Listening Is Not Optional
Why taking patients seriously is a core professional obligation, not a courtesy
A pregnant woman wrote on Reddit that she repeatedly warned her clinicians about a prior shoulder dystocia and her fear that it could happen again. She felt reassured quickly, but not truly heard, and no detailed discussion followed. Labor proceeded without a clear plan that acknowledged her history. Shoulder dystocia then occurred again during delivery. What comes through most clearly is not rage, but the pain of having raised a medically relevant concern and feeling dismissed before a preventable crisis unfolded.
Listening Is a Professional Obligation
Listening to patients is not an optional courtesy or a communication style preference. It is a core element of professional responsibility. Patients often bring forward crucial information that lives outside protocols and checklists, including prior complications, bodily awareness, and lived experience. When a patient raises a specific concern rooted in past harm, the clinician’s duty is to pause, reassess risk, and engage seriously. Failure to do so is not benign reassurance. It is a clinical decision that carries ethical and safety consequences.
