Something for the pain
One doctor’s account of life and death in the ER
Paul Austin
W W Norton and Company, 2008
ISBN: 978 0 393 06560 2
www.paulethanaustin.com
This is a great book, written by a man wrestling with all the challenges and contradictions of emergency doctoring. His competence, intelligence and humanity make his practice distinguished and his writing riveting and illuminating. The technical and emotional journey is a tough one, but his acute awareness and thoughtful introspection enrich this memoir with vivid and instructive accounts of relationships with patients and colleagues; of failures and successes; of the emotional impact of facing the daily drama of the ER: how much time is there for empathy and compassion? How far should suffering be kept at a distance? What is there to offer to the bereaved?
Austin’s practice seems to be a perfect blend of technical competence and expert communications – even though there are times when he fails by his own high standards. Against all the odds of pressure and disorder, he struggles to maintain his humanity in relations with patients and colleagues – even those whose weaknesses or obstreporousness compromise the work.
He is frank about his weaknesses and doubts, and about his errors and misjudgements. Particularly unusual is his account of the impact of his obsession with work – and rotating shifts – on the quality of his home life, and his strenuous and painful path to restoring domestic contentment. He and his wife have one child with Down syndrome, and the interplay between that tough family reality and his practice is beautifully and touchingly explored.
This man is a gifted writer too, and the book is full of acute observations, lively dialogue, thoughtful and illuminating reflection, and dynamic prose.
Something for the pain is a wonderful exemplum of the kind of practice I struggled to characterise in Healthcare Communication and leaves me full of admiration. In the most distressing and pressurised medical environment, Austin shows how best practice can flourish against all odds, and how a collaborative, compassionate team can work effectively together to save lives, reduce suffering and deal humanely with all kinds and conditions of people.
Tags: communication in action, death and dying, empathy, ER, Good practice, pressure of work