Empathy - Needed More Than Ever

We are living in crazy times. Hallways of hospitals scattered with stretchers and mental crisis on the rise. We are all tired and worn... but that does not mean that we should forget our human side. That is one thing that we, providers and patients, all have in common. Look down a hallway and you'll see too many people isolated to a cellphone screen. Too many of us have lost our sense of empthy. Everyone has gone through different experiences in life.. different sorrows and troubles. Is it that we can't deal with our own that we try to escape that of others? I always say that empathy is 85% of EMS. Having compassion and listening.. advocating.. caring for those no matter what we may think we "know". It's the ability to see past someone's exterior that allows us to see who they are and what they have gone through. You don't have to have the answers.. you just have to engage and listen. Imagine your patient's potential life experience.. and try to feel what they feel. Just showing that you truly care makes a world of difference. Be better. Humanity deserves it.