Showing empathy on the phone case is more difficult than it is when you’re face-to-face with a patient…
If you want to maximize your phone case CIS points, you’ll need to learn how to show your empathy over the phone…
Below I’m going to give you 3 easy strategies that will make showing empathy during the CS phone case a breeze!
Strategy #1. Why they’re calling you: Most students miss this opportunity. When the person on the phone tells you why they’re calling (sick child usually), use that moment to be empathetic (ex. I’m so sorry to hear that Jack isn’t feeling well. I’m going to do my best to get to the bottom of this and get him feeling better as soon as possible); this is guaranteed to get you some solid CIS points right from the start.
Strategy #2. Wait for the parent to show worry: There’s a good chance that the parent will show concern during the conversation. Once you see it, take this opportunity to remind them that you understand their concern and that you’re going to do your best to figure out what’s wrong.
Strategy #3. Use the closure to solidify your empathy: At the end of the encounter you should be requesting that the child is brought into your office. Use this time to show your empathy skills. Instead of just saying ‘I need you to bring the child into the office’, throw in a dash of empathy with the request: “I’d really like to see little Jack as soon as I can so that I can figure out why he’s [insert problem], this way I can ensure that I get him the appropriate treatment so we can get him feeling back to normal as soon as possible”. This simple tweak will make you appear more empathetic.
That’s all there is to it. The phone case, and the CS exam for that matter, present a myriad of challenges… We can overcome many of them by simply strategizing how we’re going to accomplish most of what is needed to ensure success. Follow these 3 phone case strategies to ensure you get the CIS points you need for success.
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