Improving Healthcare in the U.S. #1: Initial Impressions as a Patient Monitor
Trigger Warning (TW): Brief mention of suicide, no elaborate details discussed. Just mentioning the word itself.
As a Patient Monitor, I have the privilege of serving on the frontlines in a clinical setting at one of the highest-ranked university hospitals in the state of New Jersey. I chose to pursue this role for a few reasons. First, my passion for caring, providing, and improving people’s state of being is unmatched. What better way of fulfilling this desire than to work hands-on in a clinical setting? Second, I recognize the lack of empathy, understanding, and representation that is present within medicine. Whether that be people misunderstanding mental illness or the lack of familiar faces serving a population. Finally, the third overarching reason I decided to pursue Patient Monitor was that I am extremely interested in healthcare and medicine — the macro/micro levels and all stages of the supply chain. I believe it is critical to understand how healthcare operates and functions at all its stages to have a holistic understanding to inform decisions and improve circumstances.
In my role so far, I’ve worked nine shifts in total. Each has been equally unique, enriching, and thought-provoking. Of course, serving patients experiencing one or multiple of a variety of mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders, psychiatric disorders, suicidality, and so forth can be challenging. Still, my passion for ensuring people’s safety and wellness is the priority and the driving factor for why I enjoy the work. Already, I have worked with patients who have recognized me for my exceptional care, parents have encouraged me to continue to pursue a career in medicine, and I have been reminded once again why I love to work in the field of healthcare and medicine. However, one factor I have learned that will be out of my hands until (1) medicine continues to rapidly develop, (2) our healthcare pol’s change exponentially, and (3) people begin to acknowledge the flaws of our healthcare system at a systemic level, is the sole fact of what happens to my patients after they are in my care.
Those living in the United States rarely take a moment to truly reflect and critique our healthcare system as it stands today. Of course, this depends greatly depending on your environment: whom you work alongside, what setting you work in, and what your personal views/ideologies may be. But for the large population of American’s who are unaware of our healthcare systems flaws or choose not to acknowledge/learn about them, this is a piece to offer perspective.
All of my patients thus far have been either voluntarily or non voluntarily committed. As part of the process, they have to wait multiple days for a bed to become available while receiving very little information (because the Doctor’s and Nurses genuinely do not know the expected timeline) and must then find a facility that is covered under their insurance and provides the services they need. This process can be anywhere from a couple of days to indefinitely. Regardless, this is a painfully slow process for the patients as they are forced to wait for all while not receiving adequate or entirely proper care. For instance, even the Mental Health Associates (MHA’s) primarily serve the patients, similar to how a Clinical Care Technician (CCT) would rather than offer a listening ear and provide the patients with emotional support throughout the process while at the hopsital. I credit this to the lack of understanding of what a mentally ill patient truly needs. Additionally, some inpatient facilities reject patients for a plethora of reasons oftentimes not providing justified reasoning. In fact, some patients struggle ever to find a facility, and when they do, it may not provide them with the proper quality care they deserve. Ultimately, we continue to see “regulars,” those who are stuck in a cycle within this system.
Of course, there are personal factors that play a role in these people’s lives. Still, in maintaining empathy and remembering our healthcare system’s role, we must recognize that our healthcare system is struggling to care for these people and lacks understanding in how to do so. This brief piece’s purpose was to serve as a reflection for myself and provoke perhaps thought in you, the reader. There is and always will be space to improve our healthcare system at all its stages. I pledge to do all I can in my power to learn and work to improve our healthcare from a systemic deductive approach. In my opinion, it is the only way to do so. Whether or not you work in healthcare, I hope all of you do your part in learning about our healthcare system, its flaws, and how we as individuals and a collective can make changes that will enhance the care of those who need it most. Feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions on how individuals and groups of people can begin tackling these issues! I look forward to reading any and all responses. As always my DM’s are open.
Wishing you happiness & wellness, Jorge L. Alvarez
Please note: I am very aware of the many gray areas, as with everything. This piece is meant to serve as an inside perspective as a Patient Monitor. The frustrations in seeing patients fall into a system that often is very underfunded, unprepared, and lacks the resources needed to fully serve people in the best way possible.
