Vision, purpose and values

My name is Maria and I had a traumatic brain injury in 2007. So that meant that I had neurosurgery, had a a subdural hematoma, and I was in the PA hospital. And I spent a significant amount of time there. after the accident and also when I was recovering. We had the most yeah, positive experience with everyone that we interacted with and that included the doctors and the physios and the occupational therapists and the nursing team as well.

It, Felt like no matter who I spoke to, everyone had my interests at heart and that included you know, making time for my sister when she came in to help me with personal care and then following up with my family. And then when my employer came in, so it yeah, it certainly made for a really good recovery.

You know, yeah, it was one less thing to worry about was, was the relationships with that. That patient care team that I had throughout my stay. Yeah, in the hospital system, like around that bed, so to speak really, really good. Like everybody seemed to be as one with each other. There didn't seem to be a lot of hierarchy happening within those within those teams.

The only disconnect that I ever felt was with the neuropsychologist. It was like I was taken away to a separate part of the hospital and I was dealt with behind a desk and I was, things were ticked and flicked. Yeah. So that was the only time that it felt like it was it was disconnected. And I was alone when I did that testing, whereas everything else was collaborative.

So I was in the the emergency department and the emergency physician was communicating with the nurse at the time and asking the nurse what their opinion was about Maria and what should, what should happen next and what they thought. And the, it felt like there was just this really cohesive dynamic between the two of them and they were all working together to, to get me better or to get me fixed up.

And there was another experience, another person who came into the room who, who did more testing and asking questions as well. And they were included in the conversation. So it felt more like a gathering around me to care for me, rather than people being disconnected and coming in and out at different times.

Yeah, I was in the center of it all the whole of the time. Yeah, never felt, never felt like I was spoken down to, or I had to tell my story to each different person. It was like we were just in a, in a group meeting. Yeah, I would, well it would be through my experience working with people who have had traumatic brain injury or who have had stroke.

So they've had a huge loss in their life. They've come from a place where they might have been working full time to being on their way to work and having an accident. And then never returning to that workplace, not being able to drive, not being able to navigate a transient timetable, not being able to make a phone call without having to have a checklist and a to do list.

So, so many things have changed for them. So when they're in a hospital setting, if there's too much paperwork or there's too many people that are interacting with them at different points of the day, it's overwhelming and then nothing is absorbed. So all of the good information that comes from each of those different channels doesn't flow through to the person because they've blocked it because it's just too much, it's too overwhelming.

So reducing the amount of amount of people or Different people in their lives. I would say would make a big difference to them from what they tell me. Yeah. Yeah. So why, if you're working together and all of that energy is working together and working on the best way to care or the best way to treat or the best way to research, whatever it is, then you're going to have a, have a positive impact.

a better outcome than if you're all putting your energy into separate parts and existing as silos. So when you work together it, it creates a collective energy that in turn leads to a better experience for the, for the patient. And also it makes for a happier, has to make for a happier workspace when you walk into those workplaces and you can feel that energy where people like being around each other and refer to each other by name, refer to you by your first name.

Yeah. Just it's one less thing to worry about because when you want it when you're covering and you're mending and you're healing That's yeah, that needs to be your primary focus Not on whether you felt like there was tension between teams or yeah Focused relationships, but maybe information wouldn't fly through I hope because I want to give back as much as I can because so many people gave to me and gave me an opportunity to to recover as, as much as I have after an acquired brain injury.

And without those people in my life, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be working full time. I wouldn't have the sense of self confidence. Yeah, I would have had a very different life. So, that's why.

Good morning, my name is John and I'd like to tell you a story about the effectiveness of teamwork in hospitals. But before I start, I think I should tell you I have no medical training whatsoever, apart from maybe first aid, but I have been in at least a dozen hospitals at various stages as a patient, some of them in Metro South Health.

I want to say that these stories are based solely on my own experience. Opinions. and feelings at the time of these events as a patient. They are not to praise or criticize, but just talk about the effectiveness of teamwork. My first story starts out where I needed an operation, which had been delayed a number of times for various reasons.

And My biggest risk in this procedure was the anaesthetic. So I'd had a prior anaesthetic assessment, all good. However, just prior to this scheduled operation, I was called in for a second review. I went to the meeting and the consultation started out between me and the senior anesthesist who did the pre op reviews.

I can tell you that consultation started off, we were pretty cold to each other, but as we talked and he checked a few things, our mutual respect soon increased. In fact, he then said, I need you to have an x ray. So me being me, I said, where do I go? He said, you come with me. He walked me straight to the X ray department, he spoke to them, I don't know what was said, but within 10 minutes I'd had the X ray and he and the radiologist were reading the results.

We then walked back to his rooms and he said, this is beyond my capability, we need help. I just happen to know one socially who I think can help us. I will arrange a prompt consultation with him and we'll go from there. Fine. A few days later, I got to see the respiratory specialist, who was also very good.

We talked a bit, and he decided he might do a lung puncture biopsy in his room. So I thought, oh yeah, jolly good. And he called in a portable X sorry ultrasound machine, which he did, and decided not to do the lung puncture, but sent me off for an immediate CT scan. I waited an hour, then had the CT scan.

But I found out later they waited for the results that night. I then had subsequent communication with both the respiratory specialist and the anesthesist. The anesthesist then said, I have finally agreed to sign off on you having normal anesthetic. However, he confirmed that my surgeon was the senior consultant in that area for that operation.

He also said he would arrange for their top anesthesist to be on duty. that did theater work, to be on duty for my operation. A few days later, I turned up for the operation. I was on the trolley outside theater, and the respiratory specialist came and spoke to me. And he just said, John, are you okay with this?

I said, yes. He said, good luck. And as you can see, I'm here, so the operation was a success. I am so thankful and very proud of everyone in there. Yeah, I guess that demonstrates how it works. My second story, same parameters, but slightly different. Different time. What happened was, I was in hospital having some difficulty recovering from a pulmonary oedema in it, and my medical team were having some difficulty.

Working out why I wasn't healing as I should. In fact, they thought maybe respiratory could be contributing to the situation. So they called in a respiratory doctor. Well, he turned up a day or so later on his own, walked in, told me his name, and the nodema had absolutely nothing to do with respiratory, and it was cardiac, and they should be looking at that, and walked out.

I thought, he could have told them that some days ago by telephone, he didn't need to tell me. Hmm, next day, my medical team turned up. We're at a loss to work out why you're not recovering. So we'll just have to sit and wait and see. Yes, I did finally recover, but I thought at the time, it's them and us.

I also thought, did they realise the heart and lungs work together? My view. I guess those two stories clearly depict the difference in how teamwork can really work in a hospital and the effect that it makes. There were considerable advantages in me having that operation in story one, which I haven't said here, but there are.

And. I think if I was a clinician and I'm not if I could pick which team I belong to, I know which one I'd pick. Do you agree? Thank you for listening. Cooperation, teamwork communication was a big one. Respect was a big one. Trust was another one and they're different things. And professionalism was right up there.

And I think overall of that. They cared, they cared about what would happen under that scenario. And that operation was a risk no doubt, right? So they took all the right steps, made sure that they can make the best decision possible because if they'd have delayed it, there were other problems, okay?

Without going into all the medical juggernaut, but there was, so they realized that. So they did something about it. Whereas in the other example, it was the exact opposite. Oh, they're different. They, they don't talk to us. That was the attitude. And I felt that was unfortunately in a lot of health organ, not just MSH because I've been around is a problem in a lot of hospitals.

You know, silos, God syndrome. Yeah, it's a real problem. And in some cases, medical care is hampered because of it. From, from the time of the interview with the senior anesthesist, absolutely, absolutely. Up to that point, I'm not so sure. But at that point, yes, it changed overnight. It changed like that.

It was, yes, let's do this, do this, do this. And that's exactly what happened. And it was all over in a very short space of time. And there were reasons for that. As a patient, what do you think it did for my ego and, and, and, and towards the procedure. I mean, I, I was a little bit apprehensive as you probably would have been, you know, I'm not playing around here.

And so it did enormous amount for my,

Attitude towards the operation did a lot because they cared every one of them. And unfortunately that's not always the case. My two stories were perhaps the basis of me considering applying originally. Look, I'm retired. I don't work anymore. So, but I like to do things. And I like to keep my mind active.

I'm probably the world's second worst handyman. But I, I've got to, I can think so that's what I do. And I'd like to make a contribution. I've got a lot out of hospitals over the years and I'd like to put something back. That's the other reason. Because you know, without all this care and the drug companies that I keep in business medication, that is.

I wouldn't be so simple as that. So I'd like to give it's time to give something back. Yeah.