Compassionate caregiving gets OR Manager Conference off to an inspiring start

Editor's Note

Burnout among physicians has been widely reported as a nationwide crisis, but nurses also work under great pressure and are equally vulnerable. Hassan A. Tetteh, MD, knows this all too well, and he delivered a compelling and inspiring message during the opening keynote at this year’s OR Manager Conference on September 18.

His own near-death experience from a serious illness while in college has given Dr Tetteh, a heart and lung transplant surgeon, a unique perspective on patient care. He understands patients’ fears and dependence on their providers, and he has made compassion a priority in his own practice. “Once you’re in a place of vulnerability, you have a better appreciation of how terrifying it is to be a patient,” he says.

He discussed ways to combat “compassion fatigue” through self-care and other strategies described in his book, The Art of Human Care.