I think that the sports world has lots to teach those of us who work in the healthcare world. The athletes are always honing and perfecting their skills. Even, and maybe especially, the champions.
Detroit and Pittsburgh will shortly be playing for the Stanley Cup. The players on these teams fit all the criteria for excellence in hockey, but I'm confident that not one player feels that his past wins/successes will be enough to get him on the ice each night of the playoffs. I know that "practice" is just a given for these elite athletes.
The other day I was in a meeting on the topic of good communication between clinicians and patients/family members. A couple of meeting participants maintained that their clinicians "always did a wonderful job of communicating with patients and families."
Hmmm....these clinicians may be wonderful communicators, but if they really are, I would think they must practice and they must always be looking for how to improve their skills.
The truth is, good communication can be learned, and great communicators are always looking for ways to do it better. The "Stanley Cup for Healthcare Communications?" Far-fetched, for sure, but if such a contest were to exist, there's not one of us who wouldn't want to say, "My healthcare clinician is on the winning team."
