to be misconstrued regardless of the nurse’s intent. I’ve handled numerous concerns as a Patient Advocate where the patient felt the nurse was not polite but could not give me any quotes since it was all non-verbal.
Smiling doesn’t come naturally to me and it used to be common for someone to walk up to me and say “What’s wrong?” My response was usually “HUH? I’m walking to my office!?” I still remind myself every day (or more) that I need to smile just enough that it won’t appear to people that I’m frowning while we’re having a discussion. There have been times when I’ve talked to sick patients, some with terminal cancer, who still have the courage to smile at me ---I walk out of their room and realize that I’m smiling too …without having to remind myself. It’s contagious! In a hospital setting where patients need emotional as well as physical healing, it’s the right thing to do.
I think that even if you’re having a bad day and don’t feel like smiling, you should still offer a small smile. Think about this, dedicated hospital staff are at times literally running around to serve others, but it’s possible to run and smile at the same time. If I walked into a patient’s room, a small smile would say what I feel inside, which is “I’m here for you.” If I walked in the same room with a small frown it could easily be construed as “You’re here for ME,” which won’t lead to excellent care. The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is true but so is this contrary saying: Without a sincere smile, it’ll take a thousand words to explain Texas Health Harris’s caring spirit.
Misunderstandings are widespread as we attempt to read each other’s non-verbal communication, mannerisms, and gestures. For instance, it’s possible for an excellent nurse to “bend over backwards” and provide great care for a patient but a frown or angry appearance can cause these heroic actions to be misconstrued regardless of the nurse’s intent. I’ve handled numerous concerns as a Patient Advocate where the patient felt the nurse was not polite but could not give me any quotes since it was all non-verbal.
Smiling doesn’t come naturally to me and it used to be common for someone to walk up to me and say “What’s wrong?” My response was usually “HUH? I’m walking to my office!?” I still remind myself every day (or more) that I need to smile just enough that it won’t appear to people that I’m frowning while we’re having a discussion. There have been times when I’ve talked to sick patients, some with terminal cancer, who still have the courage to smile at me ---I walk out of their room and realize that I’m smiling too …without having to remind myself. It’s contagious! In a hospital setting where patients need emotional as well as physical healing, it’s the right thing to do.
I think that even if you’re having a bad day and don’t feel like smiling, you should still offer a small smile. Think about this, dedicated hospital staff are at times literally running around to serve others, but it’s possible to run and smile at the same time. If I walked into a patient’s room, a small smile would say what I feel inside, which is “I’m here for you.” If I walked in the same room with a small frown it could easily be construed as “You’re here for ME,” which won’t lead to excellent care. The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is true but so is this contrary saying: Without a sincere smile, it’ll take a thousand words to explain Texas Health Harris’s caring spirit.
- Craig Pomykal
Patient Advocate
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