Hello, my name is …
‘Hello my name is…’ is a campaign which was started in 2013 by Dr Kate Granger, who at the time was a terminally ill cancer patient with post-operative sepsis.
Since Kates death in 2016, her husband Chris and co-founder of the campaign has kept the campaign alive through conference talks across the world, book writing, presenting awards and social media.
Kate made the stark observation that many staff looking after her didn’t introduce themselves before delivering her care. After ranting to her husband about how incredibly wrong it was that such a basic step in communication was missing he encouraged her to “stop whining and do something!”
Staff at Alice House have always introduced themselves as part of our hospice care standards, however since learning about ‘Hello my name is …’ in the summer of 2018 staff at the Hospice are working towards this being part of the induction of each and every healthcare professional working at Alice House.
Kat Inch, Registered Nurse Clinical Education and Standards Specialist at the Hospice said, “I believe it’s the little things that mean the most and can make such a difference to the experience of the people we care for.
A long time ago, before I was nursing, I can remember waking up after an operation feeling frightened. A lovely nurse appeared, smiling, and said ‘hello’ and told me her name as she held my hand. My fear disappeared and was replaced with comfort and I felt safe. This has stayed with me and helped me appreciate how powerful a small act of kindness can be.
The ethos of Alice House care is about holism ‘the person as a whole’ and what is important to them as an individual. Without a therapeutic relationship, patients are less likely to share what is important to them with health care professionals. ‘Hello, my name is’ promotes the development of a therapeutic relationship through respect and seeing the person for who they are; something we adopt in Alice House.”
Feedback from patients and families indicates that we are getting it right …
“You surpassed any expectation I had of care given to patients and their family, so much so I felt Mam was part of your own family.”
“I feel welcomed, everyone knows my name … it feels so personal here, I’m a person not an illness.”
Kate’s husband Christopher believes “It is not just about common courtesy; it runs much deeper. Introductions are about making a human connection between one human being who is suffering and vulnerable, and another human being who wishes to help. They begin therapeutic relationships and can instantly build trust in difficult circumstances.”
Staff have taken to the campaign so much so that the new hospice supporter magazine has been named ‘Hello my name is …Alice” in tribute to Hospice founder Alice Bendle.
For more information about events and news updates follow Alice House on social media