Four important words–Listen to your patients.
Not a week goes by that I don’t hear from somebody wanting me to investigate a medical malpractice issue who tells me: “I knew there was something wrong with me, and I told the doctor (or nurse), but he didn’t do anything about it.”
Maybe they don’t teach you this in medical or nursing school, but many times the patient will be more in tune to his/her condition than you are. They can tell you what’s going on–if you would only listen to them. Sure, they may not know specifically the medical condition they have, but they know SOMETHING is wrong, and if you don’t pay attention then you run the risk of missing something that could be a matter of life or death. Sure, you’re busy. Everybody’s busy. But listening to what the patient says can oftentimes save you a lot of time (and possibly save you from a malpractice claim.)
