Week 1 of Acute Care

So I survived week 1 in the hospital! haha.

Monday: Orientation all day. My brain was fried with all the tests and forms to fill out...then went on a tour of the hospital -I really am hoping to not get lost, haha. Something amazing about the hospital? Dunkin Doughnuts coffee in their cafeteria!!! :-) The little things that make me happy... O, met my CI and I did not know how to take her since she's somewhat sarcastic but very nice.  Got done "early" and with the next day off (surprise!), I went out to dinner and chilled with my friend, Nick, who had me laughing hysterically with Monty Python - just what I needed after hours of Orientation :-)

Tuesday: Off since my CI was out at a Continuing Education Course that was about Disney's Customer Service approach and how to apply that to Health care...sounds like a good time :-)

Wednesday: Arrived for my first day with my CI...went through the computer system and chart review for some patients - they have mainly electronic records but also some paper chart stuff at the patient's rooms so you have to check both. The first patient (pt) we saw had her Nurse in to take blood...and I nearly passed out since the Nurse had to keep poking her to try to get a vein; luckily I stood closer to the door with a chair nearby, looking to the window and listening to my CI ask questions of the pt. And just as I was recovering from my face starting to feel numb, hearing and vision not doing well, and feeling awfully hot - my CI calls me over to the pt just as the Nurse had decided to try again later, whew.  We only had a few pts on our schedule, only half were appropriate to eval...and it's very hard to keep smiling/a good face while you have to help clean up pts or those pts that are really sad or depressed.  But my CI is amazing and really does a great job with pts, family members, and other staff...so I know I'm in good hands :-)

Thursday: My CI had meetings and classes to teach to the volunteers at the hospital so I went around with other therapists.  Got to go to the NICU to see 2 babies - very cute little ones who luckily at this time were not as sick as the babies I saw at Mt Washington's NICU.  Got to observe more co-treatments with OT/PT which was good...and it's nice to see the variety of styles of all the different therapists.  O, and had to go back to a pt's room to get a pillow for the chair since we had them out walking in the halls...surprisingly I did NOT get lost!! Was very proud of myself and the therapists I was with were happy to see me so happy, haha. All the therapists and aides are really nice to me - even the physicians, nurses, and other staff seem very nice.  I have a lot of names to learn in the Rehab Dept- 30some so it's a good thing I am good with names.

Friday: My CI had me come in a little later and start chart reviews to prep her when she was coming in. Of course, my log-in screen is different and try to navigate the 3-4pts I have to review in the hour and a half...I get through the first 2 pretty thoroughly since they are pretty sick people coming to the hospital and have some fairly extensive past medical histories...and getting through the 3rd when my CI comes in but then the last one gets taken off our schedule so that was good. So gave my chart review reviews to my CI, called an Assisted Living Facility (ALF - new abbreviation I learned, haha), then went to see pts.  Evaluated my first pt who turned out to be somewhat confused with new onset of CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) - I did fairly well but was glad a nurse from the ALF came in to give my CI and I some more info while she visited the pt.  The other pts on our schedule my CI took the lead since I'd still have to do documentation after lunch. Some of the things you see are really sad and makes you question family/people's intentions but I guess some people are just in denial, some people just don't care, and some people just don't understand or know.  I get to practice a lot of good body mechanics since I am apparently tall...taller than my CI and most of my pts so far.  Documentation took awhile (surprise) at the end of treating; still attempting to figure out the computer system with all these different things.  Yet I had some good descriptions and goals for my pt that my CI liked - so not worried. 

Traffic in general isn't bad - not any in the morning until I actually get to Frederick so a nice 45-50min drive; I make sure to have coffee for my drive :-)  The drive home there is some more traffic especially closer to 695 but it isn't bad at all - but maybe my views are skewed based on DC/Baltimore traffic, haha. 

I think overall, a good week. I know I am going to learn a lot and have had some good conversations with my CI along with some other therapists/staff :-) Plus I am getting everyone's names down which makes my life easier when I need help and they all appreciate it.  Enjoying my weekend and getting to rest up some, get organized, and prepared for Week 2 in the hospital!