If a patient is having trouble getting along with staff in the hospital I sometimes take the time to teach them how to get the best care possible in the hospital. 1/

First you get to know the names of all the people taking care of you. 2/

Understand while they are here doing their job and treat you with courtesy and respect they are also human beings who appreciate being treated with courtesy and respect. 3/

Simple manners go a long way. Please and thank you.

“Good morning” and “good afternoon.”

Ask basic questions that suggest know know there is a human being in that uniform. “How are you today?” 4/

You can get to know this person a little bit.

Do they have a pet?
A family?
Plans for holidays?

Normal stuff you use to connect with a stranger.
Safe topics for polite company. 5/

When you make more work for someone, even through no fault of your own, it’s kindly to apologize.

“Sorry for making a mess.” 6/

Try to notice when your caregivers are having a bad day. We all have them. Try to keep in mind it’s not about you. Some people are working through a harder day than you are having. 7/

Some people say I should try to teach patients good manners.

I disagree. Learning how to get good care can make the experience of being sick much more pleasant for a patient. 8/

If you’ve read this far, I commend you.

Now for the lesson.

These are the same rules I teach residents to interact with nurses, therapists, and the rest of the staff at the hospital.

Read through them again. This is how you become a doctor that works well in a hospital. 9/