What makes a good patient?

Published

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1186585,00.html

According to Dr. Scott Haig, nurses make good patients because we are "adept at following doctors' orders--a virtue lacking in doctors". It's unfortunate that it clearly hasn't occurred to Dr. Haig that the reason that we may be better patients is because we have a knowledge base that extends beyond doctor's orders, an understanding of how the healthcare system works and the skill to evaluate when a treatment may not be optimal for us. And anyway, I thought we implemented doctor's orders, not followed them and if they aren't correct, we won't even do that. And it's not a surprise that he thinks that following doctors' orders is a virtue. LOL!

So anyway, I started thinking about what makes a good patient to me. It certainly isn't someone who blindly follows the treatment plan! I think it is someone who approaches their healthcare in the spirit of cooperation, who is open about what is going on with them who asks questions and who cares enough about themselves to be informed about and participate in their care. I have patients that come in day after day with stroke level blood pressures who just refuse to accept their conditions and do not take their meds. That's quite frustrating. I also don't mind aggressive patients, it's the hostile ones that bug me.

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