Night shift made me realize I was a bad listener this whole time

For 8 years I thought I was great at hearing people out, but a patient's family member in the ER last Tuesday said 'you keep nodding but you're already planning your next task.' They were right, I was just waiting for my turn to talk or move. Has anyone else had that blunt moment where someone exposed your listening habit?

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the_christopher1mo ago

Tbh I get why that stung, but is "bad listener" really the takeaway here? You're in an ER, your brain is doing triage on like ten things at once, that's not a personality flaw, that's the job. The family member was frustrated and took it out on you, but that one comment probably says more about their bad day than your whole listening history.

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hayden_craig951mo ago

Yeah, that comment gets under your skin even when you know it's not true. Happens to me all the time with customers who are pissed about their water heater. They're not really mad at me, they're mad about the $400 bill and no hot water. But it still stings when they call you out. Best thing I learned is to just say "you're right, I hear you" and move on. Doesn't mean you agree, just means you're keeping the peace. @the_christopher is spot on though, triage mode is real. You can't listen like a therapist when you're also trying to keep someone alive. Give yourself a break.

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