Certified PAs serve an important role of educating patients and their families about their health. With PAs seeing an estimated 9.5 million patients each week, they need to be excellent communicators, and Jessica Dell’Aquila, PA-C, who works as a surgical PA in Pennsylvania, is no exception! Dell’Aquila shared her take on what makes PAs stand out as health care professionals.
“I have found that oftentimes a PA is the largest resource in getting education across to patients. I think that is one of the biggest assets we bring to the medical care team. We spend so much time with our patients and their families providing education, counseling and comfort,” she shared.
The ability to communicate and educate are crucial skills that PAs use to build trust with patients and their families. The time and attention that PAs dedicate to their patients does not go unnoticed. “I have been told by multiple families that what they appreciate the most is the TIME that was spent with them during their hospital stay,” Jessica recalls. “A hospital stay, or post-surgical stay, can be an uneasy and terrifying time for patients as well as close loved ones.”
In the fast-paced, clinical environment of a hospital, it is easy for patients and their families to feel overwhelmed. However, with the attention and thoughtfulness that PAs bring to their patients, along with their passion for the job, PAs always make room for compassion in a medical setting.
“I think what makes the PA profession unique is that a lot of us seem to carry an immense amount of emotion and love into what we do, and patients recognize it every day.”
To learn more about the critical role Certified PAs play as health care professionals or to see if the PA path is right for you, please visit PAsDoThat.net.
