Everyday is a new adventure, I learn something new and experience something unlike what a saw the day before. I began my internship June the 11th, and work 12 hours days in the hospital and emergency room, at Parmer Medical Center, and I will soon be starting some work in the clinic. Working in the hospital and emergency room has brought a vast amount of knowledge and growth into my life. There were three things I specifically wanted to work on, three goals I strived and am still striving for: bettering my interpersonal communication skills, being punctual and organized, and finally being confident in using the resources such as staff available to me.
I want to build greatly on my interpersonal communication, I feel it is my biggest weakness due to my shyness, and I have been taking specific steps to build on this area. I have begun speaking more with the patients that enter and speaking more with those who I encounter each day. I will have to work even more on this by making it my obligation to talk to a least two patients every day, allowing me to increase my verbal communication capabilities.
I want to work on my punctuality and organization as well. In the emergency room time is key and being late and unorganized can cost you. So, to improve on this I have made it my obligation to show up five minutes early every day and will continue to do this throughout my internship and school as well. My organization is unique, to say the least, and I have started using the planner on my phone as well as a planner at home to keep my internship and two other jobs balanced. I will continue to take these steps and improve on these two areas.
Finally, I have always been weary of asking for help, asking for advice, or asking for guidance. So, to build on this area, I have taken the initiative of asking my supervisors, whether they are RN’s PA’s or doctors for more and more guidance and advice when I see something new, as well as when I forget something. I will specifically ask at least one question a day to grow this into a habit. This will lead to an increase of confidence in my arsenal of knowledge and a lack of fear of asking for help, advice, and guidance.
