Don’t hurt me. Heal me. Be nice to me. Published July 26, 2018 By Lt. Col. Marquita Price 20th Medical Operation Squadron SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- “Don’t hurt me. Heal me. Be nice to me.” is one of the tenets of great healthcare from the patient’s perspective.It aligns with the principles of trusted care and high reliability organizations. HROs operate under very trying conditions all the time and still manage to have fewer than their fair share of accidents.I believe this aptly describes our current operational environment.“Don’t hurt me. Heal me. Be nice to me.” is all about safety, quality and patient satisfaction.The first time I heard this, I was the emergency services flight commander at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and it resounded with me.I thought, “This is what our patient experience should be.”People were coming through our doors for emergent and acute care, but did not always bring the best version of themselves into the emergency room. They weren’t feeling well, had to wait to be seen and sometimes carried that along with other frustrations into the exam room.We owed it to them to address their medical concerns, make sure they were receiving safe and quality care, as well as to be kind and compassionate to prevent making matters worse.As a medical commander, I believe it is important we understand the weight and impact of the high operation’s mission tempo on the Airman and families we support, to include our own medical group staff. We need to be understanding and keep the whole-person concept in mind as we treat our patients.Over the years, I have carried this basic principle with me and expanded it to how we should engage each other within the organization.“Don’t hurt me” is about competency which drives quality and safety.I do not believe anyone comes to work with the intent to be unsafe or harm someone. We need to take time to ensure we are competent in our practice or occupation so that we reduce errors. “Are we setting people up for success through training and resourcing, or do we operate in a way that says, ‘It’s only a matter of time before something happens?’”“Heal me” focuses on investing in people and improving the organization. “Are we taking time to build up people personally and professionally, leaving things better than we found them? If we call it a priority, do we allocate time or resources towards it?”“Be nice to me” is about respect and compassion. “Do we enter interactions with each other giving the person the benefit of the doubt? Do we believe that they are doing their best with what they know? Do we acknowledge when there are underlying issues or more going on in an interaction and be willing to gain understanding to address it?”People in your organization are in various stages of health. While some are well and just need an occasional check-up, others may not be doing so well and may need intervention.“Don’t hurt me. Heal me. Be nice to me.” can be applied to many areas. It is all about seeking the “goodness” in every situation.