There is a term that healthcare professionals use that makes so much sense to us but may feel very derogatory to patients. Non-compliance.

I have had a patient complain to me, while I was on Leader Rounds, that they had been called non-compliant. They expressed embarrassment and frustration and told me that it was not true, they were compliant! I spent time letting them know that it was only the way it is stated and is not meant as an insult. But was I fully transparent and truthful?

What is the definition of non-compliance? Well, it means that one does not comply with what is asked, that’s easy.

But what does it mean to the healthcare professional, if we are honest, completely honest, even in our frustration. It might mean the patient is not doing what we asked,

When it comes to healthcare, I’m passionate about culture because the feel of the workplace is critical in allowing individuals to do their best work. When nurses and the entire healthcare team are doing their best work, that is when patients are safest.

Don’t most healthcare systems state their main goal and purpose as some variation on safe patient care? Organizations have committed to a plan to deliver the best care possible, which is presented under many names, such as;

·       continuous process improvements

·       HRO principles

·       using CUSS

In nursing, most of my work was completed in a specialty care department, usually in an ICU or high risk, high stress environment. Because of that, I had to learn to think on my feet, moving quickly, responding decisively with confidence. At the same time, I needed to be very aware of what was happening around me, being prepared for the potential outcomes and need for change in directions depending on the patient response to the care. The type of nursing I was doing, whether at the bedside, in leadership, or mentoring and teaching, can best be compared to a sprint. Sometimes that sprint might last 12 hours, so it was important to stay engaged and sharp, with an awareness of what was critical to notice and shutting out the extra noise in the background that did not affect the incident

When it comes to health, I’m passionate about family because I have worked in Maternal Child health for so many years. During that time, I have worked to make sure that the baby and mother during labor were safe and healthy. I have worked to keep a mom pregnant, for “a few more days” hoping for a little more maturity of those lungs so baby would be better able to make it without profound BPD and ROP. I have worked to be sure that the neonate, no matter how small, was ventilated as gently as possible, to save all the lung capacity that we could. I have fed that baby, paying attention to the baby’s lead, making sure I did not cause any aversion, always aware that I could be causing lifelong struggles with food if I was not following the baby’s