No worries? Not so good.

In the United States, we often say, “No problem.”

Here in Australia, it’s “No worries.”

This is fine in casual settings, as among friends.  But, in health care settings, it’s the wrong answer.

I addressed this about five years ago in a blog post, noting:

One of the things I learned in my hospital days was how to accept gratitude. A hospital can be an uncomfortable place for patients and family members. It is a strange physical environment, where people are anxious because of feared or actual medical conditions or forthcoming procedures or tests. In that situation, when you do something kind for someone, the person is truly grateful. It can be as simple as offering directions, or picking up a fallen object, or something much more serious.

Over the years, I trained myself to do this. Lo and behold, once I got rid of the “It’s nothing” conversation stopper, people would jump in and continue the conversation even further. I was able to learn so much more about people’s fears, expectations, experiences, and hopes and then help translate those into improvements in the clinical environment.

So mates, try this out in clinical settings.  You’ll respectfully acknowledge a person’s appreciation, and you might learn something new that could be helpful to the patient, family, or your own institution.