Safety is King

That time Clara Cohen from AcuPro Academy made me king for a day…

Have you ever watched one of my Youtube videos? I say it every time at the end:

Safety is king,
bedside manner is king,
and results are king,
in that order.

If our patient’s safety is our top priority in the clinic, nothing can go wrong. No punctured lungs. No burned skin.

If we consider our tone of voice, the things we say, and our body language, we will come off as respectful and approachable.

If we are result-oriented, and this means that we are treating our patient’s chief concern seriously, we will gain rapport and our patients will feel comfortable opening up about their other health concerns.

In that order. Safety is always first.

Putting safety first means adhering to strict clean needle technique, setting up a clean field, cleaning our cups, and changing the bedclothes between patients. Being safe in the clinic doesn’t just protect our patients - it also protects us! If we have an accident in the clinic and get sick, we can’t continue to bring Chinese medicine to as many people as possible.

Lastly, being safe in the clinic protects others we work with. I can’t tell you how many times I have found a chiropractor or physiotherapist’s acupuncture needle on the floor when I’ve come in for my shift. I wonder, “Is it a new needle? Has it been used? How can I safely pick it up from the carpet and put it in the sharps container?”

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