Rhetoric of Gratitude in Healthcare

Being a paramedic is one of the world’s most stressful jobs. Being exposed to the trauma of others on a daily basis and having to respond calmly in time-critical situations are difficult enough. Combine these with widespread incompetent management practices and a crisis in recruitment, and it is no wonder that the suicide rate in paramedics is widely believed to be amongst the highest in any profession. This moving account of the stresses faced by a paramedic provoked an outpouring of appreciation on social media. Similarly, in response to a snippy comment left on an ambulance windscreen, and other stories of paramedics receiving unwarranted abuse, paramedic Rob Moore used Twitter to urge the public to share good news stories using the hashtag #BlueLightHappy. “It’s time for a morale boost,” he said.

What is noticeable about the hundreds of expressions of gratitude flooding in on Twitter is how few paramedics are thanked by name. When people are in extremis, they are hardly ever able to focus clearly enough to find out or remember the names of the paramedics that have come to their aid. The result is a lot of generalised gratitude. But that thanks rarely makes it back to the paramedics at whom it is aimed. Even if paramedics recognise themselves from the patient’s description of the incident, gratitude cannot gather momentum within their organisation unless those individuals are named.

If you are unlucky enough to need to services of a paramedic, here is some advice:

(1) Hospitals will have records of the paramedics who admitted you. When you are well enough, find out who they are and make sure your gratitude reaches them. Or if you have friends or family who say, ‘How can I help?’, you know what to ask them to do. Your detective work will be much appreciated.

(2) Social media is great. Proclaim your gratitude on Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. Write to your local paper. But personal expressions of gratitude are so worthwhile too. Cards are treasured by health-care professionals. Especially if they are personally addressed.

(3) Be specific about what you are grateful for. Most health care professions find it difficult to accept gratitude because, they say, ‘I was just doing my job.’ And they are right. But you probably aren’t thanking them for just doing their job. You are probably thanking them for particular instances of kindness, or something small that made a huge difference to you when you were in crisis. It is helpful for paramedics to have that feedback. It helps them to help others.

Patient gratitude will not solve the multiple crises facing the emergency services. But when the system is broken, we need to fall back on individual, communicative acts of kindness. Saying “thank you” is a small act that makes a big difference.