An Internet Electronic Journal Dedicated to Exercise Physiology as a Healthcare Profession

Arguably the greatest attribute we can possess when working in the health care setting is empathy.  Certainly we need to have the knowledge and abilities to get the job done correctly, but without empathy, all knowledge becomes useless.  It is a trait that is most evident when it is missing from certain health care providers.  While people will have their good and bad days, it is important to treat the patient with empathy and respect.

People aren’t perfect, and some days it will seem like your patience has reached its limit!  This is understandable.  It often helps to remember that we need to rely on a strength beyond ourselves.  As Jesus says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (1).  The One who works through us can accomplish far more than we could ever imagine or dream possible.  It is simply a matter of faith.

As an exercise physiologist working in cardiac rehab, I had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of patients.  Empathy was crucial to being effective and gaining the patient’s trust and respect.  One patient in particular showed me how to be a more empathetic listener.  The patient was an 81-year-old male who was initially inappropriate in his comments towards me.  I got the distinct impression that he thought that all reasonably attractive young women should be lining up for the Miss America pageant.  He seemed to be waiting for me to come to work dressed in full evening wear, ready to demonstrate my talent of underwater basket weaving.  Obviously I am exaggerating, but he clearly did not see me as a credible health care professional.

As time progressed, and as he became aware of how uncomfortable he was making me feel, his behavior improved greatly.  He understood what I was comfortable with, and what behavior was acceptable.  He became very comfortable and felt at ease with the cardiac rehab staff.  One day he opened up about his life and the challenges he had faced.  He shared with me how he grieved the loss of his wife 27 years earlier.  She was only 49 years old, and died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm.  He explained that it is something that you never truly get over, and looking into his eyes, I believed it.

In working with heart patients, the superficial ways in which people judge each other fall away.  It is simply one heart talking to another heart, and is an indescribably beautiful thing to experience.  It didn’t matter that I was young and he was old, or that I was a woman and he was a man.  At that moment, we saw each other with new eyes.  This experience changed the way I managed his care, and taught me how to be a more empathetic listener to my other patients.  I also learned the value of patience, and what it meant to go beyond behaviors to see the fears, uncertainty, and emotional challenges that heart patients face.  It truly changed the way I approached patient care.

Research has been done on the effect and power of empathetic listening.  I ran across an article a couple of years ago on the importance of listening, and being listened to.  The following is a brief quote from a book entitled, “Why Good Things Happen to Good People,” by Stephen Post, PhD and Jill Neimark.  It was featured in the May 2007 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal.  I just happened to read it while I was waiting for my laundry to dry.  I think that it is something that all people planning on working in the health care setting should read.  “To listen to another person is to honor his or her deepest being.  Simply being present, with loving attention, is one of the most life-altering forms of caring” (2).  The article goes on to give an example of how listening affected the life of an individual who was involved in a horrific car accident.  They were able to overcome the obstacles of becoming a quadriplegic and find purpose in life through the act of listening to others.  The article also explains that oxytocin, the hormone thought to be involved in helping a mother bond with her child, is released as a result of social interaction.  It simply feels good when people share with you what matters most to them.  I encourage you to read this article in its entirety by searching for it on the magazine’s website.

Clearly the benefits of empathetic listening go both ways, for the listener as well as the person being listened to.  It is something that we should all pay attention to, especially people working in service-oriented professions.  Even if it isn’t something that comes naturally, it can be improved with practice.  The people you work with will appreciate it.