This week found me at a new doctor and as I was ushered into the exam room, I was told that the nurse practitioner would be in shortly.
When the door opened and a young lady stepped over the threshold, I stood to greet her, extending my hand – yes, the once commonplace handshake that COVID interrupted. For some, that gesture which complements an introduction may never happen again. It’s often replaced with a fist bump, an elbow bump or a puzzled expression that asks, ‘do you really expect me to touch you?’
As I extended my hand and the lady in scrubs lightly shook it, she stated with a raised eyebrow that she was not the nurse and ‘just’ the medical assistant. The look on her face was one of surprise, and her comment to me implied that she didn’t feel important or worthy. It insinuated that she may have felt that she didn’t deserve such a personal, or professional, greeting.
Shaking her hand I replied, ‘yes, and it’s nice to meet you.’ As I answered her flurry of questions during intake, I couldn’t help but reflect upon how sad it was that this young woman didn’t feel her role on the healthcare team was important. That she may have felt that she didn’t deserve the same respect or recognition as a full-fledged nurse or doctor.
How sad. I wondered how many people treat her less than or barely acknowledge her at all. Her job is important. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t exist. And she deserves respect simply because she is a human being, a professional, and a person interacting with another person. Civility. Courtesy. Consideration. Simple gestures that mean so much.
I am a realist and fully aware that there are countless people in this world who treat others accordingly – in their minds – based on their education level, social status, or financial means. In a culture that boasts inclusivity and diversity, there is still an undercurrent of superficiality and pretentiousness. An entitlement or privilege. An expectation that they should be served, that they are ‘better than.’
When you greet someone properly, such acknowledgment can smooth relations, enhance communications, and increase the chances for a positive overall experience.
How do you treat others? Do you have any biases? Do you hold some professions in high esteem while looking down upon others?
Rise when someone walks into a room. Extend your hand. And sincerely let that person know you’re glad to meet him or her.
Everyone deserves respect and recognition.
❤️