Early this morning, I took the elevator at the VA to the 5th floor. One other person was on the elevator – a patient care representative who I know well. Several years ago I had cared for his father in the hospital.
He started the conversation by thanking me, because his dad was doing so well. His dad had been on my service for pneumonia. During that hospitalization, I gave him my “tough love” smoking cessation speech. This time the speech worked! His father, while elderly, continues to have a good quality of life. The representative gave me credit for convincing his father to quit smoking.
We forget sometimes that our words matter. I might tell 20 patients to stop smoking during a month. I often do not see the results of my advice. This time I received explicit praise, and it sure felt good. It feels doubly good, because I helped a nice man.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Could you summarize your “tough love” speech? I’m a family doc, always wanting to improve my smoking speech!
I made a stroke patient cry and tell me to get the hell out as I discussed the direct correlation (cause and effect) between her current reality and her future reality should she continue to smoke. The conversion was topped off when the husband refused to extinguish his last cigarette out of his pack of Camels parked in his shirt pocket, promising instead to “smoke outside”
family doc. Here’s a copy of my speech
http://thehappyhospitalist.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-made-new-young-mother-cry.html
I guess it makes a lot of people cry.
That was a very uplifting post. It’s really nice to be appreciated for your work and know that you are providing a good effort and service.