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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Humility

I often say on this blog how I am the humble RT. Yet the question of the day is, is your humble RT really humble? Are you humble?

Let's investigate this "humble" word.

According to Wikepedia, humble is defined as such:
"Humility (adjectival form: humble) is the quality of being modest, reverential, even politely submissive, and never being arrogant, contemptuous, rude or even self-abasing. Humility, in various interpretations, is widely seen as a virtue in many religious and philosophical traditions, being connected with notions of transcendent
unity with the universe or the divine, and of egolessness.

Humility means being aware of the feelings and needs of the people around you and finding a place for them in your heart. Sometimes needs are short term, sometimes long term.

Needs? What are needs?

Needs can be something physical like food and water and shelter, or something internal, like an ear to listen to you, a hug, or a friend.

Most people who are nurses and RTs say they went into medical field because they love people. Yet do they truly have "empathy?" Do they truly have humility?

I don't see humility when I approach the nurses station and the staff is complaining about how they didn't get a raise for the year, and how the bosses are "ignorant" for not giving "me" a raise.
I don't see humility in that, because a person with humility would see that the boss didn't give anyone raises so all staff could keep their jobs. A humble person would jump into his bosses shoes and see what it's like from that perspective.

I have humility, I would imagine, when I get called stat to do an EKG that is not needed in my opinion. The whole time I'm walking down there I'm thinking what I'm going to tell the irritating nurses who keep calling me stat for non life threatening instances.

Yet, once I see the nurse, I see them as the people they are, just working to make a living. So, instead of complaining to them, instead of lecturing them, I keep my mouth shut and just do the job.

I do it with a smile. I enjoy it.

Say it's slow at work and your boss says, "One of you RTs needs to go home." Your coworker is burned out and really wants to go home. Yet she says, "Why don't you go home, you have little kids and a wife who is sick."

That was a humble act in my opinion.

Some doctors in the emergency room will not consider the opinions of any other person in the room. They order what they want and complain when it's not done. They walk with their heads high as though they are better than everyone else. Humble they are not.

On the other hand, the humble doctor says, "Does any one else in the room have any ideas that might help this patient?"

Humility is sacrificing your pride to make someone else happy. Humility is sacrificing your time to make someone else happy. Humility is sacrificing yourself to make someone else happy.

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