PA College Magazine - Winter 2022 - 5

PA COLLEGE / TEACHING & LEARNING
FIRST PERSON
The Connection of Empathy
By Caitlyn Eshleman Floyd '12, '23, DMS
The tension in triage is palpable as I
walk toward Room 103. It has been
both a busy and disappointing evening
thus far, mirrored by the hurried low
whispers between nurses and providers.
I am on my way to complete a diagnostic
ultrasound for my third patient in a
row with identical symptoms, and the
previous two were embryonic demise.
Some patients present to triage with
symptoms that suggest a miscarriage
or spontaneous abortion, but that was
not the case today. My back-to-back
trifecta had only light spotting, and
all were about seven weeks pregnant.
The similarities were eerie, and the
providers had just finished breaking
the heartbreaking news to the first
two. I was bracing for the third poor
outcome in a row because, after all,
superstition tells us that bad events
occur in threes. There is no intervention
in a case like this; we are simply
discovering the truth that already is.
The room is silent and still except for
me as I place my transducer on her flat
belly. Ten drawn-out seconds later, my
shoulders drop two inches as I exhale.
I can see the tiny flicker that confirms
viability in this 8 mm cherished life.
Their worries are alleviated, if just for
this moment. Then the questions start
as they realize something could still be
wrong because there is no certainty in
this business. I carefully answer their
questions as best I can according to
my role and direct them toward other
resources for the questions that are
outside my scope as a sonographer.
I feel a lightness as I exit the room.
The nurses' heads turn toward me
expectantly. I am happy to have good
news to share on a day that we did not
expect any. The tension of not knowing
dissipates quickly with sighs of relief
and expressions of surprise. We enjoy
this short reprieve and savor the good.
I do not do this job for moments like
this; I do it for all of them. But a happy
moment for a patient is a gift, and I will
experience that with her just the same.
Though we may suppress or bypass it
while on the job, clinical staff feel the
emotions with our patients through
the ups and downs. Empathy can
be both necessary and crippling for
someone who works so closely with
patients, and a balance is critical. I
think that is why I do this job: to
experience the depth of another's story
Note: This essay deals with topics of pregnancy loss.
To read Caitlyn's full piece, visit pulsevoices.org.
with them, even for the few minutes we
grace each other's paths. I am convinced
that the connection is genuine and
real, no matter how fleeting. And we
are each impacted by it as we carry on
and continue our lives.
Caitlyn Floyd is pursuing her Bachelor of
Science in Health Sciences degree and completed
this essay as part of her coursework for
Advanced Composition for Health Care
Professionals. She currently works as a
sonographer for Penn Medicine Lancaster
General Health.
Her essay appeared in Humanity, an
online creative writing publication that
features the writing of PA College students
or faculty. Most content is written in
classes, with featured pieces selected and
published by English faculty members. PA
College students are educated in some of the
most important skills imaginable. These
skills will help them be part of teams that
will be the link between life and death for
patients daily. But after those technical skills
are put to the test, there is an inevitable
connection that lingers between and among
the health care professionals, the patients
and the patients' loved ones. Stories of these
connections are what make up Humanity. n
Empathy can be both necessary and crippling
for someone who works so closely with
patients, and a balance is critical.
- Caitlyn Floyd
PA College / Winter 2022
5
http://www.pulsevoices.org

PA College Magazine - Winter 2022

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PA College Magazine - Winter 2022 - Cover1
PA College Magazine - Winter 2022 - Contents
PA College Magazine - Winter 2022 - 1
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