enstein said it best...

one of the speakers at church on sunday shared an enstein quote: "everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". it is a good motto to use for mostly all areas of life. in addition to the thoughts shared at church, i managed to adapt this phrase to my job and in particular the interactions i have with the patients at work. so here goes my explanation:

i was busy inviting patients to attend our light exercise group this morning and i was turned down by a patient who appeared quite tearful. not knowing the circumstances and her emotional stability, it might have been easier to continue on and let her be. instead, i took a few minutes to ask her how she was doing and if there was anything i could do. sometimes we can get caught up in the things that can be counted (i also refer to this as the quantitative aspects) and we can easily forget the things that count (the qualitative aspects). i could have easily become so focused on the # of group attendees and miss the opportunity to find out WHY the other patients were not joining.

i loved this quote because i have a passion for creating that therapeutic rapport with the patient throughout the treatment process. as it has been said: when you treat the body, you treat the soul, and vice versa. so i have related this quote to the idea of treating BOTH the patient and the illness rather than just the illness. it is a nice reminder here and there. it is tuning in to all things and being mindful of all.

i am not sure how coherent that blurb was. but let me tell you that i just love being an OT-to-be. i love the opportunity to consider each patient, listen to their story, offer advice and support, consider their needs during treatment implementation, and glory in their successes. a couple of patients that i have grown quite fond of are soon to be discharged and although i will miss them dearly, i am so excited for their progress and success. it is a wonderful site to see.

oh the joys of being an OT-to-be! love it, love it, i do!