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Managing Through Uncertainty

Dr. Espinoza is a forty year-old hospitalist at a well-known hospital on the West Coast. She has a two-year old daughter, Selena, and her husband works in the financial services sector.Before the corona virus, she was the team lead. Her colleagues appreciated her...

Pain Management

When you are rounding with the nurse and discussing the overall care plan with the patient and the nurse, make sure to include a discussion about pain management at that time. At the very least let the patient know that, “We want to do everything possible to help you...

How to Explain Well to the Patient

It begins with listening well. In the words of Sir William Osler (one of the founding fathers of Johns Hopkins) 1, “Listening is unspoken caring.” If one doesn’t truly understand the question (or the concern-behind-the-patient’s-question), then one will not truly be...

Addressing Your Patients’ Fears

First, connect with patients emotionally. Instead of re-assuring patients first (“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of you”), acknowledge patients where they are emotionally by empathizing first. Say something like, “Yes, I understand that you’re nervous about what the...