Solidarity Week helps students learn about patient-centered care
EVMS students spent time learning more about patients during the Gold Humanism Honor Society’s (GHHS) Solidarity Week.
It’s a week of recognition around the country for all GHHS chapters, medical schools, and patient care institutions to celebrate their dedication to ensuring compassionate, patient-centered care.
As part of the initiative, EVMS students participated in the Tell Me More campaign. They stopped by patient rooms at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and asked them to answer questions about their background.
“By talking to our patients, we can learn more about their life, what motivates them and how we can best support them through their care,” says Kelly Willett, MD Class 2018. “Being hospitalized isn’t easy, but if we can partner with them in their recovery, the outcomes are going to be better.”
After they finishing answering questions on the Tell Me More poster, they hung them up where other nurses and physicians would be able to see them as they entered the room.
Ciara Lattimer was one of the patients that students spoke with and she felt the poster gave her care a boost. “I felt like they got to know me better because they were able to learn things about me that they might not have otherwise known,” says Ms. Lattimer. “It definitely improved my experience.”
The national Gold Humanism Honor Society office established National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care in 2011 to highlight the nation-wide movement promoting provider-patient relationships based on caring, personalization, and mutual respect.