Apr 26

A Judgment-Free Zone

Happy Monday, and welcome to Medical Mondays! I have a relatively short one today, but it’s on a topic that I think is extremely important, and something that I don’t feel is often addressed/stressed. Truth be told, I think this should be practiced everywhere, but especially in health care. It should be a judgment-free zone.

My mom works as a NICU nurse, and one of the things she’s always emphasized to me is that you should always, always be kind to others.

You don’t know what it is that’s going on in their life, and until you’ve truly lived their life, you cannot possibly know what it is that they’re dealing with. People can be exceptionally talented at hiding their problems.

I don’t know where this quote comes from (if anyone does, feel free to enlighten me), but I think it’s fitting:

Sometimes the strongest people are the ones who love beyond all faults, cry behind closed doors and fight battles that nobody knows about.”

bekind

No matter how much someone else’s beliefs or practices may clash with yours, it doesn’t give you reason to judge them.

I live in a fairly conservative area, and I’m not gonna lie, since I hail from the bay area in California, there have been times where I’ve felt extremely uncomfortable about certain statements I’ve overheard. As a general rule, I steer clear from voicing my beliefs on any controversial/political topics, because although that should have no bearing on the grade I receive, I know that it can definitely be a factor.

I’m working with one of my favorite preceptors thus far right now, and one of the things I like most about him is the fact that he’s so open-minded and nonjudgmental.

No matter what your thoughts and opinions are on a person’s living habits and practices, it should in no way ever affect the type of care that you provide to your patients.

It is not in our place to judge others. #nohate #nojudgment #noprejudice

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Our job is to provide the best care we can, no matter what it is they believe in, or what it is that they’ve done.

Can that be difficult?

Of course it can! (But no one ever said it’d be easy.)

I am far from perfect, and over the past year, I’ve definitely gotten somewhat jaded whilst dealing with drug seekers who milk the welfare system and take away from the people who actually need it, but that should never, ever affect the way that I treat them.

Our job is to foster a welcoming and supportive environment where our patients feel comfortable with telling us about issues that may contribute to different health care conditions that we need to address. If we’re not doing this, we’ve already lost the battle.

I came up with this design ages ago for our class t-shirt contest! :]
Disclaimer: This is where I reiterate that I am merely a medical student struggling through the world that is her clinical rotations. The statements made on this blog should not be taken as medical advice to treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please contact your own physician or health care provider before starting a health or fitness/wellness program. (See full disclaimer here.)

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32 comments

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  1. Such an important message and concept, and one that I am so glad is in place–that doctors have taken an oath to treat any and all, regardless. Life is full of enough judgment, your doctor should not be one included in that!
    Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Randolph Street Market Foodie Finds and Rest #MIMMMy Profile

    1. Agreed! I think some doctors lose sight of that sometimes, and it’s really depressing! :[

  2. YES! I think anyone in the medical field has a tough task to NOT be judgmental BUT the fact that a patient feels comfortable enough to be open and honest with a doctor speaks volumes in the first place!
    Amber recently posted…What to Eat with IBSMy Profile

    1. For sure! I really want my patients to feel comfortable enough to tell me anything–if they don’t, I might not be able to help them to the best of my ability!

  3. Couldn’t have said it any better!! We all have our problems and they are important to us. We are on this journey trying to figure things out and if we get to have the unconditional and unprejudiced help from someone else that doesn’t ask why, then that makes the journey a better experience. We all have our own battles, so let’s not start new ones! :)
    Elsie @ Sharing Healthiness recently posted…How to Live With The Past, Embrace The Present and Look Towards The FutureMy Profile

    1. Indeed! :] (I wish everyone had that mentality!!)

  4. Love. This. I do my best not to judge (though I am human) but I always try to remember that we can never truly know what it is like to be in someone else’s shoes. We all take our own path for our own reasons and the best thing we can do as friends is be supportive and not judge!
    Annmarie recently posted…Meatless Monday: Grilled Portobello + Italian Eggplant Cutlet Burger with Marinara SauceMy Profile

    1. Me too! I feel myself doing that in my head sometimes, but I’m definitely working on it too! Remembering that you only ever know part of someone’s story really does help though!

  5. good post! i totally agree … if only the medical profession did too X

    1. I think a lot of us really try to, but it can definitely be difficult!

  6. I absolutely love that quote and this post. It is impossible to know what goes on behind closed doors – either literal doors, or in people’s minds – and being kind to all is something we should all be more careful to do!
    Alyssa @ Renaissancerunnergirl recently posted…Run As One Race RecapMy Profile

    1. Agreed! :] I think sometimes, the smallest act of kindness can make the biggest difference in someone’s life!

  7. Such an important reminder! I know how you feel with moving to an area that’s quite different from the one you left. Living in the south has taken some getting used it. Thanks you sharing this!

    1. It definitely has, but at the same time, people here have been, on the whole, wayyyy friendlier too! (That actually took some getting used to too!)

  8. I love this post! I know exactly what you mean; I, myself, am pretty conservative. I’m a teacher, so I refrain from partaking in most political and even some religious conversations with my teenaged students. I just remember that it’s okay to disagree with people and it’s okay that we’re not all the same.
    Kate recently posted…Weekend Recap | The Silver Caboose and Family Time (A Lengthy Post)!My Profile

    1. Agreed! I don’t force my beliefs on others, so I really appreciate it when they don’t do that with me either! I try to steer clear of most political/religious discussions, especially with the really hard-headed ones who refuse to see another person’s point of view.

  9. I love this!! I saw an issue like this on The Night Shift. The guy judge a girl for being over weight but it turned out she had a brain problem which caused her to be overweight. It was an interesting show it reminded me of everything you just said. It’s true we can’t judge because we never know what’s happening behind the scenes.
    Jazmine recently posted…Single & Ready To MingleMy Profile

    1. For sure! It’s not right to judge someone when you can only see one little slice of their life!

  10. My stand is always, treat people like how you want to be treated. As much as possible (I admit sometimes I can’t help it) I avoid judging people because I don’t know their whole story and I’m just looking at a glimpse. This is a great post! :)

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    Alyssa recently posted…The Most Seductive Scents Proven by ScienceMy Profile

    1. Thank, Alyssa! I’m the same way! I very much love the “treat others how you’d like to be treated” mentality. :] The world would be a much better place if people subscribed to that!

  11. I couldn’t of said it better myself Farrah! Especially when you said, ” People can be exceptionally talented at hiding their problems.” That is so me the majority of the time. One of my biggest faults is I don’t like feeling vulnerable. And that’s only when it comes to my problems…..I wish I could change that about me….
    Channing recently posted…Unbroken & Stronger Than EverMy Profile

    1. Same here! I never like sharing/talking about my problems, so I’m pretty good at hiding them too–I don’t like bothering people with them because I always feel like mine are trivial compared to the things other people might be going through.

  12. Definitely an important thing to learn! I’m guilty of being judgmental sometimes, but I try not to be, esp on things such as how someone lives their life and their religious/political beliefs. I’m super liberal and New Agey so I tend to NOT share my beliefs because many people don’t agree with me anyway and it just starts arguments. I’ve also heard statements that I think are ignorant to the core (many coming from my dad) but I try to just let it go because I’m not going to change his mind and the argument isn’t worth it.
    Montana Ross recently posted…Weekend Snapshots (#6): Triathlons, Tent Sales, and Meeting Nicole DeBoom!My Profile

    1. I’m fairly liberal as well (especially in the equal rights for everyone realm), but I steer clear of any kind of conversation about that here (or at church; har har). I’ve heard a lotttt of ignorant statements as well, and I’ve been learning to just let it go for most of them if it’s clear that they’re never going to change their mind about it.

  13. Preach it, sister. I love this post. Thanks for this fantastic reminder because you’re right, people ARE exceptionally talented at hiding problems.
    Rachel recently posted…Recipe Monday: Vegan Sloppy JoesMy Profile

    1. Thanks, Rachel! <3

  14. I went through this same thing as a massage therapist. No matter who the client is, what they say, or what they believe, they are still your client and it’s your job to provide the best service you can. =)
    Jaime recently posted…Mission Tortillas Coupon: Print for $.45 Tortillas at Kroger!My Profile

    1. Exactly! <3

  15. Did you ever watch Private Practice? I would never want to be one of their patients because there was always behind the scenes judging and bedside preaching going on! I certainly expect my health care providers to give treatment without judgment, but I guess that doesn’t always happen.
    Coco (@Got2Run4Me) recently posted…The 31st GW Parkway Classic Race RecapMy Profile

    1. I haven’t seen it, but I may have to look into it! I never knew Grey’s Anatomy had a spinoff! :O (I’m a billion seasons behind on that, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised…)

  16. I love this message. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be more positive and less judgmental. It is MUCH harder than I thought. I have to constantly remind myself of it. I’m hoping one day it will become second nature to always see the positive and not jump to conclusions.
    Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…Meal Planning With Macros – Part IIMy Profile

    1. Thanks, Nicole! It can definitely be challenging sometimes, but keeping it in mind helps a lot!

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