Vent: A patient's comment about my voice made me change how I talk at night

I work night shifts at the hospital, and a few weeks ago, a patient told me something that stuck with me. He said, 'You're very kind, but your voice is so loud and bright right now, it's like a morning person walking in.' It was 3 AM. I never thought about it before, but I guess I just use my normal daytime voice. I realized that in the quiet of the night, especially for people trying to rest or who are in pain, my usual tone could be jarring. Since then, I've made a real effort to soften my voice, lower the volume, and slow down my words when I'm doing my rounds in the dark hours. It feels a bit unnatural, but I think it helps. It's funny how one small piece of feedback can make you aware of a habit you never noticed. Has anyone else had to adjust something simple about how they act because of a comment from someone?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbychen2mo ago

Toning down my voice at night made patients seem more at ease.

diana1552mo ago

Oh wow, that's such a good point. It's crazy how much tone and volume affect how people feel. You must have a great sense for that kind of thing.

alicec861mo ago

abbychen's exactly right about it making people more at ease. When I started lowering my voice in those quiet shifts, patients actually started opening up more about how they were really feeling. It's amazing how one small change can completely change the mood of a room.