The Listening Lab, an interactive storytelling exhibit that is traveling to locations across Penn Medicine, made a lasting impression at Princeton Medical Center (PMC) and the Princeton Health system.
The exhibit features heartfelt stories focused on the theme, What does it feel like to have someone listen to you? Visitors to the exhibit — in person or online at www.pennlisteninglab.org — are invited to listen to poignant audio stories submitted by patients and caregivers. They also may submit stories from their own experiences to be considered for inclusion in the Listening Lab.
One story in the exhibit, titled Small Changes, involves a patient who — while being prepped for an endoscopy — was troubled by the attitude of a nurse who seemed distracted and uninterested when asking the patient if she had experienced abuse or depression. The patient shared her displeasure with the nurse. Many months later, when undergoing another procedure, the patient enjoyed a very different experience with a nurse who approached the questions gently and attentively. Twist: It turned out to be the same nurse, who had taken the patient’s previous critique constructively and strived to do better.
Haja Jabbie, manager of HR Operations and Staff Development, said she was particularly moved by Small Changes when she heard it at a launch event hosted by Princeton Health earlier this year to unveil the Listening Lab. “It reminded me that it is not what you say but how you say it.”
Geri Karpiscak, MSN, RN, director of Patient Relations and Customer Service at Princeton Health, said the story has already been incorporated into staff training. “We could have chosen just about any one of the stories, because they all demonstrate the power of listening and how it translates to a better patient experience,” she said.
“I was struck by how quality medical care helps people to recover, but deeply attentive human care is what helps people to heal,” said the Rev. Matthew Rhodes, director of Religious Ministries at Princeton Health, after visiting the Listening Lab. Rhodes said two stories resonated with him based on his work not only at Princeton Health but also as board president of Womanspace, a Mercer County, N.J.-based nonprofit serving individuals and families affected by domestic violence and sexual abuse.
One was Small Changes. The other was a story submitted by Sarah Klein, titled simply The Sign. Klein was a guest speaker at the Princeton launch event, along with James Demetriades, senior vice president and chief operating officer, and David LaMotte, a hospice volunteer at Princeton Health.
Klein, abused for 17 years beginning at age 8, is the first known victim of former Olympic gymnastics team doctor Lawrence Nassar, who was sentenced to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to widespread, longtime sexual abuse of minors. Klein’s story focused on a sign at a Penn Medicine radiology office informing patients they had the right to request a chaperone during a physical exam. Klein saw the sign as a simple, proactive step that helped assure her she was safe.
“The human dignity of these women was just as important as any health care they might receive,” Rhodes said.
Listen to stories online at https://pennlisteninglab.org/.