In the first half of 2016, NHS England funded Patient Voices workshops for staff to create their own digital stories about working in healthcare. The intention is that the stories will be used to help other people understand the reality of working in healthcare so we may all learn from experiences, both good and bad; sharing stories in this way helps contribute to healthcare that is safer, more dignified, more humane and more compassionate for everyone.
The underlying philosophy of the project is the intertwined relationship between patient care and staff well-being, so the stories we tell each other are like the DNA of care, transmitting information and shaping cultures, offering learning opportunities and, sometimes, healing. The DNA of Care project can be found here www.patientvoices.org.uk/dnaoc.htm The whole site is well worth a browse but I'd like to draw your attention to two stories which really resonated with me.
The first is entitled Touch - The choices we make in our personal and professional lives may be made despite, or because of, our own experiences, but they are always affected by them. In this film a consultant anaesthetist tells of how the discovery of his own physical and emotional vulnerabilities when he became a patient has informed his care for his patients, his colleagues and himself. http://www.patientvoices.org.uk/flv/1006pv384.htm
The second is Red shoes http://www.patientvoices.org.uk/flv/1001pv384.htm Working in out-of-hours care is always varied, usually challenging, sometimes thankless, often difficult, frequently frenzied: busy people picking up the pieces when other services are not available. For the service to be effective, there must be commitment, determination and excellent interprofessional collaboration. Have a listen, does the shoe analogy resonate with you ?
Whats your story?