This topic is about maintaining your dignity and voice during hospital stays. Hospitals do incredible work, especially during challenging times like a pandemic, but being a patient can sometimes feel dehumanizing. The environment can seem like an assembly line, where efficiency takes precedence over personal care, making the experience feel mechanical and impersonal. Here are some ways to help maintain your dignity and ensure your voice is heard during a hospital stay:

1. Clearly communicate your needs. Ask the staff to explain every procedure before it happens and request that they repeat information until you fully understand it.

2. Be assertive about managing your pain. It's important, especially for women, to insist that their pain is taken seriously.

3. Utilize the hospital’s Patient Advocate office to report any concerns and follow up to ensure that action is taken.

4. After you leave the hospital, consider engaging in broader advocacy efforts:
- Participate in public consultations, such as those with Colleges of Physicians & Surgeons, when policies are being revised.
- Research practices in other areas to strengthen your recommendations.
- File formal complaints with hospitals or regulatory bodies if necessary, as satisfactory outcomes are possible.

5. Use expressive coping methods like writing poetry or "in-verse feedback" to document your experiences, validate your feelings, and let others know they have been heard.

6. Remember the perspective of the staff. They often work long 12-hour shifts and strive to treat patients with respect, though some individuals and cost-cutting measures may fall short.

7. Small hospitals can provide excellent patient care by ensuring every patient is treated as the staff themselves would wish to be treated, which can lead to high patient satisfaction scores.