I Should Have

There's something strangely heart breaking in the You Should'ves: You should've treated the infection sooner! You should've made the diagnosis faster! You should've done more! These words uttered accusingly from a patient's mouth can cut to the core of a physician.  We've all been there.  No matter how rigorous your skills and training, there will be many bad outcomes.  Unfortunately, from time to time, a patient or family will point the finger directly at you. I don't blame them.  How else to deal with death, destruction, and illness.  Some turn inward.  Some point to the heavens and ask why.  And some look you in the eye and spit venom in your direction. I always try to step back and appraise the situation as objectively as possible.  I am not infallible.  Humans make human mistakes.  But often, I find, that bad things happen without adequate explanation.  We are both wondrous machines with infinite intricacy and ticking time bombs all at the same time.  If I thought accepting the burden of blame would ease the suffering, I would throw myself under the bus without question.  We all know this won't undue that which has already been done. Yet, there is a menace, even more devastating to the psyche of those who have taken such sacred oaths.  I am referring to none other then the havoc wreaked by the I should'ves.  Every physician I know is haunted by the times when their skill fell...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - Category: Family Physicians Authors: Source Type: blogs