me something to drink? Put aside your misconceptions and check
out what one flight attendant, Krisztina, can teach us about caring for
patients.
She quickly put the passengers at ease. As I got on the plane,
Krisztina complimented me on my necklace and welcomed me
aboard. I watched her do something similar as each passenger boarded
the plane. Most veteran fliers are used to the routine of flying and even
though they sleep through the safety announcements, we all know
something could go wrong. I'm not afraid of flying and never have been.
But I'm not a fan of being on the other side of the operating room table
as a patient.
We've all heard the saying, "It's minor surgery until it's on you." I can
tell you from my perspective, it's never minor surgery and I'm looking
for someone to show they understand that. Even though it's routine to
you as the nurse, it's anything but routine to me as the patient.
As nurses, our patients and family members rely on us to put them
at ease and to trust that we're going to take great care of them.
Having been a patient (and watched my husband as the family mem-
ber), I know how frightened patients can be. Putting them and their
family members at ease can make the difference between a good
experience and a bad one.
She smiled with her eyes. It's easy to tell when someone is gen-
uine. Body language experts tell us that when someone is gen-
uinely smiling, the areas around their eyes will crinkle (think Santa
and the twinkle in his eye).
I once had a boss who would make a statement and then smile —
with her mouth only. Her theory was that even a fake smile would
make the message easier to digest. The flight attendant didn't have
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