This is a discussion of my personal values. Although this is an assignment for a class, I believe that the discussion of personal values (of any clinician) is an important one, especially in physical therapy where we spend some of the most time with patients. Identifying and understanding one’s own personal values can ultimately inform clinical decisions, particularly where values may not align. This exercise expands on the idea that we all have the values that we prioritize, and they will likely differ from person to person. As such, all people should respect that no set of individual values is better or worse than that of another individual. However, I do think the responsibility for this understanding is heightened for any population that is building frequently new relationships with often vulnerable populations.
So, to begin, I start this discussion by sharing my top three personal values: Love, Health & Loyalty (1-3). A list of 21 values was ranked and scored against the others to achieve this selection. I am not too surprised by my selections. I would like to explore loyalty further:
Loyalty did surprise me the most, relative to the other two. Loyalty, as a highly prioritized value, is a fairly new development for me, and I believe it comes from a place of personal compensation. When I was 18 and making contentious decisions about college placement, I selected a college in the Virginia and moved away from Washington state. I was excited about the anonymity, the novelties, the challenges, and the prospect of personal achievement I had in selecting a place where truly no one knew me.
However, as I reflect on this past decision, I am often struck by how much that decision centered around one thing: me, myself and I. There was and continues to be frequent conflict about the topic with my family. Why don’t I visit more? Why don’t I move back? My family reminds me that having these conversations is more important to loyalty than not having them at all. As a result, I have been making loyalty a priority and my compensatory shift towards loyalty reminds me that there are many things greater than me and that very few people achieve success alone. These days, I truly think that a successful, rich life is not defined by achievements and belongings, but by the deep relationships you build and nurture with consistency. Therein lies the fundamental idea of loyalty: committed consistency.
In physical therapy, loyalty to therapy may not be a huge priority for some patients. I have seen this occasionally in my work as a rehab technician. Some patients will simply not show up for therapy, or cancel at the last minute. Or perhaps they admit to a lack of adherence of their home exercise program. Successful physical therapy takes committed consistency; it takes buy-in. I have been in many situations where I am tempted to dismiss patients and bark, ‘how do you expect to get better if you’re never here?’ But I hesitate because perhaps loyalty is not this individual’s most prized value. Or I need to consider that maybe the patient does treasure loyalty, but has yet to see that improvement takes loyalty to therapy; and that is on the clinician. Am I doing everything I can to build trust with this patient? Do they feel safe and inspired to take the steps they need to take? If all these matters are addressed, I may indeed speak up and stick up for my value to loyalty. There is a time to listen, and a time to speak-up. But overall, I am certain that resolving value differences will take self-evaluation, patience and a consistent but unwavering effort to convince patients that successful therapy takes a concerted commitment. And I think it needs to come from a place of love. The kind that tells your patients that you are on their team, and that you are here for them.
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