Putting clinicians in patients’ mindset
As an actor for more than a decade, Veronica Porcaro, South Australian Flinders University drama graduate, hadn’t found her niche until she began to ‘walk in the shoes’ of cancer patients in professional training workshops.
Actress Veronica Porcaro, right, with radiation therapist, Tania Perry.
“An actress who can familiarise themselves with the symptoms that the patient may be experiencing can help clinicians know what to look for when treating their patients,” Dr Hambleton said. “It’s a useful technique to help put everybody into that mindset to provide answers for health professionals,” he added.
Medical roleplaying has given actress Ms Porcaro the opportunity to reflect on her own health and decision making.
She has worked closely with clinicians to try to identify herself with the ‘suffering’ patient, however, Ms Porcaro says she may never really know what it feels like to battle cancer, and instead, “devours” research to educate herself with the knowledge needed to ‘bring to life’ a character.
With a hope that clinicians start “reflecting” on their practice more, Ms Porcaro said most people in a caring profession do express and use empathy.
“Empathy is very important, especially when dealing with suffering. I think empathy is an art form that can be lost, but I also think it can be learnt.
Clinicians should also embrace difficult conversations and not “shy away” from things they’re “scared” to talk about, such as death and depression, Ms Porcaro said.
“If people are suffering, then these people need to know clinicians are not afraid of silences and of opening that ‘can of worms’. It’s amazing how therapeutic it can be when another human being is with you in your moment of distress.
“Suffering is part of an undesirable difficult place, and if I can be an instrument to alleviating that suffering then, why not?”
The roleplaying scenarios are part of workshops run for clients that include hospitals, community health centres, universities and research institutes.
Participants can nominate the emotions they want to tackle, giving them the opportunity to test their responses in a safe and confidential setting.
