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Susan E. Mazer, Ph.D. Blog

Thoughts and ideas on healthcare

Hi, and welcome to my blog! I'm Susan E. Mazer -- a knowledge expert and thought leader on how the environment of care impacts the patient experience. Topics I write about include safety, satisfaction, hospital noise, nursing, care at the bedside, and much more.

The Day After Thanksgiving

November 27, 2015

Reducing Hospital NoiseWhile gratitude on Thanksgiving Day is not only tradition, but a marketable concept, the day after Thanksgiving has become the start of the holiday shopping stampede, basically the biggest shopping day of the year.

It’s the day that gratitude goes the way of Walmart.

At the same time, however, in each hospital, the day after Thanksgiving (and every other day…)  is a celebration of life because that is what’s at stake. Unfortunately, it too is often lost in the complexity of the hospital environment.

Frequently and without forethought, the immediate needs of an illness or surgery take over the sense of life for patients, nurses, physicians, and caregivers. That’s why it’s up the rest of us to remind you of how much we depend on you and how much we appreciate all that you do each day.

And, it’s not enough to casually say that “every day is Thanksgiving,” because a day in the hospital is not like any other day. Patterns form for those who work in hospitals, but the nature of the uniqueness of each patient is a reminder of what you are really doing “when entrusted with the health of another.”

So, I’m expressing my deep appreciation for each of you who has chosen to spend the majority of every day in a healthcare facility, caring for patients or supporting those that do. I’m grateful that you are part of the mosaic of our communities and present in the lives of those around you.

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