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Balance the Tasks with Caring Behaviors

Posted by Kristin Baird on April 10th, 2018 • No Comments »

Working in healthcare takes an immense amount of technical skills especially when you work in direct patient care. After all, if you screw up an important technical task, you could hurt, or even kill someone. But it is important to keep in mind that the tasks almost always involves a human being at the other end.
I can vividly recall how stressful it was to perform my first injections, my first IV starts and first NG tube insertions as a student nurse. I totally focused on the task at hand during those “firsts.” Out of fear that I would mess up and inadvertently hurt my patient. I’m sure in the beginning, I focused more on the task than on the person on the receiving end. Over time, as I became more proficient and gained confidence, I could safely share my attention between the human interaction and the technical task at hand. That is what many strive for – the balance between technical competence and the ability to relate on a personal level. Read more...

Patient Experience Isn’t a Program

Posted by Kristin Baird on February 6th, 2018 • 1 Comment »

When my team and I are working with organizations, our ears prick up when we hear things like, “We had a patient experience program and it didn’t work.” Or, “We did a customer service program, but it didn’t stick.” These are just two statements that, when made by leaders, cast a bright light on both the leadership style and the culture. It says to me that their approach was a task that could be checked off. Usually when I ask more probing questions about the “program,” I find that it usually hones in on a specific training, often a single event offered years ago. The one-and-done approach. Nothing had been done to weave the concepts throughout the fabric of the culture. Read more...

Share Your Gifts for a Meaningful Patient Experience

Posted by Kristin Baird on August 15th, 2017 • No Comments »

This past week has reinforced my view that, in order to be our best selves, and to deliver truly patient-centered care, it’s important to share your gifts. After 21 months of hospitalizations and brief stays in nursing homes, we brought my sister Elizabeth home to die. Knowing we would have only about five good days before the big decline, my brothers and sisters gathered to say their goodbyes. I have nine siblings. Add spouses, cousins and close friends to the mix and you can imagine the steady stream of visitors we had. Read more...

What Hospice Taught Me About Patient-Centered Care

Posted by Kristin Baird on August 8th, 2017 • No Comments »

Patient-centered care is a term that is used liberally throughout the healthcare industry and yet, there is still a long way to go as we listen to our patients. I’ve learned the true meaning of patient-centered care from hospice.

Over the past several years I’ve shared stories of my sister Elizabeth’s long health battles and her perceptions of care in multiple acute care and sub-acute care settings. Last night she shared some insight worth passing along. It was about control. Read more...

It’s Not About You, Princess

Posted by Kristin Baird on October 5th, 2016 • No Comments »

There’s lots of talk about patient-centered care. The operative word here is talk. As positive as the term is, and as frequently as it’s thrown around, I find there is still a long way to go before the patient experience reflects truly patient-centered processes, systems and staff. Read more...

The Gift of Presence

Posted by Kristin Baird on July 19th, 2016 • No Comments »

This morning as I was driving home from the gym, I spotted a family out walking together. There was a man, a woman, a baby in the stroller and two other children about 9 or 10 years old. It was a beautiful day for a walk. The sun was shining, the birds singing, and the park they were passing was picturesque. The entire scene could have been from a Norman Rockwell painting, except for one thing. Everyone except the baby was focused on his or her smart phone. There was no human interaction between the members of the group, just virtual encounters with others who were not physically present. What I noticed was that the baby was the only one taking in the sights. He was bright eyed, looking around and taking in his surroundings with curiosity. He looked truly happy while his walking companions were all expressionless and moving ahead as if in a trance. Read more...

What Hospice Can Teach Us about Patient Experience

Posted by Kristin Baird on November 23rd, 2015 • No Comments »

The other day I had the pleasure of speaking at the Carolinas Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society (CHPRMS) meeting. After my presentation, two men in the audience talked with me about how they feel hospice has always had the patient experience at the core of their model. They’re right.

Hospitals are working hard to overcome provider-centric processes and systems to become more patient centered. In acute care settings, the patient enters the medical world and often submits to the professional’s instructions, rules and expertise. They are in foreign territory. Hospitals are evolving with time, but in many organizations, it remains a huge paradigm shift. While progress is being made, many still have a long way to go. Read more...

Early Morning Rounds Aren’t Patient-Centered

Posted by Kristin Baird on March 17th, 2015 • No Comments »

There is so much talk about patient-centeredness and yet I see a long way to go. I think that there are very good intentions, but when it gets difficult, human nature is to slip back into what is comfortable for us. For as long as I can remember, physicians have made rounds early in the morning. Why? It works for them. They can make their rounds and head into the office or the operating room. But how well does it work for the patient? Not so well. Read more...

Mom’s Last Lessons on the Patient Experience

Posted by Kristin Baird on January 30th, 2015 • 6 Comments »

Over the past month I’ve been on a very personal mission as I helped my mother live out the final chapter of her life’s journey. In early November she learned that her lung cancer had metastasized to her bones. The PET scan only confirmed what she already knew from her painful symptoms.

This feisty, smart, strong and good-humored octogenarian wasn’t scared, but rather somewhat relieved to learn her timeline. She had said, “We all wonder when and how we’re going to die. Now I know. I’m a planner and now I’ve got a clear deadline.” But she wanted to do it her way and on her terms. My job then, became 100% focused on her needs and desires. And in the process I gained the greatest personal and professional insights of my life. Read more...

Are you Giving out Free Passes?

Posted by Kristin Baird on June 17th, 2014 • No Comments »

Taking an honest look at reality can be painful. Especially when doing so may require that you change your own behavior. And yet, that is exactly what happens when, during culture assessments, we discover sacred cows and free passes that are eroding leader credibility and impeding development of a healthy, collaborative, patient and family centered culture. Read more...

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