I'm Here: Compassion in Patient Care with Marcus Engel

Compassionate Accountability Podcast

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, is joined by Marcus Engel in today’s episode.

Marcus M.S., CPXP, CSP, is a Certified Speaking Professional and author whose messages provide insight and strategies for excellent patient care. His keynote presentation, The Other End of the Stethoscope, has been witnessed by tens of thousands of healthcare professionals. His books are used in scores of nursing and allied health programs to teach the basic foundations of caregiving.

Marcus shares in this episode how compassion helped to transform pointless agonizing pain and suffering into an amazing journey of recovery and purpose; his story illustrates the transformative power of compassion.

What's In This Episode:

• What happened to Marcus, how it changed his life forever, and how he has used that experience to serve others.
• The two most important words you can say to another human being who is suffering.
• How do you “be here” with others in today’s busy and distracting world?
• The three most compassionate things you can say to another person.
• In light of limited resources, how can leaders create more compassionate systems and cultures?

Key Takeaways:

[3:40] What is Marcus’ story? Marcus shares his story of survival and healing.

[9:10] “I am here” Marcus talks about the importance of your presence as the greatest gift you can ever give.

[11:42] Marcus shares some key lessons he learned from his near-death experience that he now teaches others.

[13:43] “Hurting people hurt people” Marcus explains how he dealt with the guilt of knowing he hurt others during his recovery (mostly he was hurt).

[15:08] Suffering is an inevitable part of the human experience.

[16:17] Science backs up compassion.

[17:37] Marcus shares some tools for people to be present: I am here, Me too, I got you.

[19:39] Marcus summarizes the scientific research that backs up compassion.

[21:48] Dr. Nate discusses the three switches in a compassion relationship.

[22:30] Marcus believes that the fact that he was deeply hurt proposes he tries to prevent this from happening to others.

[24:00] Burnout can also look like compassion fatigue.

[26:57] What does the Healthcare administration can do right away to improve the patient experience?

[28:32] Everybody wants compassionate leadership.

[28:58] Marcus shares a particular interaction that had a huge effect on him.

[32:16] Are there any barriers that people face inside them that prevent them from being present for others?

[36:00] Dr. Nate shares the highlights of an amazing conversation with Marcus Engel.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

The Other End Of The Stethoscope - 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care, Marcus Engel

Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare Podcast

Learn more about Marcus Engel

Tweetables:

“Our presence is the greatest gift we can give to another human being.” #oncompassion

“Hurting, pain, and suffering are part of the human experience.” #oncompassion

“Non-judgemental awareness is another way to define compassion.” #oncompassion