Are Medical Professionals Becoming Desensitized and Indifferent Towards Patients?

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In the course of human experience, I have come upon many confounding situations and undesirable surroundings. Although objectionable biased communication in some instances, from subjective people can be somewhat disturbing, I am “not” usually inclined to incite unfavorable judgment towards prejudiced (“superficial”) people whom for whatever reason have this unorthodox, whimsical mental attitude to stereotype, dichotomize, or categorize people whom they view as being different from themselves. The fact is; I pity these types of people, because they will never know anything beyond what they perceive with their own two eyes. It is much like the lacking intellectual depth of a person who prejudges a book by its cover; so it is with the “failing” perspicacity of people who judge other people by outward appearances.

There’s an old saying; if you truly want to understand what another person endures in their life, try walking a (few months) in their shoes. Connotative to expressing an opportunity to examine what’s going on in our world today from a moral human behavioral standpoint …and extrapolate into the future what will be the consequences of our actions…invariably, the humane way we treat each other as people. As secularized humans we arrogantly think that we have full control over our sciences; whether its cosmology, meteorological, agricultural, or the vast branches of medical sciences. We think that we know all the answers. But the truth is we don’t. There are all kinds of ideological theories going on in the world. There is irrefutable reason to suggest in a prominent way how the evolutionary social sphere of today’s prevailing populace is saturated by all kinds of human desensitization and indifference, both in ourselves and the reality of the global world around us. What will become as a future result of the personal decisions we make today? Notably; with the preservation of (“real”) moral values, justice, and compassion that are characteristically an important essential part to improving humanization.

These viewpoints do not only place emphasis on the love and care of those who are nearest and dearest to us. But; an honorable compassionateness for our prominent aging society, the sick, the diseased, the terminally and mentally ill; and children, women and men afflicted by incest and rape and numerous other sicknesses, who are all deserving of genuine humanitarian care, and the committedness of a people governed by strong moral principles and acceptable conduct.
We must face the fact that we live in an extremely vulnerable world filled with ongoing afflictive suffering and painful stigma, even though there are people near us who are unwilling to perceive this truth.
Some of the vulnerable situations I speak herein are not likely to come to an end anytime soon. I myself am not accustom to being favored by good fortune, overwhelmed by terminal illnesses and death within my family, and careworn by my own indisposed terminal cancerous health and other debilitating serious health issues. Strangely I have experiened unkind treatment on numerous occasions by superficial people in the medical profession. So why should I waste my time writing about the substandard medical treatment of myself and other patients, who fall under the subjective, callous, and indifferent behavior of a certain number of doctors and nurses who frequently mental-stereotype patients after having sloppily summarized and categorically prejudged their patients medical files.
A bold abstract implication indeed, perhaps you believe my inference is cynically unfounded?
Think Again.

Last week, I was taken from my home by ambulance to my local city hospital after suffering one of several recurrent seizures. Upon being wheeled into the emergency trauma bay by stretcher, I was greeted by a subjective, cold-hearted female nurse who took one look at me and said; Oh God! Not you again. I felt aggrieved, dejected, and completely speechless. Meeting the wrong nurse or doctor who communicates unfeelingness, moodiness, superficial compassion, or downright inconsiderate care towards any patient defies imagination. I don’t think I have to go into a long writ describing how dehumanizing it is to be a patient affected by the impoliteness and aloofness of any medical professional. I was just recovering from a number of petit-mal seizures. I didn’t require extreme care or effort. Just the normal courtesy and reassurance of knowing that in my present state of mental confusion, fatigue, and fears I would be OK. Instead; I received an undignified brush-off not only from the female nurse in the emergency trauma bay but; a female doctor checking me over. I wish disconcerting moments like these allowed for more pliancy and mutual openness; encouraging friendliness and candor between nurse, doctor and patient.

 

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No patient deserves the temperamental cold indifference of a medical professional who is deplorably lacking of an inherent sympathetic aptitude. One patient alone is out-numbered even if they attempt to come to their own defense. My own aggressive defense is being silent. I’ve dealt with too much pain in my life succumbing to the onslaught of a harrowing, torturous, gang-rape at gunpoint and now numerous health problems and pancreatic cancer. Despite this atrocious and troubling adversity that haunts me; it’s comforting to know there are a far greater number of nurses and doctors out there, who are more deserving of their genuine professionalism and humanitarian committedness. It’s not too difficult to perceive within oneself the compassionate sincerity of certain nurses and doctors who truly care about the well being of their patients. Personally; I consider myself privileged to know many doctors and nurses who are truly deserving of genuine affection, praise and appreciation because they trustingly have the most concernedly sympathetic hearts I have ever encountered.
In this critique I am “not” unperceptive or insensitive to the demanding, stressful, time-strapped situations, or lack of medical staff in emergency trauma bays. So why have I chosen to write this sustentative correspondence? There are two essential reasons that I believe merits attentive consideration.

No# 1. I am hopeful to believe that most patients in a hospital are cognizant of the many ponderable qualities that nurses and doctors are gifted with. Not just their life saving medical skills; but, more aesthetically important, the benevolent gift of themselves as a person. These are the deep-seated qualities and principles that best defines the integrity and humaneness of a (“real”) nurse and doctor. The most distinguishing tangible attributes that belongs to any good nurse or doctor is not formed by their professional title; but, the gift of their innermost heart to the sick, the injured, the dying, and the psychologically ill.

No# 2. In today’s society there are a growing number of distressed people living intensely vulnerable and painful lives due to an often unwanted, undeserved, oppressive, and inescapable environment that contributes to increasing physical and mental sickness. This is not merely a conjectural opinion; but, a statement supported by objective proof. Under a supportive hospital atmosphere there exist a symbiosis…a reciprocal human mutuality of trust and reliability that’s essential between nurse, doctor, and patient. Regrettably; there are times when this confiding connectedness or trustworthiness gives way to impassivity or betrayed confidence.

Apathetic gestures or aloofness expressed by moody, fatigued medical professionals, even though sometimes unintentional, can lead to a partiality that prevents the objective consideration of health issues and situational circumstances that when overlooked, can have jeopardizing consequences on any patient. Patients who are subject to troubling external conditions and elemental surroundings merit meaningful ethical consideration. I believe nurses and doctors should be “very concerned” about patients deciding not to avail themselves to much needed medical care, because of a medical professionals sometimes “poor reputation” besmirched by the lacking compassionateness and impersonal cold demeanor that sporadically subsist amongst individual nurses and doctors. Indeed; this goes without saying that medical profession is not infallible.
I could go into a more profound psychological discussion about the lifelong stigmatic effects that are painfully etched deep into the souls of woman and men victimized by the scourge of numerous illnesses. Indeed; there are numerous afflictions encountered by many individual people who are truly in need of necessary medical care at a hospital.
In contrast; I need to believe that there are a greater number of dedicated, understanding, and generous spirited nurses, doctors who have a purposeful insightful heart to grasp in part many of the difficulties and sufferings that a great number of patients are confronted with. In conclusion; as a former victim of gang-rape and one afflicted by numerous health issues and terminal pancreatic cancer, I am not claiming to be an important somebody whom I know I am not. However; I do consider myself a very forgiving and perceptively an empathetic person. While a nurse or doctor’s occasional ill-natured communication with their patient is forgivable. I don’t believe any medical professional should behave in a manner that imparts additional adversity or anxiety.
Patients on the other hand should be mindfully deferential of the awkward stressful moments that nurses and doctors are challenged with on a daily basis.