Pre Med

Numb in the ER

I mentioned to a friend the feeling of numbness that develops while working in the ER. It hasn’t always been present for me, but often I have been so overwhelmed by what was going on around me, that I felt completely numb. The nurses and doctors seem numb as well, but it’s not because they are overwhelmed. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not. Emotion can cloud judgment, but isn’t the reason most people become doctors is because they care about people and want to help them?

My friend said that I should ask a doctor about this.

I haven’t had the chance to talk with a doctor or nurse about that feeling of numbness, but I’ll try and ask if I can. I see it all the time though. It’s frustrating. The doctor is always leaving the room abruptly, their mind on the next task. Often they seem to miss the fact that they are dealing with someone who may be very scared about what is going on, and a simple word of comfort (like , “we’re going to figure this out”) would make them feel a whole lot better.

I’m always struggling with this desire to say something like that when I leave the room, but I’m really not supposed to, plus I have no idea exactly what I’d say. Plus I’m really not involved in what happens to them at all, so any word of comfort I may say would sound hollow. And then my rational side says, what does it matter if we make the person feel better for a little while, is that going to make their illness go away? Shouldn’t a doctor be focused on the task at hand, helping people get physically better and not waste time worrying about their emotional well-being? I don’t like that, but I could see a doctor saying that to me.

And I’ve seen doctors who do both very well.  I think that is ideal. And yes, those doctors tend to be female.

Greater emotional awareness?  What do you think?

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