How to Advocate for Yourself in Healthcare - Not Feeling Heard

In this episode, the Banter at the Bedside crew tackles one of the most frustrating and emotional experiences patients and healthcare workers can face: feeling dismissed. Through personal stories, ICU experiences, and honest discussion, Abby, Kaleigh, and Amanda explore how communication breakdowns happen in healthcare and what both patients and providers can do to improve trust and understanding.

Abby shares her own experience being repeatedly told her symptoms were “just anxiety” before a serious heart rhythm issue was finally caught. The conversation expands into why patients sometimes feel ignored, why healthcare workers can feel dismissed too, and how burnout, workload, fear, and communication styles all contribute to these moments.


The episode also offers practical scripts and strategies patients can use to advocate for themselves in a respectful but effective way.


Key Takeaways
- Patients often know when something feels “off” in their body
- Feeling dismissed can damage trust in healthcare
- Communication style matters just as much as medical knowledge
- Aggression and violence delay care and create unsafe environments
- Asking for clarification or escalation is appropriate and encouraged
- Healthcare workers can feel dismissed by colleagues and systems too
- Simple consistency and follow-through build trust with patients
- Using “I statements” can improve difficult conversations
- Translating medical jargon into understandable language is essential


Practical Advocacy Phrases Mentioned
“I don’t feel like my concern about ___ is being addressed.”
“Can you help me understand why we’re not addressing this?”
“Can we revisit this conversation in a little while?”
“I would like to speak with the next person up.”


Timestamps
02:00- Abby's story: "It's just anxiety" and being dismissed as a patient
05:45- Why patients often know when something is wrong
07:25- The danger of dismissing patient concerns
11:45- Feeling dismissed? Don't become aggressive
4:40- How to escalate concerns in the hospital
17:00- The Josie King story and patient-activated safety systems
20:20- When healthcare workers unintentionally appear dismissive
23:55- Why "I'll come back" matters
27:45- Building trust through consistency
31:00- Healthcare workers feel dismissed too
33:45- When patients don't want the help being offered
39:40- Practical advice for advocating for yourself
43:15- Communication techniques that actually work
46:20- The physicians patients never forget
48:30- Final thoughts: advocating for yourself and your loved ones