New rounds focus on human side of care- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
New rounds focus on human side of care- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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September 8, 2000
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In This Issue:
A New Dimension
New rounds focus on human side of care
Blood Challenge Continues
ASK YOURSELF: How can I protect myself from TB?
National Respiratory Care Week
PIKE NOTES
The topics discussed at the new Schwartz Center Rounds, to begin October 5, will not be business as usual. “Unlike most hospital rounds, which are largely discussions on what clinically happened in patient care, the Schwartz Rounds will bring together the interdisciplinary team to look at issues that relate to the emotional, psychosocial and spiritual dynamics that affect health-care providers in caring for people who are sick or dying,” said Martha Jurchak, R.N., Ph.D., assistant director of the Ethics Service. The Ethics Service, headed by Lynn Peterson, M.D., is the principal department involved in planning and coordinating the rounds. The monthly forum will examine the human dimension of individual cases, said Jurchak. For example: “What is it like for a 40-year-old nurse to care for a woman of the same age dying of breast cancer? How does a physician who is a father cope with the death of a child in his care? If we know a patient is addicted to painkillers, what medication levels do we provide?” The Schwartz Center, initiated at Massachusetts General Hospital, was named for Kenneth (Cont. on p.2) Schwartz Center (Cont. from p.1) Schwartz—a young lawyer who, when dying of cancer, talked about his experience in a large teaching hospital. “Although he was surrounded by amazing technological interventions, he found the human side of care was often overlooked,” said Jurchak. “The Schwartz Rounds will help guide care-givers to respond humanly and humanely to patients and their family members. It also will support the care-givers as they face difficult situations.” Schwartz Center Rounds will be held at 11:30 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month in the Carrie M. Hall Conference Center starting October 5. Lunch will be served. All caregivers at BWH are welcome. For more information, please contact the Ethics Service at 732-8590.