Patient Care and what it means to me

Patient Care and what it really means

 

Patient

noun
a person who is under medical care or treatment.
a person or thing that undergoes some action.

Care

verb (used without object), cared, car·ing.
to be concerned or solicitous; have thought or regard.
to be concerned or have a special preference

The dictionary definition of the words patient and care uses language that defines a tone or a feeling of what one is dealing with:

📌Medical care
📌Treatment
📌Action
📌Concerned
📌Thought
📌Regard

You can often tell whether someone is going to take care of you, whether they have your best interest at heart because of a feeling or a ‘vibe’ that you get when you are around them.

It’s really important when someone is vulnerable as they often are when undergoing medical treatments. Not all patients feel vulnerable but they still expect and should receive the very best care for themselves as an individual.

Patient well-being

A patient’s well-being needs to be considered every time you see them and during their aftercare. What is the best thing at that moment of time for the patient? Each patient must be managed as an individual. Treatments can last months and then you may have them as patients for years, so well-being must always be checked up on with the patient’s best interest as a priority, and medical records always kept up to date.

A practitioner’s well-being is also important. As practitioners we need to work at our optimum, making sure we are at our best, whether it’s first thing in the morning, or at the end of the day. Managing our working week to suit individual energy levels is imperative so that each patient receives the same level of skill, expertise, and compassion. This will differ between practitioners and their energy levels and may differ month to month, so self-care is just as important as patient care.

Looking for a practitioner

When a patient is looking for a practitioner the first thing they look for is information. This needs to be relayed to them in a clear, concise, and honest manner. All patients should receive a high level of respect, and you can respect your patients first and foremost by:

1. Listening to them. This is the most important part of the whole process. You need to know what they want so that you can meet their requirements – as long as it is within the scope of the treatment.

2. Non-judgemental responses. The impact of the visible difference is not measured by whether the area of concern is big or small, can be covered by hair, makeup, or clothing, is obvious or barely visible; it is often a deeper emotional response that is not ours to judge, comment on or bring attention to.

3. Aftercare is a very important part of the treatment and comes down to how fully the patient will follow your instructions. When the levels of respect work both ways, they will listen to you about the importance of aftercare procedures which enables you to work better with that patient for a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship and results.

If you are interested to find out more about patient care, offering the best medical tattoo treatments, and looking after your clients on a long-term basis, send me an email to info@raedenman.co.uk to register your interest in the new RD-MT Scar Training.