How speaking up at the doctor's office could save your life | Jitana Benton-Lee | TEDxTWU
What if someone told you that a story could save a life? In healthcare, we rely on charts, numbers, and test results, but what gets lost in the data is the patient’s voice. Nurses, more than anyone, are the translators of human experience, turning fragmented symptoms into full narratives that can change the course of care.Dr. Jitana Benton-Lee explores Narrative Medicine, a practice that sees storytelling as a powerful clinical tool. Through fast-moving visuals and rhythmic narration, Dr. Benton shares real moments where a nurse’s ability to listen, interpret, and advocate made the difference between a missed diagnosis and a lifesaving intervention.But this isn’t just about healthcare. Storytelling is how we make sense of the world. It’s how we build trust, find meaning, and make change. The ability to hear, understand, and retell someone’s story is what allows us to form deeper connections—not just in hospitals, but in our daily lives. What stories aren’t we listening to—and what might happen if we did?Because in nursing and in life, medicine heals the body, but stories heal the person. The more we learn to listen, the better we can care—for our patients, for each other, and for ourselves. Dr. Jitana Benton-Lee is a distinguished nurse leader, educator, and health equity strategist with over 25 years of experience transforming healthcare through advocacy, inclusive leadership, and systems innovation. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Nursing at Texas Woman’s University, where her research explores psychological safety in the nurse-patient relationship and the life-altering impact of silence in clinical care.
Jitana is the Founder and CEO of Cultured Remedy, a health equity consulting firm, and an Associate Professor of Graduate Nursing at Northern Kentucky University. Her professional path spans clinical care, executive nursing leadership, higher education, and health equity-focused entrepreneurship. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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