Hi,
Despite best efforts, things often don’t go according to plan.
There are many presentations to the emergency department that are commonly unsurvivable.
Stretched resources can negatively affect staff, patients, yourself.
There may be instances where mistakes lead to severe consequences.
All these things can cause us to suffer in different ways; mentally, physically, emotionally and so on.
One of the most important principles that I read from Dan Dworkis is to commit to never waste suffering.
"To waste suffering is to allow poor outcomes to happen without learning from them.
It is to believe that nothing could be changed or improved at the end of a hard case, either internally or externally, to better prepare you and your team for tomorrow’s emergencies. In a sense, it is to be defeated, to give up."
Some of my most valuable lessons have come from refusing to waste the suffering that accompanies difficult cases. Instead of trying to move swiftly on from them, there is usually learning to be found that can leave a deep and lasting impression, for the better.
I absolutely love this re-frame, because it brings a sense of hope and self-determination to what usually feels like loss of control and tragedy.
It's also a way of honouring those who have suffered in an event; whether that's colleagues, friends, patients or yourself.
There’s an optimism in being able to take something meaningful from these experiences and use it to improve future outcomes.
After processing a difficult event, the commitment to never waste suffering offers a silver lining in these inevitable moments. |