Practice what you preach

I have this problem with our health care profession. Wait, let me re-phrase that. I have this problem with some health care professionals. (Beware of impending rant to follow)
We should practice what we preach. Or better yet, we should practice what we teach. Patient education is a corner stone of the healthcare profession. No matter what your medical specialty is, no matter what facet of healthcare you contribute to, you teach. You teach your clients, you teach your patients, you educate your fellow colleagues, etc. The list goes on.

Here’s my conundrum. How in the world can you one educate another if they cannot themselves follow their own advice and suggestions??!!

For instance:

How does a dentist educate his patients on proper care of your teeth, if he himself has a mouth riddled with cavities?

How does a respiratory therapist take a ’smoke’ break and then have the audacity to educate a patient on smoking cessation techniques. All the while smelling like cigarette smoke?

How does a personal trainer/athletic trainer educate and discipline his clients and/or athletes on weight loss suggestions and training techniques, when they themselves take the elevator instead of the stairs??

And finally, how does a nurse educate their patients on maintaining and improving one’s health and then during their lunch break they have the nearest fast food burger, take the escalator instead of the stairs and squeeze in a cigarette or two before returning to the floor??!!

I understand the difficulties in time management, overwhelming tasks and uncooperative working environments, but seriously? You wonder why you are always tired, and can’t walk up those flight of steps when I see you drinking a cup of coffee and some sort of Danish, donut, or candy bar every chance you get?

I liken it to a nurse licking their fingers, instead of washing their hands, after cleaning up a patient’s bodily fluids. Or telling a patient the importance of washing one’s hands to help prevent the spread of germs and bacteria, while the nurse goes in and out of all their patients rooms and never even uses a hand sanitizer. (blegh)

Do what I say, not what I do. Right?

What do you think?

‘Practice What You Preach‘ originally posted on My Strong Medicine