Share your sparkles part 3

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Posted by Cyndy (64.12.116.12) on 09:01:12 07/06/05

I share my thoughts and ideas, in one form or another, with everyone I meet. A fun example of this involves an elderly woman I took care of who had lung disease. She would panic and spiral into hours and days of gasping for air and suffering. Other nurses would cringe at the idea of having to take care of her as during these panics she would become irritable and lash out and greatly monopolize the time and create more stress in an already understaffed and overworked environment. I found that simple empathy was the remedy. Of course it did not cure the lung disease, but it certainly made her days more tolerable. By validating and honoring how she must feel gasping for breath,giving her permission to feel what she needed to feel when she needed to feel it and then to express it, and reminding her that she was in control of her response and attitude towards what she faced every day, a little bit of kindness went a long way. She made a comment to me one day of feeling that I had a "magic w

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Comments:	: I share my thoughts and ideas, in one form or another, with everyone I meet. A fun example of this involves an elderly woman I took care of who had lung disease. She would panic and spiral into hours and days of gasping for air and suffering. Other nurses would cringe at the idea of having to take care of her as during these panics she would become irritable and lash out and greatly monopolize the time and create more stress in an already understaffed and overworked environment. I found that simple empathy was the remedy. Of course it did not cure the lung disease, but it certainly made her days more tolerable. By validating and honoring how she must feel gasping for breath,giving her permission to feel what she needed to feel when she needed to feel it and then to express it, and reminding her that she was in control of her response and attitude towards what she faced every day, a little bit of kindness went a long way. She made a comment to me one day of feeling that I had a "magic w
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Dr. Carl A. Hammerschlag, M.D., CPAE, psychiatrist and author, is a professional keynote and motivational speaker. He speaks on a variety of topics including healthcare, mind body and spirit, health and wellness, mental healing and leadership. He has delivered motivational and keynote speaches to corporate and business clients around the world.