This was my very first day! I learned how to check people in for their appointments and surgeries through phone calls and in person conversations. The ladies I worked with explained to me how ASH is not a tertiary care center like Mercy but more of a cosmetic and not so urgent surgery hospital. I learned that I definitely do not want to become a receptionist or someone who checks in patients. I don't like the idea of doing the exact same job over and over again and sitting behind a screen for hours on end filing in paper work. On the side, I learned that as a nurses assistant, you don't really have to spend much time in school or college. As long as you have a high school diploma and some medical background and a couple weeks of training, you can be a nurses assistant. I learned that it helps to be a "people person" because the receptionist is the very first person that patients see when they walk in. The impression they make is one that somewhat reflects that of the hospital. In addition to checking people in and filing paperwork, they also spend a large portion of time talking on the phone with insurance companies, which seems to be a long and frustrating yet very necessary process. Overall, even though it seem like a very important job in any hospital, a receptionist does not seem like a very appealing job to me at all.
4/28/21
Today I shadowed two nurses working in the emergency room. One of them was the mom of a friend of mine which made things easier and made me more comfortable asking questions. One of the very first things I learned today is was that nurses can work at both Mercy and ASH simultaneously. One of the nurses I shadowed was a part of that agreement. Additionally, I learned how to fill out the general paperwork for each patient asking what their specific symptoms were which differed from case to case (ie. a thumb laceration will respond to separate questions from someone experiencing covid symptoms etc.) I learned that no matter the condition a patient is in, regardless of how minor an issue, as nurses and employees of ASH, [we] treat each and every patient with the same amount of respect and urgency. At the very beginning of the day, Jaylin and I met with the CEO of ASH and Lizette. We learned about the history of ASH and how it's different from other hospitals. ASH for one is a for profit organisation which in part means that it does not receive donations, grants or any money from the government. Any money made is made purely from Insurance the money from their patients. I believe this is adventitious when trying to maximize profit, and the hard work of employees. We were given some very good advice by the CEO, including ideas regarding college and different ways to go about entering the Medical field, or any career. He told us to take a business class regardless of our major, as it helps to give us more perspective on the industry, hospital, office etc. we are working in so that we can better work towards a shared goal and do a better job in general with deeper understanding. Additionally, he told us that finding out "WHY" we are going into the profession we are choosing is crucial for finding more meaning in our careers. He explained how we need to first understand OUR why and our own well being both mentally and physically (and spiritually!) so that we can help others to do the same. It was great to get to speak to him and he shared some very helpful and meaningful insight on our futures, and why we should go into a profession that adds more meaning to our lives in general. It's not about the money. It's not about the fame. It's about each and every life we can positively impact, no matter how small it is. I also got to see the Laboratory where blood is stored, and tests are put into action. It included covid tests, blood sugar level tests, urine tests and the like. Today was one of the coolest days I've experienced in quite some time, and I'm seriously looking forward to the rest of the internship. I never imagined I would have so much fun watching people work and learning so many new things. I came home today and splurged to my mom for at least an hour straight about how amazing it was to work in the hospital today. Who knows: I might not even end up working in a hospital, but I definitely can see myself doing a job similar to this that incorporates new and different issues every day.
4/29/21
Today I was supposed to shadow Sarah, a (nurse?) who works with Ultrasounds. I learned that it can be used for a lot more than just looking at pregnant women's babies and appendicitis's. She uses them to search around the entire digestive systems and important organs and whatnot inside and around the abdominal area. The ultrasound is also used for looking inside other areas of the lower body of both men and women. If I recall correctly, it's easier to use on younger kids and teens since they are typically smaller and have less fat surrounding their organs making it easier to see their organs and potential problems with them. Also, radiation can be potentially dangerous for younger kids which is why they will typically start with an ultrasound if possible. Sarah was very helpful and willing to answer all the questions I had. It was very cool to be allowed into a room with her while she searched a woman's liver for dysfunction and problems. Since there was only one ultrasound today, I spent the majority of the day in the radiation and digital imaging department. There, I shadowed Jared who knew just about everything there was to know about an MRI scanning machine. I learned that the magnetic field inside the cylindrical machine had such a strong force that it could re-align the H2O molecules inside a human's body so that it could accurately view the body itself. The machine was able to change speeds at which the H2O molecules aligned themselves (North and East were used for the sake of an explanation.) The molecules could realign faster or slower depending on how much the patient was moving, and how quickly they needed an accurate photo. If the patient was still the whole time, they only needed one solid frame of photos. However a patient that moved a bit would need up to two different tries on actual photo taking so that they could be read accurately. One woman we scanned showed clear signs of an arched and crooked spine. Her spine was actually pushing into her spinal cord which likely was causing her a bit of pain. The MRI machine had numerous settings and controls including viewing the body from a sagittal (side to side) versus coronal view (top to bottom) *same for ultrasounds* which allows for a reading of different parts of the body in a 3D perspective which is where and MRI differs very greatly from the product of an X-Ray. An MRI machine will typically take 100+ photos depending on the width of the "cuts" which are measured with millimetres because of how small and precise they are. I have always thought of digital imaging as a 2D X-ray machine, so the MRI came as quite a surprise to me. It seems like a pretty ingenious machine that must have taken a lot of time to put together initially. I also talked to a few of the "technicians/ technology "people" who worked in the radiation department. They told me that to work an Ultrasound machine, you require 4 years of college and 2 years of additional schooling. The same is true for working in the radiation department. Generally you need a college degree (4 years) and at least one year of school for each additional machine you work ie. X-ray. To work an MRI and Cat-scan, you need something like nuclear-medicine or something of the sort since they require using radiation or a strong magnetic field. Math is definitely required in these fields to a certain extent. Jared and the other radiation employees answered every single one of my questions in great detail and were very patient even though I'm sure I asked the same ones more than once. Today was very interesting and eye opening, and I'm excited to come back to the radiation department for one of my other internship days.
4/30/21
Today I shadowed the surgery scheduling. I learned everything from connecting with surgeons, radiologists, and ER doctors to organize times for procedures, to filing paperwork, creating schedules and checking insurance and background information etc. While it was not the most exciting job ever, I have gained a TON of insight and respect for the people who are in charge of creating schedules day after day and doing the work that most people don't want to do. This day also helped me to realize that I do not want to have a "behind the desk" job- at least full time.
5/1/21
Today I was supposed to shadow Sarah, a (nurse?) who works with Ultrasounds. I learned that it can be used for a lot more than just looking at pregnant women's babies and appendicitis's. She uses them to search around the entire digestive systems and important organs and whatnot inside and around the abdominal area. The ultrasound is also used for looking inside other areas of the lower body of both men and women. If I recall correctly, it's easier to use on younger kids and teens since they are typically smaller and have less fat surrounding their organs making it easier to see their organs and potential problems with them. Also, radiation can be potentially dangerous for younger kids which is why they will typically start with an ultrasound if possible. Sarah was very helpful and willing to answer all the questions I had. It was very cool to be allowed into a room with her while she searched a woman's liver for dysfunction and problems. Since there was only one ultrasound today, I spent the majority of the day in the radiation and digital imaging department. There, I shadowed Jared who knew just about everything there was to know about an MRI scanning machine. I learned that the magnetic field inside the cylindrical machine had such a strong force that it could re-align the H2O molecules inside a human's body so that it could accurately view the body itself. The machine was able to change speeds at which the H2O molecules aligned themselves (North and East were used for the sake of an explanation.) The molecules could realign faster or slower depending on how much the patient was moving, and how quickly they needed an accurate photo. If the patient was still the whole time, they only needed one solid frame of photos. However a patient that moved a bit would need up to two different tries on actual photo taking so that they could be read accurately. One woman we scanned showed clear signs of an arched and crooked spine. Her spine was actually pushing into her spinal cord which likely was causing her a bit of pain. The MRI machine had numerous settings and controls including viewing the body from a sagittal (side to side) versus coronal view (top to bottom) *same for ultrasounds* which allows for a reading of different parts of the body in a 3D perspective which is where and MRI differs very greatly from the product of an X-Ray. An MRI machine will typically take 100+ photos depending on the width of the "cuts" which are measured with millimetres because of how small and precise they are. I have always thought of digital imaging as a 2D X-ray machine, so the MRI came as quite a surprise to me. It seems like a pretty ingenious machine that must have taken a lot of time to put together initially. I also talked to a few of the "technicians/ technology "people" who worked in the radiation department. They told me that to work an Ultrasound machine, you require 4 years of college and 2 years of additional schooling. The same is true for working in the radiation department. Generally you need a college degree (4 years) and at least one year of school for each additional machine you work ie. X-ray. To work an MRI and Cat-scan, you need something like nuclear-medicine or something of the sort since they require using radiation or a strong magnetic field. Math is definitely required in these fields to a certain extent. Jared and the other radiation employees answered every single one of my questions in great detail and were very patient even though I'm sure I asked the same ones more than once. Today was very interesting and eye opening, and I'm excited to come back to the radiation department for one of my other internship days.
5/3/21
Today I shadowed Dr. Williams, a plastic surgeon in the OR. The very first thing I learned was that plastic surgeons don't have their name for their use of plastic in the human body during surgeries. In fact, the name came before physical plastic came into existence. In reality, "plastic" refers somewhat to their more cosmetic and reconstructive ways of fixing things. For example they are the surgeons who give breast implants, nose jobs, hand fixings and "little" things like removing cysts and small tumors and whatnot. The patients we had in had hand, wrist and nose issues. Next, I learned how to set up for an operation by prepping the utensils, putting on a gown, cap and other PPE and safety for the patient, wiping everything down and staying 2 feet away from everything. I also learned in more depth what an anesthesiologist does. I learned what the different machines did and read which were connected to the body of the patient in different places. One was obviously the hear rate, another blood pressure; others read the CO2 levels they were breathing out and the number of breaths etc. The technician was in charge of handing the surgeon the exact utensils and substances if and when s/he needed them. The anticipation, I learned, is one of the scariest parts of being a tech (you never really know what to expect, especially when inexperienced). It was important that they were there to retrieve things from other rooms, hold down patients when necessary (arms and fingers, just small things.) I was fascinated by the geometry Dr. Williams used to decide how to fix a woman's nose without detaching skin from another part of her body. It was cool to see how math was applied in real life. It was also absurd to me how thin the sutures were that he used (8-0) he said, which has to be viewed through a microscope or his special glasses lenses. I have seen dozens of surgeries done on dogs and cats and the sort, but this was the first time I had ever seen it done on a person. I was pleased that I wasn't queasy and would like to think that I was able to handle it well and without being grossed out hardly at all. After all the surgeries with Dr. Williams were done, I was brought into another OR where the surgeon was removing cataracts in peoples eyes. It was very unique and nothing like I had ever seen. First, the surgeon made two tiny cuts and squirted in some liquid to separate the lens of the eye from the rest of it. He then cut around the lens and removed it from the eye completely with a tiny vacuum like utensil. The final steps were placing a new lens inside the eye and healing it up a but with other liquids. The whole day was very interesting and new for me. I think I could see myself in surgery in the future, just maybe not all the time. I like the idea of working in the ER where I can place stitches in people and do some of the minor things that surgeons do. On the other hand, I know this was only one day, and there are plenty of other kinds of surgeries that occur in the OR. I learned a lot and still am shocked that I was allowed in the OR as a high school student. I know it's not an opportunity that many people, let alone juniors in high school have and know that I was extremely lucky I was able to. I really appreciated how thoughtful and informative all the technicians and surgeons were and for their willingness to explain things to me as they moved along. The eye surgeons, techs, nurses and Dr. Williams, and his techs and nurses and anesthesiologist were all very patient and helpful and reassuring.
5/5/21
Today Jaylin and I shadowed several different people. First we listened to Karis explain her part in the business and marketing department. We learned that she is in charge of creating most of the posters and fliers around the Hospital itself, as well as downtown and in public areas. She creates advertisements and somewhat ASH funded things. She also creates videos and is in charge of the web page and newsletters. Additionally, she speaks to reporters and attends daily meetings and does a boatload of paperwork. I know I only saw a little peek of her work, but it seems like her job is very important for the success of ASH.
Next we spoke with Lizette about her history in the Medical field beginning from college. She is working to become in charge of HR and has been doing several jobs at once- including hosting Jaylin and I as interns! Her job is very complex and includes attending all sorts of meetings, including a covid update meeting with other employees. Her path towards what she does now was not straight forward or easy. It's nice to see that someone with such detailed background and experience can still have a very successful career while doing things they love (like running!)
We then met with Nolan who is the Chief Nursing officer at ASH. He began working at the fire department with his brother and then decided to go into medicine as a paramedic. From there, he became an ER nurse for (10 years?) in a large and very busy hospital. Then he moved to Durango with his wife and now works at ASH. I go into those details because the ER is particularly interesting to me, and I thought it was really cool that he worked in one for so long.
After that, we met with the person in charge of the money and paychecks. He showed us how to create an account that could be paid, where you would clock in and out of every day, and see how much money you were making.
5/6/21
Today I shadowed the Urgent care. They only had 3 patients come in: a boy with knee pain, a man having a check up on his back injury, and a woman who was having stitches removed from her hand. There was also one woman who came in for a covid test. I was very surprised how *not busy it was. I learned how to assess someones pain and injuries/condition by asking questions and narrowing down the possibilities. I also learned about all the different things used in the urgent care. There were all kinds of bandages and first aid supplies as well as medicine and syringes etc. Everyone was very friendly and fun to work with and talk to about their careers. I don't think today was a normal day in the Urgent care though, as it was so relaxed and not busy. Usually they say they have 15-30 patients daily. It was still fun and interesting!
5/10/21
I began the day by shadowing Jared again for several hours. I knew a bit about what was going on after shadowing the first time during my first week. We scanned a woman's brain which was fascinating, and a few more hips and shoulders and the like. I also had the opportunity to see a few cat scans. I was introduced to Joseph today, who let me follow him to the ER and around the hospital to fetch patients for cat scans and explained along the way. Later, I went into another room where I was able to watch people have pain managed by sticking needles of numbing medicine into their spines. It was one of the most unique and cringy things I've ever seen. I don't think I could every do that as a job- and definitely not regularly. I thought the anatomy was interesting and it was nice to see the relief on the patients' faces when they knew the pain was over. I liked the faster pace of the process and the depth and detail the doctor went into.
5/11/21
Today I shadowed the Patient Care Unit where nurses take care of patients post surgery. This is where they are sent to their rooms for at least one overnight stay, until they are well enough to go home. I shadowed Kelcy who was very helpful and explained everything that was going on from how to set up an IV, to how a pain pump and leg pump works, to how far the patients have to walk to get to the bathroom and where they get all the food together for them. It's definitely a very important job, and I think for many of the nurses it's equally rewarding. You're directly taking care of awake and aware patients. I think in the specific area, people skills and empathy are very important. All of the nurses and nurse assistants I met held those values and characteristics.
5/12/21
Today was a very interesting and different kind of day. I shadowed the PACU or post anesthetic care unit. This is where patients would go immediately following their surgeries, most times still unconscious. One lady came in and began vomiting after waking up because of the Fetinal given to her for pain during the procedure which causes nausea. Another woman was experiencing a lot of pain that caused her to need extra pain medication. The PACU is supposedly very expensive by the minute which is why it's important to be quick and efficient. I shadowed both Sarah Goldman, and another Sara. They both explained to me that oxygen is often times the answer to helping people in recovery, There was a crash cart in case there were any complications in the PACU as well. All patients were set up with a heart rate monitor and an ECG monitor, and many with a urine bag and IV. When giving drugs, there is a tedious amount of paper work that has to be done which is another thing that tends to take a while. You also have to wait a bit of time before giving anymore in order to be sure there aren't any negative side affects. I also really liked this part of the hospital, and how quickly paced it was.
5/13/21
I spent the entirety of the day scheduling, interviewing, photographing and recording in typing different employees working at ASH, explaining why they went into the medical field and why they chose to work at ASH specifically. I found it very challenging at first to draw the WHY out of people other than "because the employees are good to work with" which is a completely fair statement, but doesn't dig deep enough for what I was looking for. I had to start rewording myself and changing my questions. In the end, I heard several inspiring stories and reasons for going into the medical field.
5/14/21
I spent this time wrapping up a few more interviews and finishing typing the monologue for what people said in the recordings. I also downloaded the recordings to a flash drive and gave it to Jaylin so she could edit them into a video.
5/18/21
Today I shadowed Pre-op and the OR. I learned that the patients have to change and have certain drugs given to them before the surgery. There is also oftentimes some sort of prepping liquid (blue or red) that is applied to their skin. In the OR, I watched a man have a bunion removed from his foot and learned how the tourniquet can also be used on the leg to prevent bleeding during the surgery. I also watched a woman have cameras and a suction utensil driven up her nose to clean up the unhealthy flaps of gunk and cells so she could breath more easily and prevent causing further problems. I shadowed Dr. Quayle, who used a tiny camera to view the inside of a mans lower parts. The wire like utensil could fit through tiny tubes in the body and resulted in finding a tumor which had been cancerous and causing all sorts of issues for years.