Have you ever had to go to the hospital or doctor’s office before? It could be you went for yourself, for a loved one, or a friend. How was the experience? Did you get overwhelmed or nervous when given instructions or a diagnosis? Ever feel unprepared for what to expect, or even what questions to ask?
Health issues ultimately lead us to seek medical help from medical professionals. Medical professionals are trained in medical jargon and have such in-depth knowledge of the body and disease processes, that sometimes this can feel like a huge barrier to you, on the receiving end. Does this sound familiar to you: you left the doctor’s office and arrived home, only to think to yourself, “I have no idea what that doctor was talking about. I better Google this.” Or how about this: your family member is in the hospital, and you were told a diagnosis and that scans and blood work are scheduled to be done. Then, you are given potential treatment plans, and your head is spinning because of all this new information and you don’t have any time to process and they are already moving on to the next patient. You are left feeling completely dazed or blindsided, with unanswered questions because your mind is still processing the news.
As a nurse, my job has always been to help my patients and their families understand what the doctor is explaining, what’s being recommended, and what to expect; your friendly patient advocate. As a patient or loved one of a patient, it can be overwhelming, frustrating, and nerve-wracking not understanding what anything means or even what questions to ask.
You are not alone. Often, I have talked to family members who say, “I am so glad that you are a nurse so that I can ask you all my questions about my care.” While I love to help them, I also want to help everyone be empowered and informed when facing medical experiences. My goal is to help make the medical field more simple and easy to navigate, and for you to feel confident when experiencing medical issues.
I want to be a resource to you, as I am to my family when it comes to medical experiences. So, welcome to the family!