i think it does count because when you feel sick or down and just any random person tells you that you look nice or a nice comment about you, it makes you feel good and helps you out a lot. I think nurses should treat patients with respect and not make them feel dumb or ignored because they're sick.

I am a cancer patient. A local doctor told me the disease would kill me eventually. Yet my doctors at the primary hospital I visit (a world-class facility) have told me my disease IS treatable and they fight for me, and my outlook is pretty good. But you know, after meeting with that local doctor, it took 3-4 days to get my "fight" back. How many people has that local doctor hurt -- possibly caused to give up -- because of his cold comments?

Yes, "when professional distance translates to disrespect, it’s a form of malpractice". The local doctor should have supported the efforts of the other facility - for the sake of my mental, spiritual AND physical health. Instead, he let ego get in the way.

In the words of Winston Churchill -- "NEVER GIVE UP". When you're very ill, the sheer number of cold, "professional" medical practicioners makes you feel like a slab of meat. A brief smile or saying, "Hi, let's get some pictures so we can take care of you" -- that would go a million miles in the care of any patient.

That is such a realistic and tragic picture of hospital care. Medical administrators need to be concerned about finding the balance between professional decorum and humane care.

I think that one of the answers would be to have warm-up sessions for staff - a reminder of how they would want their family members or themselves to be treated if they were in the hospital.

An excellent article and very true. A good reference point on this topic would be the book "A Taste of My Own Medicine" written by a doctor who found out how difficult it was being a patient. The book was made into a movie starring William Hurt called "The Doctor".

Thank you for pointing out that medical professionals need to have the overall well-being of the patient in mind when treating them. They should not make life and death decisions based on age or any other factor. They need to help the patient and do all in their power to make him better. My husband, age 76, suffered a stroke and went to an ER well within the 3 hour window suggested for the best stroke recovery possible. However, the admitting doctor at the hospital determined that my husband was too old to save and ordered "bed rest." No medications, no hydration, nothing to relieve his pain. The doctor even told me to call the mortuary, in front of my husband, who was conscious and aware of his surroundings. After my fighting the bureaucracy and total ineptitude of the institution, my husband survived. It has been 2 years now, however, the stroke left him quite disabled. His left side is not functioning and he has limited use of his right arm and leg. His attitude is very good, under the circumstances, and he is trying really hard to recover. He was a "green beret" so he's not a quitter. But I believe if the doctors had not determined, on their own, that he had lived long enough, or if the nurse whom I requested assistance from had been more cooperative, my husband would be in much better shape than he is now.

My wife is a nurse. We have discussions about the "state" of healthcare because she's just so frustrated. She see's her job exactly as described here. To treat the "whole patient".
The trouble is that doing so takes time, and that's something medical professionals don't have. I know a smile and a "hi" doesn't take a lot more time, but that's not all it takes. The nurse needs to stop and talk to the patient. Get a feel for what their outlook is. Spend some time evaluating how their care is going, not just physically, but mentally. Are they getting visitors? Etc, etc.
But then along came "managed care” and the ratio of RNs to patients dropped. It's to the point now that there is likely only a single RN per shift on an entire floor of a hospital. That poor RN is literally running her butt off for 8-12 hours nonstop. Oh, and she also has to supervise nurse’s aides not to mention calling doctors for updated orders, filling out charts, etc. So how much time do you think they have to provide "proper" care as my wife defines it? RIGHT -- not nearly enough.
But you can't blame it all on "managed care." There's the overall nursing shortage as well. Gee I wonder why no one wants to be a nurse anymore. That doesn't even take into account the adversarial relationship with hospital administration. They also import a lot of nurses from overseas. Those nurses often come from different cultures and may speak English as a second language. This adds to the feeling that no one cares.
So what can be done? A single payer system would probably help. But we aren’t going to see that any time soon. The hospital corporations, the doctors, and the issuance companies have way to much influence in Washington.
So what can you do? Ride herd on your loved one’s health care team. Here’s how:
1. Educate yourself – Make sure you and your loved one know and understand their disease or injury. The Internet is a great source for that, but make sure you look at reputable sources.
2. Take an active and proactive interest – Stay on top of your healthcare team. Ask lots of questions, and don’t let them run off till you have all your questions answered.
3. Get a second opinion – If you don’t like what you hear or if this is a really important decision, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion.
4. Your doctor is no god – People think their doctor Is all knowing and infallible. Nothing could be further from the truth, so don’t be afaid to talk to them, question them, and treat them like you would anyone else who is performing a very expense service for you.