So far for this course Hospital Unit Communications has been the easiest lesson. It was a nice break after Medical Terminology to have. Although it was easy there was still a lot that had to be remembered. Although most of it seemed pretty straight forward, there was still a lot to be learned. Obviously being in the hospital setting we have to be tech-savvy and fast thinkers, but it is also essential that we are aware of how to treat one another.
Learning how to treat patients and co-workers
In communications we learn not only how to treat our patients, but also the people working around us. Doing something as simple as offering a smile and asking someone how their day can make the difference between a happy work place and a not-so-happy work place. Working in the hospital there will be a lot of stress and sometimes we can forget that everyone is trying their best. Everyone has bad days, but when the hospitals main role is to treatment and care for the sick, we cannot afford to feel sorry for ourselves. After all, someone always has it worse than you.
I always try to remember how important these little things are when I look back at all the times I have had to be in the hospital. It was never on a happy occasion. Whether my mother was having brain surgery, my grandfather had just had his second stroke, or when I broke arm at work. Having a warm and welcoming team in the hospital made all the difference. We also learned that yes, it is important to show sympathy, but never cry. The patient needs our power as well as their own. They can’t see that we are worried for them, because they have to feel that we are confident in their strength
Almost half way
On a happier note I am happy to announce that our cohort is almost half way! We are making our way into our fourth month. Although we have lost some students due to personal reasons, I am happy to say that we are all going strong. All of my classmates are the drive that I need to get that project done, or put in that extra hour of studying in. We have all come from different backgrounds and all have different points of view and life experiences that make our class discussions so interesting. They are 100 % my support team. Of course having family and friends are important, but your classmates are the only once who know how truly hard this journey is and what it takes to pull through.
Since I have stopped working, being able to get my work done has been a lot easier though. I tried to think of it this way, what is more important? Making minimum wage and being stressed out all the time of whether or not you will get enough time to study as well as sleep, or studying as well as being confident going into (almost) every exam? I figured I am paying more for this course than I will make at my part-time job anyways and if I don’t succeed in school, what do I have to show for it?
Until next time! Tomorrow we start Pharmacology aka my biggest fear in this course.
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