Patient Reflection Paper

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Reflection is an important part of development and growth for all medical professionals. It gives us a chance to assess our assumptions and make active change in our behaviour towards both our patients and our team. This essay will specifically reflect on what is important in the doctor patient relationship. In order to provide direction for this reflection I chose to watch and review Patch Adams.
Patch Adams is the story of Hunter Adams; a man who, upon reaching middle age, suffers from depression and considers taking his life. Instead of doing so he checks himself into a psychiatric hospital. He is checked in by a man who seems to be an orderly. And while this man appears to care about the patients, he does not seem to think twice about calling …show more content…

Patch disagrees with this, he believes that they should have contact with patients from the beginning so that students are taught to treat people and not just their illness. Through an unrelated series of events, Patch gains a white coat similar to those the third years wear, and decides to sneak onto the wards. What he experiences there is a whole host of issues caused by the behaviour of the doctors. The doctors and nurses have a bad relationship as the doctors are in a "superior" position. The patients are referred to as their age, gender and condition; which is spoken about in detail in front of the patient, without them being acknowledged. And the hospital is a very sombre environment, with little stimulation or distraction for the unwell. I have observed this sombre atmosphere in many hospitals, and though I understand the reason for the quietness and lack of clutter, I feel as though this causes restlessness and apathy in most people. Although I am young and need quite a lot of stimulation throughout my day, there is often little to offer in a hospital for any age of patient. Patch decides to rectify the sombre atmosphere by visiting patients and getting them to laugh. He is able to get through to many patients this way, encouraging them to eat, or keeping their spirits up in palliative

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