This business of caring

Hanna Bielawska

Compose eLetter

Title *

Author Information

Contributors
First Name and Middle Initial * First or given name, e.g. 'Peter'. Last Name * Your last, or family, name, e.g. 'MacMoody'. Email Address * Your email address, e.g. higgs-boson{at}gmail.com Occupation * Your role and/or occupation, e.g. 'Orthopedic Surgeon'. Affiliation * Your organization or institution (if applicable), e.g. 'Royal Free Hospital'.

Statement of Competing Interests

Competing interests? *

Yes

Please describe the competing interests

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

What code is in the image? *

Enter the characters shown in the image.

Vertical Tabs

Jump to comment:

Thank you
Gail R. Greenberg

Published on: 02 January 2010

Published on: (2 January 2010)
Page navigation anchor for Thank you
Thank you
Gail R. Greenberg, social worker
Dear Dr. Bielawska,
I spent this morning reviewing the title of all contributions to this year's CFP and "This business of caring" caught my eye. Do I respond or not? As a social worker and teacher of Behavioral Sciences in the Dept. of Family Medicine (Regina) I am compelled to do so. Why? Because teaching communication skills involves noting a learner's strengths and reinforcing them through the use of direct an...
Show More

Dear Dr. Bielawska,
I spent this morning reviewing the title of all contributions to this year's CFP and "This business of caring" caught my eye. Do I respond or not? As a social worker and teacher of Behavioral Sciences in the Dept. of Family Medicine (Regina) I am compelled to do so. Why? Because teaching communication skills involves noting a learner's strengths and reinforcing them through the use of direct and indirect compliments. Using Solution- Focused Therapy techniques to guide my feedback, I applaud you for taking the time to put to paper your observations on the struggle inherent in being both a clinician and a healer. What made you do do, and what did you learn from the process? How will you build on your reservoire of empathy and ensure it continues to play a role in patient care? On a scale of 1- 10, with 10 being the strongest and 1 being the weakest, scale your commitment to attending to the human side of patient care. Now that you have selected a number, scale your confidence in your ability and skill to do so. What do you need to do to move that number up a notch?
Although you mentioned "this challenge, (is) not taught in any textbook or classroom..." you are clearly a young woman who learns via a variety of experiences. Perhaps the world is your textbook? Whatever you are doing you are definitely on the right track. Thank you for taking the time and energy to share your perspective; in doing so, you normalize for your colleagues the inherent struggle of a patient-centered family physician to do right by patients without sacrificing ethusiasm for the science of medicine.
Best wishes, Gail Greenberg, MSW
Show Less

Competing Interests: None declared.