Bedside manner is a critical part of the process of treating a patient. If the Medicine Cat cannot inspire confidence in the patient instructions will not be followed and treatment will be rendered less effective.
The following tips are suggested to be followed while dealing with patients:
- Calm: It is recommended that a Medicine Cat conduct themselves calmly. Even in an emergency a sense of calm is required even as a cat works quickly to do their work. If a Medicine Cat appears panicked then the patient will quickly join them in that emotion.
- Firm: A Medicine Cat must be firm enough for it to be understood that the instructions they give are not optional and must be followed to the letter. Wavering can lead to cats deciding that it’s not worth eating a foul tasting medicine or resting as long as recovery requires.
- Confident: A Medicine Cat must be confident in the treatments they give and trust in the training they have received from their Mentor. Failure to display confidence will lead to the lack of confidence in the medicine cat. Without confidence medicines can loose effectiveness and patients can fair to recover.
- Honest: It is unwise for a medicine cat to lie to their patients. If patients begin to feel they cannot trust their medicine cat it can effect how they react to suggested treatments and may lead to them not following instructions they are given.
- Clear: A Medicine Cat must be able to give clear and concise instructions to a patient. Failure to clearly explain one-self can lead to instructions followed wrongly or a cat convinced they’re near death when simple treatments will put them right.