I’d like to learn more about patient self-advocacy. I’m a USAmerican with a long and disappointing history interacting with healthcare professionals. We don’t have to get into it. But I tend to be dismissed, ignored, and forgotten, and I don’t know how to make that not happen. So, I’d like to learn.
I’m also willing to accept concept-adjacent books, like things that are broadly about standing up for yourself/communicating needs/asking for help, or deep dives into the American healthcare industry to better understand how the proverbial sausage is made. Bonus points for intersectional perspectives (e.g. American healthcare when you’re poor, Black, disabled, queer, etc.).
Hopefully I’m not casting too wide a net for this subreddit if I do that. I was worried the actual prompt might be too specific.
by anKerrigan
1 Comment
Hey, is there a specific healthcare setting you’re asking about? Like are most of your experiences with in-patient hospitalization or more out-patient, or both?
Also, please allow me to add something off topic, and more personal. I work as a nursing assistant in a hospital. Patients absolutely do get dismissed, ignored, and forgotten. It’s not right. Sometimes it’s unfortunately done intentionally, but 95% of the time it’s because the people taking care of you are overworked, abused, and so short staffed that they aren’t giving anyone the proper care they need. I desperately wish I could tell patients that I’m sorry- that the reason why I’m not meeting all of their needs is because I’m responsible for 9 other people as well and I’m basically just putting out as many of the worst fires as I can before I pass the flaming shit ship along to the next person at 7pm. I haven’t been in the job long enough to have any great advocacy tips for you, but I would just suggest trying to personally connect with your healthcare team (especially your nurses and techs). Unconscious positive bias is a thing as well, and there are times that I’ll go out of my way to help someone just for treating me like a fellow human being.
Also don’t forget about your call light if you’re in the hospital, and reach out to your case manager if you have one. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.