Some tasks can be done relatively quickly. I remember the obs rounds on the Urology ward when I was a Student Nurse; there was a prize for the quickest (needless to say I never won, I spent too much time talking to the patients!).
But some things take time and space to emerge.
People speak in poetic ways in the face of trauma (see my contribution to this subject via http://eapcnet.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/metaphor-and-the-patients-world). Patients do not give up their secret worlds easily.
On such example comes from a lady who visited the Macmillan Pod at one of our hospitals. Kay Tandy explains:
Recently a lady dropped in to the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Unit at Kidderminster Hospital, she was very worried about recent symptoms she had experienced and spent some time talking with Nicky Perks, the Facilitator at the Unit. She has let us know that she sought help for her concerns which resulted in surgery and an extremely good outcome. Her words below say it all:
“Just wanted to email and thank you for taking the time having a chat and reminding me to ‘look after myself’, get it sorted and not to stress about work”.
Only a few words of thanks. That’s all it takes sometimes. But if Nicky had not had space and time, who knows. Maybe she wouldn’t have spoken about it. Maybe she would have sufferred in silence. Maybe she would have waited until it was too late. Maybe….
But there was space and time. It was created and intentional. It was available to this lady; and it made a huge difference.
