In looking at the US Healthcare system and a jigsaw puzzle, there are many things they have in common and many differences between them. It is important to begin with the similarities between the two and the first comparison deals with needing a lot of patience. In the health care field, when dealing with patients, you wouldn’t be doing a good job if you rushed through their treatment. Doctors and nurses get to know their patients and what they are going through. This helps them figure out what is wrong with them. It often time takes patience to determine a diagnosis and they need to take time to communicate and ask questions. In a jigsaw puzzle, it is the same scenario. One needs to have patience with the pieces and think about what they are doing. If you rush through the puzzle or are impatient, you will not figure it out quicker. You will just become frustrated and then want to quit.
A second comparison includes both needing a lot of time and energy. In the healthcare system it takes time to learn the system. May times you are referred to several different specialists and you need to schedule appointments for each. This takes time and energy, not to mention time off of school or work to attend these appointments. As an employee, energy is a huge factor in healthcare since you might have to work nights or weekend hours. In working on a jigsaw puzzle, you need to have a lot of time on your hands because you will never complete it if you rush through. Energy is part of doing a puzzle since you think better if you are energized and you are more excited about completing the puzzle.
The last comparison involves having a lot of pride in what you do. Being involved with the healthcare system, doctors and nurses take pride in helping their patients get better. There is pride involved with completing a complex jigsaw puzzle.
With similarities, come some differences between the healthcare system and a jigsaw puzzle. First, in figuring out a jigsaw puzzle the whole point of completing it is by trial and error. You make a mistake or put a piece in the wrong spot so you just move it somewhere else. In the healthcare system you cannot make a trial on someone because we are talking about their health and you do not want to make a mistake that can hurt them. Being in the healthcare field, you have to be confident with your actions since you are putting the patient’s life at risk if you don’t.
The second difference between a jigsaw puzzle and the healthcare system has to do with education. To be an employee in the healthcare system, it is necessary to have an education in order to receive a degree. Education is essential to employment into the healthcare field. To complete a jigsaw puzzle, you really don’t need an education in order to figure the puzzle out. You just need to think about what piece goes where, but you don’t have to go to school for it.
The last difference between the two is you can complete a puzzle, but you might not be able to help out a patient and a doctor might have to refer them to a specialist. If you don’t know what is wrong with your patient and have tried everything you have to send them to another doctor that can. You have not fully completed your task and you have to have someone other than you do it. One can complete a jigsaw puzzle on their own which is a choice, but for doctors/nurses they do not have a choice in what they can do for their patients.

This analogy assignment made me seriously think about the health care system and how complicated it really is. The assignment actually made me break down the system and look at all the different aspects involved with running a successful health care system. This assignment just confirms my desire to want to become a nurse or to work in the medical field.
Overall, the health care system had many similarities as well as differences, but it was interesting to actually break them down and analyze them. Both are quite complex to some degree and what is most important is to not get frustrated or upset, when things don’t go how you plan from the start.