Truth is: I don't know where to begin. In one week there is a lot I learned, and many meetings I attended, projects I have started, and people I have met. There is no good way to explain everything, but I will do my best.
On Tuesday (5/29), a new and exciting chapter began. The first day of my internship at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. A mix of excitement, nervousness, and determination coiled my mind and body. It all started so quickly. In the morning, we had orientation, where I met other interns as well as new hospital staff from other departments. Energized and excited, some of these "1st-day jitters" began to subside.
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital has 17 interns each paired with a department or supervisor. My supervisor is the director of service line development and about 20 other projects or task forces. After orientation, the internship truly began. After lunch with my supervisor, we discussed projects, and attended a meeting with the COO and CNO, HR, and Health IT staff.
After this meeting, my supervisor tasked me with looking at data regarding patient transfers to our hospital. The data is still being reviewed, however I had to quickly relearn my Excel skills. The rest of this first day was spent walking around the hospital and mild discussions, learning the lay of the land.
Wednesday and Thursday were very much the same. Looking at the same patient transfer data, going to meetings, and setting up meetings with hospital staff. Walk-through's of the the hospital, as well as meeting staff are making my internship very enjoyable. I love getting the opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with C-Suite level staff, committees, and getting to see the hospital in action. I witnessed a variety of things, some of which are too complicated or complex for me to explain in this medium.
Fridays are for "field trips." Each Friday will be spent with a new department to learn what their operations and procedures are. On Friday, June 1st, my day began early (as they have for the past few mornings), but this one in particular started with me being at the hospital at 7am, which meant I needed to leave by 5:45am to navigate Atlanta's unpredictable traffic. On this Friday, I spent my day with Environmental Services (EVS) and I helped out our transport team. Between Transport and EVS, I got to see the support line of our hospital's care team. The support and service line of the hospital are the life blood in PAH's organization. Without clean rooms, patients will remain ill. Without quick transport, patients will not be able to be discharged (meaning we will not have empty rooms), tests or labs may not be done. There are some specific items to each of these departments that I have learned however both departments need dedicated staff assistance. Don't get me wrong: they have some amazing leadership that all play part to great care.
Of Piedmont's core belief, our job is to "make a positive difference in every life we touch." Between EVS and our Transport teams, we have the opportunity to make the biggest impact in patient care. Each person at Piedmont is dedicated to providing our patients with great care, and Piedmont's reputation as a super power for healthcare in the south precedes itself.
I sat on the Linen Committee meeting. In this meeting, we discussed a variety of topics, however I took note of three key ideals that make any organizations successful. These three are from my noted observation, and not substantive of any discussions:
- Educate:
- Train employees and staff on procedures
- Engage
- Create incentivized campaigns or events to promote our procedure
- Patient-Centered Care
- Respond to the needs of the patient
Key Word this week:
- Bed Batching: the process of collating beds into the same group at which patient discharges occur at the same time.
Though my education at Valdosta State and beyond has prepared me, I still have a lot to learn. Though this first week came with some jitters, I hoping the next few weeks with more meetings and projects I will learn my place of interest and purpose in a hospital. Yesterday, I went to see the popular musical Hamilton at the Fox Theater, and so "I'm just like my country; young, scrappy, and hungry, and I not throwing away my shot," and I am looking forward to the weeks ahead.
