What's your name?

“We were able to get this victim her name back.”  I have been listening to some true crime podcasts, and last week, when discussing a Jane Doe in an unsolved crime, the podcasters noted that after the crime was solved the Jane Doe got her name back.  It got me thinking about our names. 

Every ID badge has our name on it.  Why?  Our name is associated with our identity.  Our name is connected with who we are as a human.  It is connected to the parts of our life that bring us joy.  It is connected to the parts of our life that bring us anxiety or fear.  It is connected to the things in our life that we like.  It is connected to things in our life that we dislike.  Our name is connected to those things that are inextricably woven into the fabric of who we are.  Names are important.  Your name is important.  In healthcare, we have an incredible opportunity for our name to be inserted into our patient’s story.  Because just like us, our patients have a name.  They don’t lose their name when crossing the threshold of the hospital entrance and suddenly become “the belly pain down the hall” or “the chest pain in room three.”  No!  They are people.  They are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, sons, and daughters.  And their name matters, and they come to us with a story, their life story.  We have the opportunity to have our name inked onto the pages of their life story.  The impact you have on those we serve cannot be overstated.  You impact lives in ways you will never understand.  Your name is written in more pages of life stories than you know.

Your name is important.  How you say it is important.  How you spell it is important.  You are important, and you are needed.  Your family needs you.  Your team needs you.  Our community needs you.  Not your job role; they need you.  Say your name.  You are important!