by Mable Taplin
As a nurse and patient advocate with decades of experience, I’ve witnessed what happens when care is centered on the person. I’ve also seen what happens when it’s not.
Years ago, on a medical-surgical unit, I cared for a woman having her first gallbladder attack. She was beginning to feel better after a few days. Then the surgeon walked in and gave her one option: surgery. He didn’t mention that recovery might be possible through lifestyle changes or dietary support. He told her the gallbladder wasn’t essential anyway.
After he left, I sat with her and shared what he left out. She had other options. But like so many patients, she trusted the person wearing the white coat. She agreed to the surgery. In the chart, it was marked as voluntary. But how can a choice be voluntary when the whole story isn’t told?
That moment never left me. It reminded me how often the system is designed for efficiency and profit rather than people. What patients need is transparency, real choices, and the time to make decisions that are right for them. Nurses witness these gaps every day. We step in and advocate because it’s the right thing to do.
Healthcare should lift people up and honor their voice in the process of care. It should never be about what’s easiest or most profitable. It should be about what’s right.
