• Before entering a patient room for a new encounter, leave behind thoughts of your previous patient, regroup, and quiet your mind so you can be present.
• Thank the patient for waiting, make sure they are comfortable, and begin the encounter with an empathetic statement.
• Sit down, lean in, and smile; make the patient feel like you care they are there.
• Let the patient tell their story. Patients only need, on average, 29 seconds to fully describe their main concern yet are typically interrupted after 11 seconds.¹⁸
• Look at the patient and listen to all their concerns.
• Empower them with relevant education and involvement in their treatment plan.
• Set expectations and explain timelines.
• Ask if they have any questions.
• End with a compassionate statement:
  • “I am here with you.” 
  • “We will get through this together.”

If you asked me if I was compassionate with my patients in the emergency department a year ago, I would have certainly judged myself harshly and said no. After studying compassionate care, compassion is with me almost always. Granted, I still find it hard to incorporate compassionate care when I’m really stressed and exhausted, and there are certainly ED patients who make it hard to be compassionate. But in those moments when I’m stripped of my compassion, I can feel it. I feel that something huge is missing. What do I do? I pause, I breathe, I pivot, and I pull out a couple of those easy-to-remember compassionate statements and just say them. Suddenly, I feel better; I’m quite sure my patient does, too.

Compassionate care is a skill that can be cultivated and grown by each of us. I contend that compassion needs to be integrated into our training and CME. Learning compassionate care allows us to develop our own resilience as emergency physicians in our demanding environment. Compassion is not simply part of our nature, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. When we act out of compassion for a fellow human being, it has profound meaning. It is a real privilege that we all have—to take care of patients in the emergency department and use our knowledge and skills not just to fix their immediate problem but to heal them. You can always find compassion in the chaos of the emergency department. Find your compassion. Cultivate it. Use it. 

Try compassionate care for yourselves, your patients, and your colleagues, and keep in mind some of the overall benefits outlined in this article. As you feel more comfortable, model it for others and help change the culture. If you can, start a discussion, make compassionate care known, and allow it to grow. You and your patients will benefit immeasurably.