Couldn't have framed this moment better. When I first thought about this sign in a hospital room, I thought, "that's a sign I should blog." So, I am.

Now, before you get on me about the sign's true intention, I'm nitpicking, or this, that or another thing, let me start by saying I realize all of those things. I could have just passed by the sign and passed on the opportunity to pass the lesson on to you, but, that wouldn't teach you anything (other than #antistasis.)

When I saw the sign, my mind went immediately to "how could I have made this better?" And, that's what you'll have to do if you have this kind of language posted in your room. The way this is written is what I would post in someone's room that I secretly hated. Why?

1st of all, the trailing thought is "fall." Remember what I said in the second paragraph about objecting based on intention. I realize they don't want me to fall, but that's not what the sign says to me, let alone someone who's in a hospital trance and even more receptive to subliminal messages.

Let's take this into different contexts for a change. Imagine a salesperson saying to a prospect "buy, don't leave." Sales people starve when they communicate this way. Or, a teacher saying "remember, don't forget." Students remember, not, this way. Or a police officer saying "freeze, don't move." People get shot. I don't know about you, but I want those messages clean and clear.

2nd issue is "don't." I thought everyone knew the power of positive talk, by now; and that negatives aren't processed by the unconscious mind, especially when your conscious mind is distracted (like thinking of how your life might change after leaving the hospital.) Your mind makes these subtle connections, even if you don't.

Back to the sign. Now, I did have the thoughts "happens all the time with signs" & "probably not indicative of anything." You know, those types of justification giving them the benefit of the doubt. But it turns out, it's the modus operandi of the entire department, or at least the staff I observed first hand.

Doctors don't see an immediate cause-effect like salespeople do, or do they. Can you not, using your sensory acuity, pick up on the patient's response to what you're saying?

The staff didn't impress me with comments like "when you get home, don't be falling down and be falling down steps" and "you're going to be prone to dropping stuff, y, and z" (I don't remember all the specific injury causing actions,) "I just don't want to see you on the news. I don't like to see my patients on the news" (side note: that's a horrible presupposition of their post-discharge history) and believe it or not "I don't want the next one to be worse." Not one positive suggestion. Not one.

The closest was "...so you're not hung out to dry." Not very positive, is it?

Positive suggestions are using, "so you land on your feet," or even, "so you hit the ground running when you do get back to work," or "so you come out of this forgetting it ever happened," or best, "never mind that, you'll be fine in due time (what never happened?)" or even, "come out of this standing on your on two feet," or, "get your bearings," "keep your financial standing," "maintain your lifestyle," or anything that keeps patients moving forward and thinking of the future.

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How about just "When You Need Help, Just Call." Even my 2 year old uses this language structure.

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Which of these would you rather have used on you? Or would you like your patients to enjoy?