Permission to Care

Building a Healthcare Culture that Thrives in Chaos

By: Cory Jenks

Narrated by: Cory Jenks

Length: 5 hrs

Publisher's summary

Are you tired of feeling like you aren’t permitted to connect with your patients?

Can you envision creating a less sterile healthcare experience?

Pharmacist Cory Jenks had all the elements to make a competent healthcare professional. Good looks, academic accolades, multiple board certifications, and a competitive residency. However, none of these items prepared him for truly caring for his patients in a chaotic healthcare environment, and he was struggling. After implementing lessons he learned as an improv comedian, Cory’s perspective began to shift. In this audiobook, Cory takes you through the comical and powerful tools needed to create a memorable, humanizing experience for your patients and colleagues. You’ll learn how to:

• Prepare for the unpredictability of healthcare.
• Find more joy in your day-to-day work.
• Express your personality while connecting with your patients.

In whatever capacity you support patients and their families, this book will help you become a dynamic, adaptable, and empathetic caregiver.

©2022 Cory Jenks (P)2023 Cory Jenks

Excellent book!!

This is a fabulous book, Cory the author did an amazing job writing it. It is funny, entertaining, and highly educational. The book is written to medical professionals, of which I am not one, but I still found the content to be highly valuable. Even though I don’t see patients, I have a better understanding of how to relate to the people in my life, and how to empathize and listen more intently. I highly recommend it!

When we're laughing, we're learning

Did I like this book? Yes, and I would recommend it to you.

I’m a big fan of author-read audiobooks, and Cory Jenks did a great job narrating this one. The “Yes, and” theme was not only repeated, but it was also demonstrated throughout the audiobook.

When we’re laughing, we’re learning. Cory’s stories about improv comedy scenes made me laugh out loud, and they hit home. From “gifts” to “alley-oops,” Cory introduced concepts and used thoughtful examples. The “hype man” example was my favorite. The clinical pharmacist stories resonated with me too. I am also a pharmacist.

I read the printed book a year before I listened to the audiobook. I don’t have much time to read, and listening to this audiobook provided a lot of continuity for me. Sometimes, I put a book down for a week or more before I have time to come back to it. Then, I forget where I’m at. It’s frustrating. I appreciate this audiobook and learned more the second time than I did the first time because I was able to finish is quickly. The second time I “read” the book (via audiobook), the part that resonated most (other than “Yes, and”) was the part about creating something as you’re falling from the plane. Looking beyond perfectionism and the fear of being wrong is important. Just get started, and use improv as your tool to take that first step.

Am I done with this review? Yes, and now it’s your turn to listen to this audiobook! If you’re in healthcare, you will laugh, learn, and enjoy this audiobook.

Learned something new!

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while now and I’m glad I was finally able to. I think all healthcare providers, especially pharmacists, should read this book. He presents unique ways for us to help our patients beyond what we’re taught in school.

Thought-Provoking

As a healthcare provider, I am somewhat rigid and have a tendency to lose my words when a patient is "being insistent that I don't know what I'm saying". I try to adapt to the unexpected but find myself digging in my heels, affirming my authority, and telling my patients, "no". Cory's suggestion to integrate some improv skills to my practice was thought-provoking. Definitely worth giving him a listen/read to acquire some new soft skills.

Comedy in Healthcare?! Yes! AND...

What better way to combat provider burnout, improve patient care and patient engagement, than to bring some of the skills of comedic improvisation into the exam room? That's the tack Cory takes in this fantastic, entertaining and educational book. The absolute best audiobooks are read by their authors, and this is certainly no exception. Is Cory knowledgeable? YES! And he is entertaining. Is he experienced? YES! And he has some great solutions to offer. Is his delivery amazing! YES! And his points are well made Do I recommend this book for providers and patients alike? YES! And I'm not even jockeying for any kind of brownie points! You won't regret listening to Permission To Care, and you'll likely walk away with some great new tools for improving your practice AND your life outside the office.

Must read/listen for healthcare practitioners and consumers!

Permission to Care does an excellent job of not only highlighting a major issue in modern healthcare, but providing an effective, easy to implement solution to enhance the experience for all involved. This book not only applies to healthcare, but can easily apply to any other industry where communication gets lost in the bureaucracy. The book flows very well, and Cory does a great job keeping the reader engaged in both his language and narration.