Interactions  

Interactions 

The patient asks how my shift is going, 

and if I have time to talk to her. 

I pull up a chair next to her bed, 

and she tells me she used to be 

a nurse, at this hospital. 

She is stuttering and apologizes 

to be polite, making a joke 

out of it. There is a curtain 

between her and the other patient 

in this room, as though 

they can’t hear the other speak, 

can’t feel the other’s movements, 

their body shuffling on bedsheets. 

The patient tells me about her day 

until her husband calls, and I go 

to the next patient, who may be 

wanting a cracker and orange juice, 

or a coloring sheet. She wants to learn 

sudoku, she says, and I teach her.  

She smiles, tells me about her day. 

During my senior year of college, I spent time caring for patients at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. My previous clinical experiences had been in clinical research, so this was my first opportunity to work with patients long-term. I saw some of the same patients day-to-day and week-to-week. I served as a link between these patients and their care team, especially when the floor was busy.  

It was a meaningful experience, as I was able to help make patients’ stay more comfortable with snacks, drinks, activities, and connecting with their care team. The thing patients needed most frequently from me, however, was an empathetic listener. Often, patients were in the hospital without their families and didn’t have loved ones to talk to.  

This poem was inspired by a recurring experience I had with patients, where they would express their desire for someone to talk to. At the same time, they would want to know that I was doing alright, asking me how my shift was going. I decided around this time that I wanted to pursue an MFA in poetry to delve deeper into the art of communication and narrative medicine. Sometimes, what patients want most is someone to talk to about their life. When feeling isolated, patients appreciate company, and I’m grateful I could provide a listening ear in their times of need. 

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.