Trying to get to "WHY"

Understanding the reasons behind the actions is a central part of making sense of the behavior of others. In healthcare we encounter many people who make choices different from those we might make. Aligning reasons with the choices allows us to understand how a particular person comes to a particular choice. This understanding helps us make sense of a choice especially when we might personally disagree with it. A sense of equilibrium comes simply from understanding reasons. And in pediatrics, when dealing with parental decisions for their child, knowing the reasons has practical importance in how we might help walk with parents through their child’s illness. This month, Schwartz Center Rounds hosts a panel of caregivers involved in a case of an infant with multiple medical issues and felt medically to require a surgical feeding tube. The child’s parent did not want it and when asked “why?” simply replied, “I just don’t.” The panel will talk about the experience of caring for this mother and child over several months trying to understand “why”. 

The Schwartz Rounds program offers healthcare providers regularly scheduled time during their fast-paced work lives to openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families. The focus is on the human dimension of health care.

Following a quick multidisciplinary discussion of a topic or case, audience members have an opportunity to share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings and to support each other in best practices of caring for patients and self-care. Schwartz Rounds will be held virtually on the 3rd Thursday of every month and is open to all employees.