Stories

Stories

Reflections from the ward. Personal essays from clinicians, nurses, allied health. The on-call you remember. The patient who stayed with you.

Stories

A hole in the heart

A hole in the heart

They call it a defect How can it be? You’re perfect A hole in the wall, doesn’t say it all There’s much more to it, in fact That murmur, that thrill Rendered me far less than thrilled But if there’s a void, then let’s not

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Is this really all my fault?

Is this really all my fault?

It was early on a Sunday morning. A feisty grey-haired elderly lady approached my pharmacy counter, wanting to collect medication for her husband who had just been discharged. I checked the electronic prescription system and informed her, “M’am, your husband’s discharge medication is not ready yet. I

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The Biopsychosocial Model: Rethinking How We Approach Illness

The Biopsychosocial Model: Rethinking How We Approach Illness

Modern healthcare is moving at lightning speed. With clinic consultations that sometimes feel shorter than a Netflix intro, we’re squeezing diagnosis into ever-tighter timeframes. Doctors, overwhelmed by tight schedules, often rely heavily on diagnostic tests to guide their decisions. And while those tests are incredible for revealing structural

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Miss Annie

Miss Annie

There was a woman who was unmarried and didn’t have many visitors. I was asked to “help her with her pain and swelling.” When I went to visit her, a nurse warned me that she was difficult to engage. I thought, “Of course she’s difficult to engage; it’

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Behind those Scrubs: The Hidden Struggles of Clinician Grief

Behind those Scrubs: The Hidden Struggles of Clinician Grief

Behind those scrubs Zipping from one room to the next From tragic to devastating My scrubs reminding me that Their sorrow is not supposed to be Mine. Speaking with one family to the next From devastated to desperate Their tears reminding me that My sorrow is nothing compared to Theirs.

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Epilogue

Epilogue

The sun is a disorienting halo, the skies are bluer than most days in July, and 103 year old Mr. H won’t see it. According to his helper, he will only see the last wisps of amber sunset disappearing into the nighttime when he awakens for just three hours

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Welcome to HEART: Healthcare Experiences and Reflective Tales

Welcome to HEART: Healthcare Experiences and Reflective Tales

Healthcare is a field brimming with stories—stories of courage, compassion, struggle, and triumph. Yet, in the fast-paced, data-driven world of modern medicine, these stories often get overshadowed by numbers, protocols, and the relentless pursuit of efficiency. But what if I told you that these stories—the narratives

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