Compassion — A Necessary Attribute For More Than Your Hospital's Medical Staff
If you work in a hospital and are responsible for hiring new staff, you'll want to assess not only each candidate's resume but also get a sense of his or her personal attributes that will be valuable in this setting. When it comes to doctors and nurses, compassion is one of the most important attributes for these professionals to possess. Hospital patients can often feel highly vulnerable due to their illnesses or injuries, and compassion from the team that is providing care is integral to achieving a high degree of patient satisfaction. Your doctors and nurses aren't the only staff members who should demonstrate compassion. Here are some other staff members for which this attribute is valuable.
Administrative Staff
A hospital's administrative staff members take care of many duties, including some that require them to directly deal with patients. An administrative professional who works at the check-in desk of the emergency department, for example, will handle the input of many people who are sick or injured. These people can feel in a fragile and vulnerable state, so it's important for the administrative staff to demonstrate a high degree of compassion. The right admin professionals can help the patients to feel understood and respected, which can set the tone for a positive hospital visit.
Cleaning Staff
You might not initially think that your hospital's cleaning staff need to demonstrate compassion, but this isn't the case. Cleaners come into regular contact with hospital patients. For example, a patient who is in a hospital room will see the cleaner daily, as the cleaner will visit at least once per shift to wipe down the floor and other surfaces, empty the garbage cans, and perform other similar services. A compassionate cleaner will be valuable to your staff because he or she will know how to treat patients who may be extremely ill.
Food Services Staff
Your hospital's food services staff must also demonstrate a high degree of compassion. They'll be dealing with patients in various states, including some who may be too ill to eat when their meal arrives. A non-compassionate server may suggest that the patient should eat or the food will go to waste, but a server who is highly compassionate will tell the patient not to worry if he or she isn't hungry. Additionally, a compassionate server will be able to politely accept patients' last-minute food requests and fulfill them accordingly.
Contact a company like SOS Healthcare Staffing if you have questions about staffing needs.