Anesthesiologist bedside manner matters more than skill

In anesthesia, we meet patients at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. We care for patients as a team, and I’m grateful for the skilled certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) I work alongside every day. Often, we are asked to earn trust quickly, while patients place their safety and comfort in our hands. What we offer in those moments goes beyond technical skill. This is my attempt to put that into words.

I promise to ask questions.
I promise to listen.
I promise to let you ask questions,
and to answer them.

I promise to treat you with respect.
I promise to see you as more than a chart.
I promise to meet you with a smile.
To look you in the eye.
To do everything I can to control your pain.
I promise to remember
that this is not routine for you.

I promise to guide you.
Not rush you.

I promise to hold your hand when you need it.
And to name your fears when they feel hard to say out loud.

I promise to stand up for you
when it matters,
even when it’s uncomfortable.

I promise to have honest conversations
when something doesn’t feel right,
with you, or with your surgeon.

I promise to say the hard thing
when I believe doing more may cause harm.

I promise to make space
for conversations about how you want to live,
and how you want to die,
with the tenderness it deserves.

I promise to give you choices where I am able.
And to explain clearly when I am not.

I promise to honor your body.
To care for it as if it mattered deeply,
because it does.

I promise to carry what you entrust to me
with quiet respect.

I promise to pray for you,
and for me.

I promise to stay steady
in the moments that matter most.

And I promise to do everything in my power
to keep you safe,