Dear Future President:

As humans, we need a sense of comfort no matter where we are. We want to feel safe and cared for, especially in a place like a hospital. We are in need of doctors who take the time to sit down and talk with their patients about their illness or diagnosis to give them a sense of protection and reassurance. We need nurses who are gentle and kindhearted to give these patients the affection they will need during their times of distress. We need comfort, comfort for those who are suffering and in pain. I propose that doctors and nurses need to take the education they receive more seriously to heal an individual not only physically, but also emotionally.

My mother had been battling with breast cancer for a little over two years and has recently passed away. She had appointments for chemotherapy treatments and checkups very frequently at an office that is across from the Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego. She always got called in an hour or two AFTER her appointment time. The room was always full of cancer patients who had the same appointment time as she had. There was not even a chair for her to rest on while she waited. She was forced to stand for those full one to two hours until she was called in for her treatment or checkup. This was not even the worse part. After she was called in, the doctor did not even spare a minute to answer her questions or to ease her worry. He simply checked her body and stormed out of the room. After tiresome hours of waiting, she only got a few minutes with the doctor. Aren’t doctors supposed to listen and cherish their patients? Healing someone physically is one important component, but healing someone emotionally is another big factor as well.

I strongly believe that there needs to be a change in how hospitals, doctors, and nurses treat their patients.

Sincerely,

Kathy Doan