Work Readiness Skills

         A huge skill I used this week was dedication, or rather perseverance. I had a fantastic week at Kaiser, full of excitement, as well as new and unexpected things. I got to watch the process on how a specimen gets removed from the patient to be biopsied, sent a lab to be prepared, and then down to pathology. I learned that there are a lot more people behind the curtains at hospitals, even though doctors and surgeons get most of the glory.
         At about 2 o'clock, things started to slow down on the floor and surgeries stopped happening, and not as many patients were seen. I decided to take a trip over to MOHS, a department that specializes in skin cancer removal, to see if there were any procedures I could observe, but instead found myself organizing and packing towels to be sterilized. This was incredibly boring and did not compare to what I had seen in the morning, but I went on anyways, organizing each towel exactly how it was supposed to be without a peep from my mouth. That was my first experience of downtime in the hospital, and found it took a lot of dedication to fold those towels for about an hour straight. I know it seems silly that folding towels takes dedication, but it really did! I really want this internship and I know that if I get through the slow parts like this, it will be more than worth it.
        I felt I really acted with diligence this week as well. There were quite a few times where the doctors would be talking to each other, or Dr. Delfanti (the surgeon I am shadowing) would do something to a patient that I didn't understand; I would simply ask for them to clarify, without being embarrassed or scared to look stupid, and find out exactly why and how they were doing something and learning in the process. There were a couple emergency patients, in which Dr. Delfanti asked me to go get supplies from the closet while he was caring for them. Just to make sure I would clarify before running to the closet just to make sure I didn't waste everyone's time by getting the wrong thing and waisting time. During and after a lot of check ups with patients I would ask him why he used a particular instrument, and what it was meant to do, and I found he was more than happy to share with me.
       Even though I have been doing so well on the skill of professionalism, as far as punctuality, I found myself falling right back into old habits. On Friday I did not give myself enough time to get ready and was late driving to Kaiser. To top that off I got horribly lost in the Hospital and had to ask someone to show me where to go. I was very unhappy with myself and felt like I was letting people down. Fortunately enough, Dr. Delfanti's 8:30 patient was late, and I didn't keep anybody waiting, but even if he didn't show it, I think he was a bit unimpressed with me being late- as he should be. I was disappointed in myself for being unprofessional, and learned that a little time for human error (such as losing yourself in  a hospital) is better than none at all.
       Thankfully I think my chocolate chip cookies baked the night before for him softened the blow :)