I spent most of last Saturday
at the hospital…even though I had the weekend off.
:-)
I had 8 patients admitted, and
I wanted to take the time to talk to them, and redo their histories. So, that’s
8 patients, and then 8 family caregivers (i.e. bantays) that I talked
to, last Saturday. Sometimes, the responsibility of making their lives “better”
daunts me, but usually, it’s been advised that as soon as you’ve addressed the
reasons for admission *, then you can deal with their other problems on an
out-patient basis.
Trust me, I’ve been at this
for a year, and honestly speaking, no two patients are the same. Although their
reasons for admission, and their problems might revolve around the themes of
love, family and stressors, they are all different from each other
somewhat. It’s fascinating.
Getting through to people
takes some time and a comfortable environment, so I don’t really like it if I
have to interview my patients in the loud and oftentimes hot Emergency room (we
call it the ACU – Acute Care Unit) where I work. Sometimes, one wonders (I know
I do) if one’s psychotherapy is getting through to the patient. I like
interviewing my ward patients in the Child Psychiatry Unit, which is almost
always empty and free, because it’s quiet, and it’s air-conditioned.
When I do my interviews, I
usually interview a patient first, and then have his/her family caregiver come
in, so I can do confirmatory interview. It’s a tedious process, but it’s of my
own doing (and choice). A collateral informant is always needed. Like my
supervisor says, a psychotic patient is not always dependable, and thus, you
have to practice talking to, and getting other vital information, from another
informant (I had to do this during my oral exam).
I find interviewing both quite
a fun and exasperating activity. It takes all of my patience and skill to try to
get the real story from what I’m hearing and listening to from my patient. It’s
like, aside from the fact that you have to listen, and get the real story from
between the lines, you have to see how he or she tells it…whether his or her
face registers something otherwise. “Active listening”, as it is called, takes
quite a lot of energy. I think it’s because you’re “on your guard” for every
second of the interview. “You have to have a presence”, my supervisor said. The
patient has to “know you’re there” when you’re interviewing.
Back when I was in medical
school (and even when I was still a student), I liked to sit in front because I
felt I could better remember things if I saw how the speaker was teaching, how
he said words, what his face looked like while he was giving a lecture. I’m more
visual… but it also helped me remember what he taught if I remembered how he
taught it, and if I associated it with a memory.
It’s pretty much the same when
I’m interviewing…it helps me remember more details if I take a mental picture of
their faces, if I remember how their hands moved, or if I saw how they
positioned themselves. People can be such fascinating creatures…
Lately, I’ve been interested
in studying body language, and I’m trying to read up on how people convey
messages by how they move, and even how they sit. (Oh, which reminds me, I ‘ve
been thinking about watching that series, “Lie To Me”, do you think it’s
good?)
Interviewing has been quite a
challenge, and up until lately, has been a Waterloo of sorts. Speaking in
Tagalog has been, well, different from what I’ve been used to, but I suppose I’m
much better at it now, than compared to how I did 9 months ago. (And before
that, I would just nod my head if someone talked to me in Tagalog.lol…). I’m
working on it, though. How hard can it be? :-)
I’m a work in progress, I
should say… I think it’s a fun language to learn, though. :-) I’m
working to get better at it, everyday. I was advised to have a consultant, or a
senior sit in while I do an interview, so I’ll get tips on the technicalities of
it. I’ll do that next time.
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* i.e. The four indications
for admission are the following: “Threat to self, threat to others,
non-compliance with medications", and Social emergencies.”
