I enjoy getting out of my office or having not back-to-back meetings all day. I enjoy getting out and seeing the remarkable work our team does and getting to visit with our staff on their unit or where they are working.
One particular day, I was rounding on the pre-op area/PACU on the second floor. As I entered the unit and walked up to the area where our staff was sitting, I heard them talking about singing and dancing. Naturally, this peaked my interest, and as I rounded the corner I asked "Who is singing and dancing?"
Well, I did not get the response I expected to. I don't know what exactly I expected - maybe that the staff was recounting an event or a dance or something of this nature. Instead, the answer was not what I expected to hear: "Frozen." The nursing staff said that they were discussing the popular kids movie.
Having two daughters myself (yes this is my excuse), I have seen the movie Frozen a few times. I asked them why they were discussing Frozen and they informed me that Dr. Simon sings the theme song to Frozen and acts it out a little to his pediatric patients to help them feel more comfortable, help with their anxiety, or put a smile on their face before their surgery.
We have such an awesome team who goes the extra step to connect from the oldest to the youngest of patients, even if it means doing a little singing and dancing. I hope this inspires you to find your own methods of making patients smile. It is the little things that make big differences in their lives.
Talk soon,
Jason D. Jennings