First days

Life has been crazy. Can I just say that?!  I fully intended to make myself blog each and every night, but last night I just couldn't seen to find time in between the EIGHTY pages of reading, academic journaling, self-evaluation and discussion board posting I had to do. Ok, let's be honest, I didn't have the energy to deal with it! So to make up for my total and utter laziness, I'm not only going to recap my first two days for you, I'm going to give you PICTURES!

First and foremost, I would like to begin our little venture with a discussion of the wonder known as Orlando traffic. For those of you not in the know- it sucks. Majorly. One of the most populated areas in the world, and an out-dated, insufficient infrastructure do not go well together. Although the townhouse in which I am residing is actually only about 13 miles from the hospital, it takes me about 30-45 minutes to get to the hospital (Even using the toll roads). However, after some major hiccups with the toll system, getting lost downtown, and a non-working GPS I finally arrived here:

Arnold Palmer and Winnie Palmer Hospitals (His and Her Hospitals? That's a new one!)

Ok so the REALLY cool looking building is not mine- it's the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies (the second largest volume of babies born in the world...), but still, its a pretty awesome sight to see!  I quickly made my way to the parking garage, proceeded to get lost trying to find my way out of it, and then proceeded through the hospital to meet with my supervisor and the other intern (who is incredibly sweet and I am SO excited to work with!).

We then proceeded to our electronic documentation training- where for three hours we learned how to access patient medical records, submit and check orders, input documentation, and add assessments. Maybe not the most exciting thing ever, but definitely will come in handy soon! We ended up finishing Sunshine training early and headed back to the child life secretary office where we were given.... our beepers!

Ok, I know most of your are rolling your eyes right about now- but you have to understand, having your own pager in a hospital is a sign of importance. It signals that you are someone that somebody may need to get a hold of, its a signal that we are a step up from merely students or volunteers. We are, in fact, professionals in training.

Lunch with the staff was great- the entire department is incredibly welcoming and excited to have us. Their enthusiasm is contagious! After lunch we were given the "$10 tour" as my supervisor labeled it. Let me tell you... the hospital is a true conglomeration of buildings. Four different building phases have contributed to the current floor plan- which is counterintuitive in many ways, and difficult to navigate in others. So far Sara and I have managed not to get lost, but I have a feeling it's just a matter of time! After lunch we completed a few online and written trainings and received our binders! We each have two, and let me tell you, at three inches thick a piece they are intimidating! Luckily, I realized that a good number of articles in the 'required reading/resource' book I had already read for my thesis. All I can think is that by the end of this internship we are both going to have very nicely toned arm muscles!

Resource and Internship Binders- oh joy!

Super excited for our binders!

Today was filled with more orientation items- including walking through the entire internship binder from cover to cover. I feel a lot better knowing that all of the expectations for me are written out and set before me. We received our rotation assignments, and started reviewing hospital policies and procedures. Our supervisor also gave us a selection of items to add to our 'distraction tool kit'. Not going to lie, I'm pretty psyched.

Awesome child life resources! (I know I'm hopelessly dorky!).

Today also entailed 'scavenger hunts' learning where various resources and offices are, reviewing safety procedures, and learning about the various codes. Although I am grateful for this extended period of time for getting my feet wet and adjusting to the hospital, I am also getting antsy to actually get out on the floors and start learning. It's intimidating to know that in less than two weeks I will be the child life specialist responsible for the care of several children on the acute peds floor. There's no doubt that I will have plenty of support and resources at my disposal, but it is still slightly frightening to realize that it's finally here. All I can do is take it one day at a time and give my best to each and every patient I encounter.

Now if I can just manage to handle downtown traffic life will be great!