A little Model goes a long way

Most Hospice don’t really try. My biggest surprise in
this world is the acceptance of mediocrity. Hospice
Managers throw some money and scowls around and
expect quality to get better. Case in point: I asked
a nurse how much she retained from the required
educational events and organization’s teaching
methods. She said, “About 5%, if that.” This story
could be told on nearly every Hospice in the country.
Let’s be Teachers, but let’s carefully choose what
we want to teach . . . and make it stick. Just a little
better on a few key things will simplify and amplify the
quality of care for patients and families.
Super-simplify legal and reg teaching. Distill it
down to what can be retained.
Teach from the chair—Teach to the feeling.
Teach so that nothing essential is left out. The
Hospice visit should be structured so carefully
that even a patient can tell if a clinician omits
a vital piece.
Teach clinicians how to touch with meaning.
Teach every clinician how to draw out the
patient’s story, and thereby validate the
patient’s life.
And remember, you haven’t taught unless you
test. Clinical Managers must do ride-alongs
with clinicians and random “visit call-outs” in
the lab so we verify visits are to Standard and
teach adding the feeling to the visit.
Here are the essentials
1. Design your visit and hold clinicians to it.
2. Become a teaching organization.
3. Teach to the feeling (touch and stories are the
feeling).