Want to be a Top-rated Healthcare Worker?

As-salamu alaykum,

We are in the Hijri calendar month of Rabi’ Al Awwal 1446AH.

For Muslims across the globe, it’s a time to pause and reflect on what the birth and the life of Prophet Muhammad PBUH meant for all of us if we don’t already remember him often as Allah, the Most High and Prophet Muhammad PBUH recommended to us.

As muslim healthcare workers, the pursuit of excellence (Ihsan) in our work and in the interactions with people of all walks of life is a central focus for many of us (or at least it should be) but where do we find much of the impetus for this aspiration?  

The obvious sources tend to be our teachers, mentors and historical figures that the healthcare sciences owe much of their modern grounding and structure.

These are all great sources of inspiration, however, they limit our potential for success to a dunya paradigm where their examples could potentially be the ceiling and even when we surpass these role models in some sense the focus is still primarily worldly success and oftentimes this is described in terms of tangible results such as success with cases, degrees upon degrees, accolades etc.

The more meaningful aspects of human connection that are central to our work in healthcare tend to be less mentioned or discussed in the literature. 

Turning towards the life and the daily routine of the most influential man in history exposes us to the potential for success not only in our careers but across different facets of our lives including our relationship with Allah, and the transformational connection with the people we serve in a way that sets us up for success in this life and the hereafter.

Today, I invite you to consider taking a cue from the Prophet’s life to add more meaning to what you do everyday in healthcare and to let that challenge all of us to elevate our intentions and the quality of our contribution to healthcare work and our lives outside of work.

There are certainly many cues to be taken from the best of humanity. Because of the unique nature of healthcare work and the interactions we have with people of all walks of life, often under pressure, an area that is certainly worth tapping into is the remarkable way that our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH engaged with people around him as we learn from his Seerah.

Let’s zoom into the manners of Prophet Muhammad PBUH and consider a few things that can transform our interactions with family, patients, colleagues, friends and others at work and beyond the work space.

 If you see patients - think about your bedside manner, if you are a leader - think about how you show up with your team, if you are a team member  - consider how you come across with colleagues? 

Dr. Yasir Qadhi wrote in a Muslim Matters paper on this subject for the broader muslim community that “The entire message of Islam and the reason why Allah SWT sent us a Messenger is to perfect noble manners.” as this Hadith shows us.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The only reason I have been sent to mankind is to perfect noble manners." [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad Book 14, Hadith 273]

How beautiful would it be that our interactions with patients and everyone else in healthcare reflect at least shades of these prophetic ideals as we work on them over the course of our work lives and beyond.

It is well-established that how we show up with patients impacts their clinical outcomes and in the same vein how we show up in healthcare settings impacts the overall culture of the organization in a positive or negative direction.

The impact of a commitment to this has significant ramifications.

Dear colleagues and friends, Let’s consider just one piece of Prophet Muhammad’s interaction with the people to upgrade our game at the bedside and the healthcare facility hallways.

Smile (often!)

Abdullah ibn al-Harith reported: I have not seen anyone smile more often than the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. [Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3641] 

Our ultimate role model was given to this habit of smiling. We have all experienced the power of a smile and can relate to this attribute of Prophet Muhammad PBUH that made him an instant and perpetual “hit” with those around him.

Modern behavioral psychology teaches us that “smiling makes you seem courteous, likable and competent” while it simultaneously “elevates your mood and creates a sense of well-being”. These positive traits and experiences help us connect with patients, colleagues, family and others while elevating the experience we have and improving our mental and emotional resilience.  

Michael Reilly, MD, and Amir Hakimi, MD wrote in a post for Psychology Today titled What’s in a smile?  That “smiling is a powerful gift of communication that can dramatically influence interpersonal interactions.” 

The impact of Prophet Muhammad’s smile was evident in the many narrations about his deep connections with the people around him. This simple and profound act is a sunnah and an excellent tool to elevate your interactions across the healthcare space. 

Consider where you are today. Ask your close family and friends how you show up and take this as a nudge to up your smiling game 😀 

In sha Allah, next week we will explore a few additional nuggets to incorporate to take our interactions to the next level and have truly transformational connections with the patients we serve, colleagues that we work with and others beyond the healthcare walls.

May Allah, the Most High, grant us the ability to take cues from the best of humanity and seek holistic success in this life and the hereafter. Amin 

Sincerely,

Sulyman

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