Preparing for the initial meeting:
Prepare a brief verbal introduction of yourself, telling people some of the following:
- Your name
- Your role as an adviser
- A brief summary of your St. Jude journey
- What you bring to the meeting or group
- What motivated you to join the committee or group
- Your expectations are for participation
Things you may want to bring a meeting include:
- Copies of any documents you were sent before the meeting like agendas or items for discussion
- Note-taking materials like writing utensils and notebooks
- A calendar to check relevant dates
- Your St. Jude ID badge
- Any contact information you want to share
- A medical dictionary, even if it’s on your phone!
Things you may want to do if you are joining by phone or Webex:
- Check that you know how to call in or use Webex before your meeting. There are helpful resource guides on the St. Jude website.
- Print copies of any documents that will be helpful to look at during the meeting including agendas, informational documents, or emails.
- Be sure your phone or computer is charged and ready to last through the meeting.
- Check that the people you are working with know you will be calling in or using Webex so they can do their part to help you be involved in the meeting.
Preparing for subsequent meetings:
Be an active and effective member of meetings by:
- Reviewing the agenda in advance
- Getting involved – you are part of this meeting because you can make valuable contributions through your story and St. Jude experiences.
- As you listen to the discussion, ask yourself:
- How can I contribute to the discussion?
- What could be some possible concerns for patients/parents/staff?
- What is relevant information I can bring to this discussion?
- Report what happened at each meeting back to Patient Family-Centered Care (PFCC) staff. Either share your experience at a PFAC meeting or use a report form.
Tips for working well with others:
- Be respectful and open to each person’s ideas and opinions.
- Listen to learn and understand.
- Please turn off cell phones and pagers.
- Participate! Share your ideas and experiences. It’s also okay to pass if you do not wish to contribute to a particular conversation.
- Share air time. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak, including you.
- Avoid acronyms and abbreviations in case others don’t know what they mean. Define them if they can’t be avoided.
- Be respectful of confidentiality. We must always keep private any personal information shared.
- Respect start and end times
- Take care of yourself. Do what you personally need to stay focused, involved and emotionally well.
- Let PFCC staff know what we can do to help you by emailing us at PFCC@stjude.org