What's in a name?

In my name, there are various vowels that tend to confuse people about correct pronunciation. Be that as it may, I always really appreciate it when a person uses my name (or tries t0). When the person that rings me up at the grocery store looks at my debit card and then says "Thanks, Teira. Have a great day!" I always appreciate it. I have a yoga instructor that goes out of his way to thank every student by name at the end of class: "I would like to say to Jill, and to Mark, and to Pam, and to Stephanie, and to Teira...Namaste" At the end of these classes, hearing your individual name adds an extra layer of calming. I don't think the tiny high or calming sensation that I feel when I hear my name has much to do with me liking my name (and I do), rather, it takes a common or collective experience and makes it personal. I wasn't just a number in a grocery store or in yoga class; I was an individual person. Especially in healthcare, when we're overwhelmed with the 85 clinical checkpoints and the 36 pages of red tape to track, we forget to individualize every patient encounter. Using someone's name is such an easy way to begin making that personal connection. Typically, I see most people in healthcare read a patient's name at the beginning, or hear it at introduction, and then retract back to non-directed speak. I wonder how much better patients would listen if we used their name more often? I'm not advocating for a nurse to say "Teira, how are you feeling? Teira, have you been taking your medication? Teira, can you hear me? Teira, are you getting sick of hearing your name?" I realize there's a point at which a name falls upon deaf ears, but I don't think we're near there just yet.

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