The "Just-ectomy"

This posting is based upon an in-service given by my friend, Dr Gary Applebaum at Seasons Hospice. Dr Applebaum told our Home Health Aids about the procedure, the "Just-ectomy."

How many times have you heard it? "I am just a Nurse." or "I am just a Home Health Aid." or "I am just a GNA." "I am just a Social worker."

In Hospitals and Nursing Homes and Hospice, we hear this all the time. People see themselves as being unimportant.

"Just."

It is such a painful and destructive word.

The purpose of the "Just-ectomy" is to remove the word and concept of "Just" from our Team members. When we take care of patients, we do it as a Team. Each member of the Team is important, and we cannot accomplish our goals alone.

Working together, we can accomplish so much. Alone, we can accomplish so little. If we function well as a Team, our patients are the beneficiaries.

Imagine a star quarterback of a football team saying to a Teammate, "you are just an offensive lineman." Hmmm. Wonder if he will have the time to throw the ball. Or, "you are just a wide receiver." Hmmm. Wonder how his arm will look if all his throws are dropped.

Having grown up in Buffalo, I was always a Buffalo Bills fan, and suffered through the Bills losing four straight SuperBowls. But, on the other hand, the Buffalo Bills won four straight AFL Championships and played in four straight superbowls. Their Quarterback of that era, Jim Kelly, was elected to the NFL "Hall of Fame." And i can still remember some of his interviews after huge wins, famous 4th quarter drives and he would say, "I owe it all to these guys." And he poured the glory on his offensive line. Story is after almost every game, he took those guys out for dinner.

They were not "JUST his offensive line, they were the guys who worked hard, and gave him the opportunity to use his skills. They were important, and he could not have done his job without them.

In the words of Dr Applebaum, and on behalf of all the doctors with Seasons Hospice of Maryland, I ask all of our Team members to do a "Just-ectomy." Remove that word from your references to yourselves.

We know how hard you work. We know what love and caring and skill you pour into the patients. We know, without you, we could not accomplish our Mission of helping our patients and families. In our eyes, in our patients eyes, your work and effort is incredibly important.