How to not be socially awkward around patients?

[Kurk]

I never thought, nor did I want, to ask this question but...

I'm going to be volunteering at a hospital soon. This will entail a variety of tasks, many of which involve interacting directly with patients (e.g transporting, greeting, visiting, etc).

I can give really good pre-planned speeches and such to large groups of people, however it requires a bit more effort to strike up small-talk and speak genuinely with individuals. I don't have a problem with projection (unless it gets too awkward) but rather with just maintaining the conversation and coming up with things to say. I usually just observe what other people do in these situations and try to mimic them; sometimes it works, other times not so much.

I want to make sick people feel well, not awkward.

Could you give me a scenario of what you would do with say, transporting a patient via wheelchair?

Thanks

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[Toutie]

Work a retail job for a while. It is one of the best ways to become comfortable with small talk.

 

[deleted407021]

You are thinking about this too hard. I do the same thing -- default to over analyzing everything. I started out at a free clinic being a bit awkward with patients. But, with time and practice, I became more and more comfortable with a diverse group of people and more confident in my abilities to communicate. Now, I easily navigate each patient encounter with confidence.

Go in with the understanding that you'll almost certainly improve with practice. No need to push it or try to be scripted. Just enjoy it and you'll likely see your communication skill grow.

 

[eteshoe]

Observe and ask benign questions to start. As they answer just try to follow the natural flow of the conversation. Ask something. Tell something. Rinse. Repeat. Practice. Eventually you'll get the hang of it.

 

[mcloaf]

Practice. It's not something that necessarily comes naturally to most of us, and it's even harder as a volunteer when you don't always feel like you have much to offer. Sports are a safe thing to start with.

 

[Kurk]

I don't have time to get a retail job (plus why they hire someone who's socially awkward in the first place) nor can I start a sport. Well, I play golf but that's not much of a team sport and that doesn't start until August.

Say I'm transporting someone in a wheelchair, how would I go about communicating with them? Do I introduce myself and then push them where they need to go saying something about the weather every 10 seconds? I genuinely don't know what to do.

 

[Mad Jack]

Work a retail job for a while. It is one of the best ways to become comfortable with small talk.

That's what I did. Nothing like a few years of retail sales in college to beat the awkwardness out of you. Though patients are still a very different experience, largely because they're often older than you and there's this power differential where you're just some kid that they're hoping to help save their damn life. It's a weird dynamic to get used to, and takes some time.

But really, it's simple:

Step 1: Don't be weird.
Step 2: Be normal.

That's it.

 

[URHere]

When it comes to volunteering, there may be less need for small talk than you expect. When I volunteered, I was generally just popping in and out of patient rooms, telling patients that I was a volunteer, asking if they needed warm blankets, and telling them to let me know if they needed anything during their stay. Even if you're wheeling patients around, you can usually just start by explaining factual things: "My name is X. I'm going to take you down to Y. It will take about Z minutes. Do you have everything you need?". If it's a long trip, you can usually let the patient guide the conversation. If they want to talk, they'll probably ask you if you're in school. If they start a conversation, just answer their questions and ask them benign things like "are you originally from this part of town?".

Be aware that some questions might have awkward answers - if you ask an old man what his plans are for after discharge, be prepared to occasionally hear something like "I'm going back to the nursing home to die alone because my family has abandoned me". So...tread carefully or your foot might find its way into your mouth.

Ultimately, patients are just people, and 99% of them have a lot more on their mind than whatever you're trying to talk to them about. You'll be fine.

 

[Kurk]

When it comes to volunteering, there may be less need for small talk than you expect. When I volunteered, I was generally just popping in and out of patient rooms, telling patients that I was a volunteer, asking if they needed warm blankets, and telling them to let me know if they needed anything during their stay. Even if you're wheeling patients around, you can usually just start by explaining factual things: "My name is X. I'm going to take you down to Y. It will take about Z minutes. Do you have everything you need?". If it's a long trip, you can usually let the patient guide the conversation. If they want to talk, they'll probably ask you if you're in school. If they start a conversation, just answer their questions and ask them benign things like "are you originally from this part of town?".

Be aware that some questions might have awkward answers - if you ask an old man what his plans are for after discharge, be prepared to occasionally hear something like "I'm going back to the nursing home to die alone because my family has abandoned me". So...tread carefully or your foot might find its way into your mouth.

Ultimately, patients are just people, and 99% of them have a lot more on their mind than whatever you're trying to talk to them about. You'll be fine.

So how should I react if I get the old man response of going back to the nursing home to die?

 

[Toutie]

Strike up a conversation about the fancy car you want to buy when you make the big bucks.

 

[Kurk]

Strike up a conversation about the fancy car you want to buy when you make the big bucks.

I would, but I know that they're going to tell me how it's socially unacceptable and that I need to drive a Prius for the rest of my life because only then can they relate to me.

 

[URHere]

So how should I react if I get the old man response of going back to the nursing home to die?

1) Don't end up in that situation in the first place.

2) You can never go wrong by saying, "I can't imagine what that must be like", "That must be difficult do deal with", or "I'm sorry you have to go through that". People generally appreciate honest sympathy.

 

[ComputerGuy365]

You're overthinking it. Just act normally.

 

[Kurk]

Thank you for the honest responses.

 

[grapp]

I never thought, nor did I want, to ask this question but...

I'm going to be volunteering at a hospital soon. This will entail a variety of tasks, many of which involve interacting directly with patients (e.g transporting, greeting, visiting, etc).

I can give really good pre-planned speeches and such to large groups of people, however it requires a bit more effort to strike up small-talk and speak genuinely with individuals. I don't have a problem with projection (unless it gets too awkward) but rather with just maintaining the conversation and coming up with things to say. I usually just observe what other people do in these situations and try to mimic them; sometimes it works, other times not so much.

I want to make sick people feel well, not awkward.

Could you give me a scenario of what you would do with say, transporting a patient via wheelchair?

Thanks

I have 100+ hours of volunteering and I also shadow physicians, plus surgeons whenever I get the opportunity. If your looking on entering the medical field this is something you should try to fix, unless you want to work in the records office...

A few tips that have helped me:
- Make Reasonable Eye Contact *I used to never do this lol*
- Firm Handshake *again, I never did this*
- Affirmative Voice *not shallow and quiet, but not screaming*
- Dress Well *sounds lame, but I know how it feels to be in a rush, the better you feel the more confident you will come across.
- Pre-Lines *I don't recommend this but I used to do this to help the conversation get started, hey, I'm OP poster and I'll be your volunteer for the day.*

E.g. Good luck, but whether it's a pharmacist or a neurosurgeon at John Hopkins, both require patient contact.