Good medical care is vital for the health of any nation. There are many different components to providing good-quality service to patients. Everyone involved in the medical profession has a duty to treat others with the utmost respect and look after their health professionally and compassionately. What specifically is involved in good customer care?
Physicians
Embarking on a medical career is no easy feat. Physicians spend many years at medical school gaining qualifications and training. Generally, you will need a five-year degree in medicine and several years of the practice training. Once qualified, physicians tend to work at a specific practice or set up their own. What’s important when running a surgery?
Scheduling and organisation are crucial when running a medical practice. Using an efficient calendar or digital service is vital to keep information streamlined and make sure that appointments and meetings are smooth and effective. It’s useful to investigate ways to make the process easier. Many patients require a care management plan and the guys over at ChartSpan provide a service designed to take the hard work out of individualised care plans, which is a unique solution that results in better patient outcomes.
As well as providing first-class medical advice physicians must also have excellent communication skills and show empathy. When patients arrive at the consulting room they are often anxious and uncertain. A doctor’s role requires good listening skills so they can diagnose the problem as well as carry out a thorough investigation. Doctors must provide reassurance and be kind whilst retaining a healthy detachment from patients. They endeavour to view the patient’s emotions objectively but talk in a manner that is gentle and kind so the patient feels relaxed and able to open up about their health issue. These are skills that take time to hone and are improved with experience, however, they are essential for good medical care and to ensure patients return to use your service.
Nurses
Nurses are invaluable in the medical profession. They perform vital functions that complement the whole patient experience. Nurses truly are special people and can make the difference between a positive or negative patient experience. Nurses care and provide patients with comfort and support during times of uncertainty and fear. What specifically are the requirements for excellent nurse practice?
Firstly, communication! Nurses have an important role in gathering information about how a patient is feeling, whether they are in pain and need medication as well how they are feeling emotionally. A nurse may need to relay the information to a senior nurse, doctor or surgeon, so it’s important they can communicate effectively with people at all levels.
Secondly, a nurse must demonstrate problem-solving skills. Looking after sick patients can create situations that are challenging and a skilled nurse will be able to adapt quickly and respond appropriately. A nurse must be able to remain calm under pressure and juggle long shifts to continue to provide the best care effectively.
Another way to ensure that nurses provide good-quality care is to undergo regular training. Roles and responsibilities can change drastically as years go on and nurses must continue to receive training for their continued professional development as well as the needs of their patients. Regular training also creates healthier and happier workplaces because of the link between learning and wellbeing.
Surgeons
In a world of medical advances, good surgeons save people’s lives. Many people are still alive today due to the skill and care received during an operation. It takes between 10-15 years to become a qualified surgeon so you can rest assured that all surgeons are truly dedicated people.
To become a successful surgeon you must have impeccable fine motor skills. When dealing with the intricacies of the human body, a steady hand and outstanding hand-eye coordination is vital. To provide the best care, surgeons must be excellent communicators and be able to translate complex information into language that’s easy to understand for patients. They should also be able to lead a team and make important decisions before, during and after operations. It can be said that surgeons have made magnificent contributions in education, clinical care and science, so it truly is a noble profession. Caring surgeons will have the ability to put patients at ease with their medical knowledge but also with their compassionate and understanding demeanour. Reassuring patients, listening and answering all their questions is key to providing first-class medical care.
Midwives
What a great joy to have a profession that sees new life entering the world each day. Midwives play a vital role in providing care to expectant mothers at a time that can be overwhelming and scary. Midwifery requires outstanding people skills that combines compassion with assertiveness. Midwives often have to make quick decisions for the safety of mother and baby, and this requires the ability to solve problems and stay calm.
To provide the best care to mothers, a midwife must listen and take into account their wishes and provide reassurance that she or he will do all they can to accommodate. Exercising patience and being flexible will help a new mum feel relaxed and will enable he to go through labour confident that she is in the right hands. Providing the best care also involves making decisions that expectant parents may not understand but is the best medical decision; this can be challenging, but the ability to trust in your expertise as a medical professional is vital in an emergency. Sometimes, providing the best care may require an assertiveness that could be troublesome for some patients’ to accept.
There are many roles within the medical profession. Most of them will require a good level of human interaction and the provision of good-quality care should be a priority. Dealing with people’s health issues can be challenging but all patients must be dealt with respectfully, professionally and with kindness.
Working in the medical field is hugely rewarding and comes with the satisfaction of knowing you are helping people, which makes all the effort worthwhile.