Here's how you can creatively meet the emotional and psychological needs of patients as a patient advocate.

Practice active listening—give your full attention to patients, showing empathy and understanding. Use creative communication techniques like storytelling to connect personally and build trust. Encourage patients to express their feelings openly, creating a safe space without judgment. Lastly, collaborate with healthcare teams to ensure holistic support that meets both medical and emotional needs. By combining these approaches, you can make a meaningful difference in patients' lives, supporting their emotional well-being and medical care.

Empathy is a beautiful word, but it's not always easy to feel it in the context of real sick people, especially in serious illnesses. Who can feel fear, pain, anticipation of death, and the lack of privacy with fortitude? Sickness is never pretty. We are afraid to face the pain of others, the crying, and bad smells, especially at death time. Now, medicine shows how illnesses progress like a horror show, and gives us the story of a declining body. In the past, sick people stayed at home, cared for by loved ones, and respected no matter whether they lived or died. Now, we fight with everyone's idea of suffering. We must relearn that sickness is a part of life and be kind to each other. Always think of what we would need and give it to others.

Sincere empathy unlocks trust in the medical field. Building trust also involves the family. The first impression starts as you walk through the door. Patients look into your eyes to see if you are kind or strictly business. Direct eye contact is crucial, not paperwork. Your tone should be gentle and natural, conveying genuine care. Introduce yourself and emphasize that you are there to alleviate their burdens. This shows you're not just a corporate figure. Ask what brought them to the hospital and, if comfortable, to share their story. Listen without interrupting. Reassure them that their needs will be noted and addressed in the next meeting. This approach builds a foundation of trust and demonstrates your commitment to supporting them.

Sometimes the best communication is being present for your patient/client. When you give of your time, to listen; you are giving them space to speak, release, and be vulnerable. When a clinician does this with genuine intent, we are able to pick up on the subconscious que’s that our patients is also providing us. Building trust and breaking down social stigmas allows our patients to truly have their concerns addressed. Showing empathy is certainly a way to reduce one’s anxiety and worries, however; being diligent and clinically sharp will allow the practitioner to capture a broader picture that the patient may not even realize or have the words to express. Each approach would be client specific and tailored to meet them “where they are at.”

As a patient advocate with empathy, you can creatively meet the emotional and psychological needs of patients in a multitude of ways. Here are some ideas that go beyond the standard approach: • Active Listening and Validation. • Creative Emotional Support. • Empowerment and Connection. Remember: • Tailor your approach: Every patient is unique. • Be patient and flexible: Building trust and rapport takes time. • Respect boundaries: While offering support, be mindful of their need for privacy and personal space. By employing these creative approaches with empathy at the core, you can make a significant impact on a patient's emotional and psychological well-being, fostering a more holistic healing process.

Effective communication is key to creatively meeting the emotional and psychological needs of patients as an advocate. Here are some strategies: • Active listening: be fully present, use body language, verbal cues, reflect and summarize. • Creative communication techniques: validation, normalization, open-ended questions, storytelling. • Tailoring communication: individualized approach, respectful language, focus on empowerment. Being a patient advocate is about building trust and rapport. By using effective communication, you can create a safe space for patients to express themselves, ultimately helping them feel supported and empowered throughout their healthcare journey.

There are two types of communications: .There is a communication that transfer patient state of health from deteriorating to healthy life state of life. . And a communication that expects an answer from the patient. By fostering an open communication or sharing ideas is different from meeting patients need and expectation. Recovery journey is when ever you get together again, you must find out that the patient is improving. Then you say recovery journey. It's not a one time being together with a patient.

Far too many believe communication is simply just verbal word exchange. That is far from fact. Are you multitasking while the patient talks? Are you facing them or just casually glancing from your screen? Are you offering soft expressions & rephrasing their words to clarify? Are they able to repeat back your words with faithful understanding? If we can become more in tune with the many different factors that contribute to successful, purposeful communication then I feel as though it can only allow a better outcome for that patient.

When we're in trouble that goes beyond our usual methods of resolution, we need creativity. First, it's important to organize information: what is a situation that can be solved depending on our decisions: that's a problem, and what is just an unpleasant scenario that can't be changed, that is not. Some activities can help us feel better, but we need to activate the part of our brain where all new thoughts are created. When facing a crisis, there are three possible outcomes: to stay the same, to get worse, or to improve our coping mechanisms. So, think new thoughts and apply them, ask for help and accept it, and imagine the unimaginable, because in the end the suffering, the improvement, and the new ways of dealing with life are all ours.

This! I wish so many could see that WE are the voice for our patients. We are the ones that can relay concerns we notice to the provider. We are the ones that can correctly educate our patient and confirm understanding. We tailor our care to the patient individually. From my personal perspective. I’m not going to allow a nonverbal patient to sit alone and not get the chance to express their concerns. I would now step up my advocacy for them and know that I may need to devote a bit more attention in this case. Whereas a 35 yr old independent male that can most definitely be their own best advocate, while still needing my role as a voice for them, will not need as much advocacy as the nonverbal patient.

This! I wish so many could see that WE are the voice for our patients. We are the ones that can relay concerns we notice to the provider. We are the ones that can correctly educate our patient and confirm understanding. We tailor our care to the patient individually. From my personal perspective. I’m not going to allow a nonverbal patient to sit alone and not get the chance to express their concerns. I would now step up my advocacy for them and know that I may need to devote a bit more attention in this case. Whereas a 35 yr old independent male that can most definitely be their own best advocate, while still needing my role as a voice for them, will not need as much advocacy as the nonverbal patient.

The way people interact with a community varies according to values, times, cultures, individual needs, social environment, and the way each person perceives it. We are social beings, but modern life, with its ways of technical communication, armed conflicts, and the sense of individual competition as a value, tends to separate some more than others. Poor countries usually must solve their common problems together, while rich countries are resourceful and can solve their problems both individually and in groups. Healthy human relationships improve mental health by sharing experiences, the best and the worst, individual and collective. The warmth of human contact wards off feelings of helplessness, making more people happy and organized.

When you don't have the answers, you give them what they need. That is an empathetic presence that is ready to listen. The power of presence is one thing often overlooked because we seem to always want to fix it. Maturity and skill teaches that is usually not attainable or wanted.

The vital effort to live better is an enormous but beautiful and beneficial way of keeping, and improving our general health, and our mental one. Let´s do it!

A mi me ha resultado útil informarme a través de cursos y seminarios de los aspectos generales de los derechos legales de las personas victimas de abuso sexual, violencia familiar y bullying, que son de las situaciones más comunes qué sé presentan. Así puedo hacer hincapié en que existen instancias y recursos a su favor qué la mayoría de las veces desconocen como por ejemplo protocolos de actuación en las escuelas en casos de bullying, estos protocolos han sido aprobados por las leyes estatales; los procesos de entrevista para evitar revictimización en victimas de abuso sexual; programa SALVA en el estado de Sonora a favor de las victimas de violencia intrafamiliar con un abordaje multidisciplinario.