The 'cut' in a sterile society

A sterile landscape: an open wound in (health)care

How does the healthcare system respond to people? I wondered. To make my research from within the system as real as possible, I took a large kitchen knife and I stabbed myself recently in my left hand, resulting in a deep cut.

7.15 pm - After Anneleen's first concerns, my wife is a nurse, and after having eaten my pepperoni pizza (first things first!), I tufted to one of the largest medical centers in Flanders. A 15 minute ride. The accessibility of medical care in Belgium in such proximity is fantastic!

8.45 pm - Upon my arrival at the emergency department (Saturday night) I was met with a friendly and efficient reception. After registering, I was directed to the waiting room. About seven pairs of anxious eyes glanced at me. I could hear them think… ‘competition is here’. And they were right because a steady stream of people looking for first medical aid followed behind me.

9 pm - I found a seat in a somewhat secluded space, clearly designed for a maximum of two people, providing a slight degree of separation from the other patients. It was evident that these segregated chairs were not meant to offer any comfort, despite the considerable amount of time I would spend in them. In the corner of the room, a television screen irritatingly beckoned for my attention. I found that rather strange because that flickering screen served to provide some distraction, but at the same time the design of the waiting room is such that it discouraged interpersonal interactions. Call me old fashion but is there no distraction to be found in human conversation?

"KEMP..." - "KEMPENS" - "KEPPENS" - "KEMPKES!"

Periodically, a nurse would enter the waiting room and call out a patient's family name in a loud voice, ready to embark a mysterious journey. Not preceded by ‘sir’ or ‘madam’. Could that be for a gender-neutral reason, I asked myself? Or was it more the straightforward approach of the nurse in question? After all, isn't wrapping paper just waste in the end? Anyway, after an hour, my turn arrived, and the nurse called out my name forcefully but faltering: "KEMP..." - "KEMPENS" - "KEPPENS" - "KEMPKES!"

I shouted “YES!” back at him. A spontaneous reaction.

“Wow, this goes smoothly” I thought. After a small hour I was skilfully guided to waiting room 2. The prospect of getting stitched gave me active hope and a moment of joy. Unfortunately, I was unable to share my little happiness with other patients. Here too, the interior architect had done his best to nip any form of unprompted interaction between patients in the bud. Although the commandment 'You shall not communicate among yourselves!' was missing as a mural on the sterile-looking hospital room, it definitely lingered in the medical atmosphere. “Please wait here” said the nurse “the box (?) is not yet available”.   

By chance, I started chatting with a young couple whose male counterpart had suffered a foot injury sustained during an indoor football match. It appeared to be a severe sprained ankle, but there were concerns of more serious damage. He was clearly in pain and most definitely not able to make it to the dance floor later that night.  Our conversation seemed to provide some solace and a smile, momentarily distracting him from his discomfort. For a moment, he forgot that he had feet.

In the meantime, the attending female doctor offered her apologies to me because the waiting time was going in the wrong direction. I assured her that I was quite at ease with the situation and understood that others might require more urgent attention. In the background her colleague nurse, a conscientious man, was bouncing up and down to meet everyone’s need.

As I entered the beginning of the third waiting hour (11 pm), the young couple had an X-ray framed of the sprained ankle and I was cleared to shift to 'the box'. For the next half hour, I closed my eyes and listened to the symphony of alarms, calls, and ringtones.

11.30 pm – Showtime!

Once more the attending doctor apologized profusely for the long wait. She pondered whether three hours for two stitches was acceptable. I reassured her that I had no qualms about the delay and understood the constraints they were operating under. She was hungry, she said. It had already been a long day.

11.45 pm - After patching me up, she kindly informed me that I could have the stitches removed by my personal doctor after seven days. I mentioned that my wife Anneleen, a nurse herself, would take care of it. She readily accepted the suggestion.

After a final check and a tetanus shot (feeling sore for 2 days!) she reiterated that I could schedule the removal of the stitches with my doctor seven days later. “Yes, but my wife is a nurse”, it simmered in my head, but my tongue protested in the execution ... . "Never mind" I thought, "she has a hungry excuse and her day long". Food is a cognitive booster.

Midnight - Another fifteen minutes later, I found myself back on the street, two stitches richer, with a tetanus shot under my belt, and a scar in the making.                                          

Grateful for the medical help and wondering how the boy and his painful ankle would be.

My Key Insights:

1) A knife wields danger: a stark and bloody reminder that a knife is a perilous tool;

2) Recognize the peril in your approach: When you acknowledge the hazards of your current strategy, it's essential not just to mitigate the risks but to explore alternative approaches. In this context, it would have entailed seeking a more secure method to remove excess candle wax;

3) Sterile surroundings breed sterile conversation: The environment we find ourselves in can significantly influence the nature of our communication;                                                                                                         

4) My family name is tough to pronounce correctly in 1 sitting but I find it important that it is pronounced correctly out of respect for my ancestors;

5) Fostering human interaction lies at the core of any professional expertise: Encouraging genuine human connections is a fundamental element of any specialized field;

6) Human warmth and genuine interest are invaluable: The profound significance of warmth and sincere interest in all interactions.