Tuesday, June 08, 2004
A Much More Interesting Day
Phew! Today was so much more interesting - as my colleague, the other Ryan, put it: "You can't even compare them. Today was infinitely more helpful." We began the day with an in-depth tour of the hospital and all our potential work sites, beginning on the ground floor with the ER and OR, and moving all the way up to the 12th floor tower where Hospice patients reside. We even took a peek in the morgue in the basement - creepy. That took up the entire morning session, after which we were all 100% confident that we could get lost at any given time, except for on the way to the lunch room. And on that subject - the food here is actually really good! You can actually get a balanced meal (imagine that!) and can, should you so choose, completely avoid starches! Seabury should take notice.
After lunch we ventured back down to the first floor and stopped off at public safety to pick up our name badges and credentials - now we're official! Then we left the actual hospital and walked across the street to the 'White House', where the main CPE offices are located. The remainder of the afternoon session was spent there going over the various areas of the hospital to which we may assign ourselves. The three primary areas are Critical Care (encompassing the ER and all the ICU's, excepting pedeatric and infant ICU's), OB/Pedes (self-explanatory), and Medical/Surgical (everything else). By the end of next week we will need to select the area on which we wish to focus. Right now, I am leaning towards Critical Care. I took one look at the Neo-natal ward and the "Bereavement Closet" where all these tiny baptismal gowns and little baptismal rings are kept for baptism in the case of an In Utero Fetal Demise (IUFD) and said no way can I handle that. Luckily, one lady feels called to this ministry. Medical/Surgical wards would also be fine, but I really feel my gifts are the strongest in times of high anxiety and unsurety. The intensity of a place like the ER excites me and it is in those types of situations that I can function best. But, we'll see how it all goes and I'll be sure to keep you updated. After the discussion about all these different teams, we moved into our small groups and did a round-robin in-depth introduction of ourselves and told a story of a time when we were helped by someone.
We also signed up for our "tag-along" shifts today. My first one is the early morning shift on Friday, from 12:30am-8:30am. Yep, the means a 16 hour work day. Wow. We don't actually have to do anything on this first tag-along, just observe. On the second tag-along shift we will actually be doing stuff, but will have the professional chaplain with us so we can ask questions. I look forward to that, but the thing I am really looking forward to tonight is getting some slurpees with a certain young lady. She takes her last exam today and then will be done. There really is no better way to celebrate the end of a school year than a refreshing, large slurpee. It's a time honored tradition in my family at least. Of course, The Coke flavored one is the best.
-R
Phew! Today was so much more interesting - as my colleague, the other Ryan, put it: "You can't even compare them. Today was infinitely more helpful." We began the day with an in-depth tour of the hospital and all our potential work sites, beginning on the ground floor with the ER and OR, and moving all the way up to the 12th floor tower where Hospice patients reside. We even took a peek in the morgue in the basement - creepy. That took up the entire morning session, after which we were all 100% confident that we could get lost at any given time, except for on the way to the lunch room. And on that subject - the food here is actually really good! You can actually get a balanced meal (imagine that!) and can, should you so choose, completely avoid starches! Seabury should take notice.
After lunch we ventured back down to the first floor and stopped off at public safety to pick up our name badges and credentials - now we're official! Then we left the actual hospital and walked across the street to the 'White House', where the main CPE offices are located. The remainder of the afternoon session was spent there going over the various areas of the hospital to which we may assign ourselves. The three primary areas are Critical Care (encompassing the ER and all the ICU's, excepting pedeatric and infant ICU's), OB/Pedes (self-explanatory), and Medical/Surgical (everything else). By the end of next week we will need to select the area on which we wish to focus. Right now, I am leaning towards Critical Care. I took one look at the Neo-natal ward and the "Bereavement Closet" where all these tiny baptismal gowns and little baptismal rings are kept for baptism in the case of an In Utero Fetal Demise (IUFD) and said no way can I handle that. Luckily, one lady feels called to this ministry. Medical/Surgical wards would also be fine, but I really feel my gifts are the strongest in times of high anxiety and unsurety. The intensity of a place like the ER excites me and it is in those types of situations that I can function best. But, we'll see how it all goes and I'll be sure to keep you updated. After the discussion about all these different teams, we moved into our small groups and did a round-robin in-depth introduction of ourselves and told a story of a time when we were helped by someone.
We also signed up for our "tag-along" shifts today. My first one is the early morning shift on Friday, from 12:30am-8:30am. Yep, the means a 16 hour work day. Wow. We don't actually have to do anything on this first tag-along, just observe. On the second tag-along shift we will actually be doing stuff, but will have the professional chaplain with us so we can ask questions. I look forward to that, but the thing I am really looking forward to tonight is getting some slurpees with a certain young lady. She takes her last exam today and then will be done. There really is no better way to celebrate the end of a school year than a refreshing, large slurpee. It's a time honored tradition in my family at least. Of course, The Coke flavored one is the best.
-R
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