Notes on teachings in a hospital in Essen Germany

October 2014

644 words

A transcendent vision has an important significance for a community of people working together. It functions as a focal point to the group, a reminder of the direction and highest value. There are many ways to describe the transcendent vision of your hospital.

The teams of managers, doctors, mind-body workers and nurses have the response-ability to keep the transcendent element in heart and mind while attending to the countless relevant details of daily life.

Forgetfulness of the transcendent vision can lead to becoming bogged down in details, meetings, disputes and misunderstanding that can lead to disillusionment.

The transcendent stays above the numerous relative matters. The staff can name their transcendent vision in various ways. Here are some examples (In alphabetical order):

A Hospital to serve the needs of the 21st Century
Deep Values. Financial values
Healing and Health
Healing of the Patient. Empowerment of the Patient
Integration of the Whole Person
The Co-operation of Mind and Body towards Healing
The Resolution of Suffering
The Unity of Conventional Medicine and Complementary Medicine.
Towards Harmony and Wholeness
Towards Meaningful Change, in and out of Hospital.

Language changes, evolves and adapts as well as experiences, knowledge, insights and understanding. It would be worthwhile to consider:

“How do I conceive of the transcendent vision?”
“Do we need to meet together to share how we articulate our vision? “
“Do we need to work on a fresh mission statement?”

It is important that the patient knows the daily priorities to sustain the link between staff and the ultimate vision.

There are three primary and obvious considerations in terms of a patient. Every member of staff from cleaners to heads of departments has an important contribution to make to give support to patients and their families/friends in these three areas.

Arrival
Staying
Departure

A deep sense of empathy bridges any gap between staff and patients and their loved ones. Skilfully expressed words and actions have power to them.

Patients arrive insecure, vulnerable and facing the unknown. They will probably arrive with some degree of stress and fear, even if they show a brave face.

Empathy and understanding serves as key features of expression of language. Mindfulness of the human condition is directed to arrival, staying and departure with a follow up that gives empowerment to the patient in their daily life. It is important to remember that the staff engages in the work of the day while a patient may not know how many days or weeks they have left on this Earth.

There is the mindfulness practice to Mind the Gap. The London Underground stations make the announcement to Mind the Gap as passengers step off and on the train.

There are unproblematic gaps. There might be gaps in knowledge, experience, application and understanding. The community of the hospital can bridge these gaps through sharing of expertise. This is a further confirmation of empathy. A facility evolves through working with the gaps rather than ignoring or rejecting them.

There are gaps in power. Empathy suffers when an individual or group hold onto to their power to support self-interest. Self-interest reinforces the gap, generates stress and undermines the vision.

If the gap becomes strong through rigidity of views, fear and unwillingness to negotiate change, then a few members of staff will gradually withdraw and look for employment elsewhere. Shared interest is in the best interest of the individual, the group, the entire staff and the vision.

Meetings which always focus on problems become a problem! Such frequent meetings generate stress, resistance and tiredness. Meetings can explore the vision, share friendships and articulate features of working life to celebrate.

The upliftment of the spirt expresses a transcendent element.

May all beings live with love

May all beings live with wisdom

May all beings remember to serve the vision

http://www.kliniken-essen-mitte.de/

This 21st century hospital integrates conventional medicine with naturopathy.

Naturopathy employs the use of natural resources for the healing process

The hospital offers a nutritious diet, mind-body work

and traditional Chinese and Indian medicine to address the whole person.

The Church, the State and health insurance companies support the hospital.

Christopher Titmuss - The Buddha Wallah

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