This past summer took me on a tour – but not of places I was planning to visit! My father had a small stroke in May followed by another one in August, and in visiting him at two different ERs, rehab facilities and acute care hospitals, I got a better sense of what being hospitalized feels like to patients and their families. As an internist, I mainly think of hospitals as my place of work, but this past summer, I had the chance to experience them as a visitor – a patient's daughter - and I noticed things from this perspective that I had not always appreciated when working. 

I remember how much I appreciated when the physicians or social workers said they would get back to us on something – whether it was clarifying my dad's medications or providing a list of resources we needed at home – and they did it when they said they would. I know how busy it can be working in hospitals and how many different demands there are, but it was so reassuring when they kept their word. I thought about how I sometimes tell a patient's family that I'll call them at a certain time but end up calling much later if work gets busy. Families are usually very understanding, but I made a mental note to only promise what I can truly deliver. 

I remember the kindness of one of the charge nurses who, on hearing that I wanted to take my dad on a walk, came to help us herself as all the staff were already occupied. I think of one of the patient techs who never flinched when she had to change my father's linens after an inadvertent accident. In fact, she looked so genuinely cheerful, calling him “dear" and distracting him with jokes. She would try to engage him by showing interest in his childhood and in his career as a physician, topics that he loves to discuss! These experiences were good reminders of how good it feels when your concerns are heard and addressed and how kind words can ease a difficult situation. 

There were some challenges too of course: occasionally unclear communication about the plan of care and workup, long waits in the ER, a sense that staff were sometimes too busy or hurried to take a thorough history. I made another mental note to remember what these challenges felt like and to learn from them.   

While this was going on, I had the support of my colleagues here and learned how many resources NIH offers its employees with managing life challenges outside of work. I had a few sessions with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which directed me to aging resources in the community and learned about the Adult Care and Dependents Committee through my involvement in the Health and Wellness Council. Just knowing that these resources exist helped me focus my attention on solutions rather than the “problem" and gave me a sense of support. While I did not anticipate a “tour" like this summer, like many other unexpected things that pop up in life, I learned a few things that will stay with me and help me in my path forward. 

Dr. Suma Singh is an Internist with the Internal Medicine Consult Service at the Clinical Center. Dr. Singh has worked at NIH for three years and is a voting member of the NIH Health and Wellness Council. As a council member, she serves on the Benchmark Best Practices Committee.

For resources here at NIH:

NIH Back Up Care Program

NIH Resource and Referral Service  

NIH Work Schedules

Employee Assistance Program

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