Healthcare Experience Matters Healthcare Experience Foundation

We are excited to welcome back a familiar face to the Healthcare Experience Matters Podcast this week! Nita Magee, PhD, RN, MHNP-BC, returns for her latest appearance on our show and a crucial talk about actively listening to patients with empathy and the drastic difference it can ultimately make for better outcomes.
As our dedicated listeners can attest, Dr. Nita A. Magee's insights consistently illuminate and prove invaluable. Her compassionate and dedicated leadership in our field is truly admirable, and we are honored to have her return for another insightful episode.
Dr. Magee is a mental health nurse practitioner with the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery V.A. Medical Center in Jackson, Miss. With more than 30 total years of experience in healthcare, she has been with her institution for the last 26 years.
In our last interview with Dr. Magee, we discussed the importance of managing patients' expectations. Throughout that conversation, it became evident that a major theme revolved around the concept of listening. Recognizing the pivotal nature of this aspect within the patient-provider relationship, we were inspired to devote an entire podcast episode to the art of effective listening.
You can catch up on all of her previous chats with us here:
A Guide to Managing your Patients’ Expectations
Mental Health Tips for Busy Practitioners
An Intro to Compassionate Leadership with Dr. Nita Magee
Some of the crucial topics covered in today’s conversation includes:
Helpful Tips for Listening to Patients with Empathy
How Listening to Patients with Empathy Saves Lives
Actively Listening to Patients to Provide Hope (and Even Fight Suicide)
How Body Language is Crucial in Patient Care and Bedside Manner
Actively Listening to Patients to Create Better Overall Outcomes
Dr. Magee emphasizes that empathetic listening sets the stage for positive interactions with patients.
During the opening minutes of today’s discussion, she shares a poignant example where empathetic listening helped her identify a patient in crisis who may not have otherwise opened up.
The importance of trust and building a rapport in patient care is highlighted throughout this chat, emphasizing that without these building blocks, patients may withhold crucial information that could impact their well-being.
The discussion also touches on the role of body language in effective communication. Dr. Magee explains that non-verbal cues such as nodding, maintaining eye contact, and being physically present contribute to creating a supportive environment for patients to share their concerns.
Dr. Magee acknowledges the challenges of time constraints in healthcare settings but emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to balance efficiency with empathetic listening. She suggests seeking permission to extend the time if necessary and, when applicable, involving the patient in decisions about time management.
Furthermore, the conversation explores the connection between empathetic communication and better patient outcomes. Dr. Magee discusses how building trust and involving patients in their treatment plans lead to increased compliance and adherence to medical recommendations.
In closing, Dr. Magee encourages healthcare professionals to distinguish between empathy and sympathy and stresses the importance of lifelong learning and staying culturally competent to provide effective and unbiased care.
We invite our listeners to reach out to Dr. Magee for further information or coaching, as her wealth of knowledge and experience in the field is truly second to none. You can contact here: theauroraexperience1501@gmail.com.  

A simple thanks can go a long way. At the Healthcare Experience Foundation, we firmly believe that an incredible portion of effective healthcare leadership, and excellent patient experiences, starts with a simple premise: thankfulness. 
To get you in the Thanksgiving spirit, we encourage you to check out inspiring snippets from recent podcast interviews featuring speakers and presenters who are thought leaders in gratitude. 
Like what you hear? Be sure to tune into the full broadcasts of the following podcast interviews featured in today’s "Best of the Healthcare Experience Matters Podcast” episode: 
Never Stop Gratitude with Author TJ Sweet: https://healthcareexperience.org/tj-sweet/ 
Simple Ways to Authentically Show Gratitude as Healthcare Leaders with Win Howard: https://healthcareexperience.org/win-howard-gratitude/ 
Katrina Coleman Talks About the Overall Importance of Gratitude in Healthcare: https://healthcareexperience.org/gratitude/ 
You can also learn more here: https://healthcareexperience.org/healthcare-gratitude 

Coleen Santa Ana, MHA, is our guest on the Healthcare Experience Matters Podcast this week, where she explores why executive coaching is becoming increasingly important in the healthcare industry.
As an Executive Coach with the Healthcare Experience Foundation, Coleen brings over 20 years of healthcare executive leadership experience to the table.
In today’s podcast, Coleen details the distinctive nature of coaching, emphasizing its separation from consulting. Coaching focuses on asking thought-provoking questions rather than providing direct solutions.
Learn More: https://healthcareexperience.org/executive-coaching 

Ramonita Jiménez, DNP, MPA, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer with Hackensack University Medical Center joins our Healthcare Experience Matters Podcast this week.
We are honored to have Dr. Jiménez join our weekly program to discuss the multitude of innovative ways medical institutions of all scopes and sizes can effectively address nurse retention challenges.
Learn More: https://healthcareexperience.org/nurse-retention 

Jan Gnida CPXP and Katie Owens, MHA, CPXP, join us on the Healthcare Experience Matters Podcast this week as we examine the interesting shifts in data within patient experience trends since the start of the pandemic.
Jan is the Senior Vice President of Research Operations for PRC, and this is her first time joining our podcast. Katie is a familiar voice to our podcast listeners and joins us once again for today’s discussion. She currently serves as President of the Healthcare Experience Foundation (HXF).
Jan and Katie’s extensive experience and firsthand knowledge of the research shed light on the evolving landscape of patient experiences in healthcare since the pandemic’s onset in early 2020.
Three key insights we have uncovered through the ongoing research between PRC and HXF to monitor the trends in patient reported experience of care measures, as reported through the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey):
Patient experience results have not returned to pre-pandemic performance levels.
Patient experience performance is more volatile than in the decade prior to the pandemic.
The key drivers of patient experience — teamwork, safety, staff courtesy and respect — are enduring.
For those looking to see the graphic showing the research that we covered in today’s discussion, make sure to view the YouTube broadcast of our podcast here: https://youtu.be/zpNuenqUH_s 
Learn more about today’s podcast on the Healthcare Experience Foundation website: https://healthcareexperience.org/pandemic-px-trends 

In this week’s episode of the Healthcare Experience Matters Podcast, we are joined by Barbara Khozam, a Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP), and “professional patient.” 
Barbara shares insights into her deep involvement in healthcare through mystery shopping the patient experience. As a professional patient, Barbara delves into the world of mystery shopping, helping healthcare organizations view the patient's perspective to enhance their services.
During today's interview with Barbara, we hope that listeners will gain practical advice based on her years of 'shopping the patient’ experience.
Learn More: https://healthcareexperience.org/mystery-shopping