i have been on base a few weeks and have seen a little of a military hospital. I can start to see some differences between military health setting and civilian health setting. Mind you, these are initial observations and my change or become better formed as time goes by and this facility may not represent what one may find at all military hospitals/clinics across the military.
The first thing I noticed was how quiet the hospital is. My first tour was on a weekend and I just thought the low traffic was attributed to it being a weekend, but over the past few weeks I have been in the facility on many weekdays. While it may have a few more people milling about on the weekday it still remains oddly quiet (yup I said the Q-word). I have yet to see the chaos and the running around that i have seen over the years at the many civilian facilities where I have worked.
The staff appear so much more relaxed. People are sitting down, the patients are so very quiet and the staffing is way better than i have ever seen in my entire life. I hear the staff talk about when it is busy, but to be honest I cannot see how that can happen. i have worked in some amped up massively crazy places and I have loved it. for the life of me I cannot imagine this facility coming anywhere near what i have experienced over my career. I cannot wait to roll up my sleeves and see what it is really like first hand.
The experience level is not quite what I am accustomed to. When I say this I am not faulting anyone or claiming people are unskilled, but just that there are so many people with less than a couple years of experience. Most of the staff have entered the military as their first job and have no clue what working in civilian hospitals is like. I hear them talk about getting out of the military and taking a job in a larger medical center and I have to smile. They do not know just how good they have it. But you cannot tell someone this they have to experience it. So for those who desire to leave, i wish them all the luck in the world and would love to ask them their opinion after about a year in the real world.
i have noticed a level of pride in the facility that i have never seen in a civilian hospital. people in military service seem to really get it. They know that the most important thing we do is support the troops and the patients who come in for care. I was very impressed with the level of professionalism and commitment to the mission. The morale seemed high and it felt like a team that really supported one another. It reaffirmed why i joined and made me look forward to giving my time to the cause.
i am wandering through the facility looking for various departments/rooms as part of my in processing and on several occasions people came to me and asked me where I needed to be. More than a few people actually walked me to the right department or the direction where I needed to be. You do not see this type of customer service in a civilian facility, everyone is always to busy and the place it always too crowded. It was very impressive and makes me want to do the same for people if I ever actually know where anything is in the hospital.
The staff all have additional duties. I had heard this before getting here and now I understand what these duties are - sort of. Different tasks assigned that help the team function more smoothly and relieve the workload on the managers/administrative folks. With the healthy staffing and low patient ratios it seems more than manageable to complete the tasks within a typical work day.
Overall, I am confused with all the military jargon and routines. I feel like i am expected to know more about the military side than I actually do. I am told it will take time to adjust. i am glad that my clinical skills are sufficient and I can concentrate on finding ways to fit in. I find I am looking forward to getting up and going to work to explore this new world that i have entered. As someone who has flirted with burnout it is nice to find learning and discovery once again. I hope this feeling of excitement lasts, but I think a lot depends on me keeping at it and pushing myself to excel.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Put the fork down....now..no now...okay last bite..
Well, I have been in my new city and at my new base for a few weeks now and starting to feel like this is real. When you arrive to a new base is is referred to as a PCS and no I have no clue what that stands for and never really cared to find out.
When you arrive you are given leave to find a home and when you return you start this long tedious task of visiting all these many different areas/departments to accomplish the tasks on your checklist. sort of a scavenger hunt with no prize for completion. I spend most days attending orientations, traveling from building to building looking for these mysterious departments (which are never where the checklist says they will be) and sweating while decked out in the uniform of the day. And then there is the saluting every fifteen steps. I have to watch for cars, look at my map, check my notes and spot oncoming people I am required to salute - it gets exhausting!
Since COT i have turned into a major slug! I have not run or participate in any activity that would contribute to passing a PT assessment. I have also been eating like a pig and drinking loads of beer. I did not bring a scale so I cannot be sure how much I have gained but it is sure to be tons. This weekend was to be my opportunity to right my evil ways. I woke up Saturday and ran two miles - not a great time, but I made the start. I was going to eat responsibly and stay away from the evil alcohol.
That plan died somewhere around 1600. We took a trip to the local mall and it was so depressing and hideous I decided I needed a beer which turned into six and a fatty meal at Chili's followed by a trip to Walmart for more beer. See where this story is going. So now I am disgusted at myself and Monday is blues day!! The day where I am required to wear a very tight uniform which I am sure now will be obscenely tight and I have no one to blame but myself - this sucks.
So today I will try again to right my wicked ways. I cannot undrink and uneat what i had yesterday but I can move forward on the right foot. Still a little too hungover to run, but I think i can squeeze in some sit ups and push ups sometime today. So maybe in a few weeks my pants will fit and i will be able to breath all at the same time, maybe.
When you arrive you are given leave to find a home and when you return you start this long tedious task of visiting all these many different areas/departments to accomplish the tasks on your checklist. sort of a scavenger hunt with no prize for completion. I spend most days attending orientations, traveling from building to building looking for these mysterious departments (which are never where the checklist says they will be) and sweating while decked out in the uniform of the day. And then there is the saluting every fifteen steps. I have to watch for cars, look at my map, check my notes and spot oncoming people I am required to salute - it gets exhausting!
Since COT i have turned into a major slug! I have not run or participate in any activity that would contribute to passing a PT assessment. I have also been eating like a pig and drinking loads of beer. I did not bring a scale so I cannot be sure how much I have gained but it is sure to be tons. This weekend was to be my opportunity to right my evil ways. I woke up Saturday and ran two miles - not a great time, but I made the start. I was going to eat responsibly and stay away from the evil alcohol.
That plan died somewhere around 1600. We took a trip to the local mall and it was so depressing and hideous I decided I needed a beer which turned into six and a fatty meal at Chili's followed by a trip to Walmart for more beer. See where this story is going. So now I am disgusted at myself and Monday is blues day!! The day where I am required to wear a very tight uniform which I am sure now will be obscenely tight and I have no one to blame but myself - this sucks.
So today I will try again to right my wicked ways. I cannot undrink and uneat what i had yesterday but I can move forward on the right foot. Still a little too hungover to run, but I think i can squeeze in some sit ups and push ups sometime today. So maybe in a few weeks my pants will fit and i will be able to breath all at the same time, maybe.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Ink Stain..
Okay, i have way too much time on my hands today. I am on base in TLF and I do not report until the morning.
Yesterday, i decided to wash a couple of uniform shirts and get them all ironed and clean before the week begins. I threw them in the washer before I went to bed and woke up to put them in the dryer. However, when I removed them from the washer I noticed a pen had been in the washer and now my uniform shirts were covered with huge ink stains. I paniced! I used some spot remover and now have washed and re-washed those shirts five times - without totally removing the stains.
So, today I will need to locate a uniform store on base and buy two new shirts. I so did not want to spend even more money on uniforms! It really adds up over time! I have to be pushing $3K by now and with two more items to buy. However, I know when Iget there I willbuy more than just that.
I think a store is open today. At COT they were closed on Sunday. So I must keep my fingers crossed.
The sad part is that I have washed so many pens over the past two months. This time I checked all my pockets. i don't know how it got passed me!
Yesterday, i decided to wash a couple of uniform shirts and get them all ironed and clean before the week begins. I threw them in the washer before I went to bed and woke up to put them in the dryer. However, when I removed them from the washer I noticed a pen had been in the washer and now my uniform shirts were covered with huge ink stains. I paniced! I used some spot remover and now have washed and re-washed those shirts five times - without totally removing the stains.
So, today I will need to locate a uniform store on base and buy two new shirts. I so did not want to spend even more money on uniforms! It really adds up over time! I have to be pushing $3K by now and with two more items to buy. However, I know when Iget there I willbuy more than just that.
I think a store is open today. At COT they were closed on Sunday. So I must keep my fingers crossed.
The sad part is that I have washed so many pens over the past two months. This time I checked all my pockets. i don't know how it got passed me!
She The Enemy
Working in a hospital has exposed me to the female sex a little more than I expected. i work with women, way to many women and this has allowed me to observe the fairer sex among their own kind. My study of the other sex has helped me to develop many theories some of which i will share this morning.
She The Hunter
women appear to be in constant competition with one another over everything. In the work place they compete over jobs/promotions. they have a passive aggressive approach to everything and it is not uncommon to have a woman smile to your face while talking trash about to everyone she comes in contact with. Working with women i have discovered they will eventually identify male coworkers as competition but they do not seem to gain the same joy as ripping us apart. i believe that is because we (as men) do not get caught up in their vicious games.White Coat Tracker
If you have worked in a hospital you have no doubt ran across a white coat tracker. these are women on a mission. These gals are in hot pursuit of the Mrs. designation. women who entered health care to track down and trap a man, preferably a physician but if they are not available they will settle with any man who holds some sort of authority. Once they have procured their victim they somehow this elevates their status above their other female co-workers.
if you have doubts as to whether a woman os a coat tracker you just need to observe her behavior when a physician is present. does she suddenly put on make up? laugh at stupid jokes? Bat her eyes as the speed of light? If this be the case you have found a tracker.
The Queen Bee
moving from hospital to hospital I have run across a few queen bees. these are the women, usually older, who profess to know everything. Usually these women are VERY threatened by new comers until they can properly "size them up". I tend to quietly move about when i am new and don't say too much, but the queen bee will seek you out and interview you immediately. Where have you worked? where did you go to school? What degrees do you hold? Why are you here? God forbid if your resume is better than theirs! If that is the case the queen bee's mission will be to destroy you at all costs and this includes questioning everything you do from that point on. I have never been a big fan of the queen bees.
The Scout
It is easy to like the scout. She is usually very nice and humble. She befriends you and gets you to let your guard down and speak freely. Once you do she has accomplished her mission. The scout is the individual who has the job of finding out what makes you tick. What are your intentions? Who in the hospital do you like and who gets on your nerves? The scout gathers this information and immediately disperses the information. They may share this information with the queen bee, the unit manager or anyone else who can further her cause. Scouts,in some ways, are far more dangerous than the queen bee, because you do not always know who she is until it is too late.
She The Bitter
The bitter can also be the queen bee or a separate individual. the bitter is the person who has been working for a good while but has done nothing to improve her standing. In nursing she is the diploma or associate degree nurse who bad mouths any nurse who holds a higher degree or specialty. The bitter believes that longevity is the only TRUE means to evaluate knowledge and anyone who wastes his or her time on graduate degrees is just foolish. The bitter believes she can run the unit, hospital or anything better than any other person ever born. She also becomes very angry when others are promoted over her and digs her heels into her position even deeper.
there are other categories but these cover the ones who get on my nerves the most. Oddly,men just seem to go about their business and don't get all caught up in the female drama. I thought joining the military would allow me to work with more men, but I am doubting that will be the case.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
more bits and pieces...
I amgoing to verbally vomit over the next few posts as i remember things I will just dump it out.
Some words and phrases i heard way too many times at COT:
Tracking. As in are you tracking me? Is everyone tracking what I am saying?
Piggyback. I wanna piggyback on what she is saying.
BA. Short for Bad Ass. That gal is totally BA!
Air Forcey. If you do not know the answer,just pick the most Air Forcey response.
Jodie. A cadence for marching. They are still in my head!!!
Cables. These are strings that are all over your ABUs. You have to cut them all off but burning them off works better.
There are more that i cannot think of at the moment but they are to come...
Some words and phrases i heard way too many times at COT:
Tracking. As in are you tracking me? Is everyone tracking what I am saying?
Piggyback. I wanna piggyback on what she is saying.
BA. Short for Bad Ass. That gal is totally BA!
Air Forcey. If you do not know the answer,just pick the most Air Forcey response.
Jodie. A cadence for marching. They are still in my head!!!
Cables. These are strings that are all over your ABUs. You have to cut them all off but burning them off works better.
There are more that i cannot think of at the moment but they are to come...
peek a boo...
Well, I am finally free! COT ended yesterday and I exited stage right the second they told me that I could.
Truth is that it was not all that bad and if pressed, I would say that I enjoyed myself. Sure, you are sleep deprived and overstressed but it is not all that bad. It went by and looking back much of it was a blur.
They get you the second you get out of the car with the yelling and corrections, but as the weeks pass they let up more and more. I think it is both a relief and confusing all at the same time. You get use to following rules and doing things the training way that when you are not required to it feels somehow wrong.
our class received first class status (earlier than any other class - we were told) and we were not required to detail or march anywhere, but we still did. We did until the instructors told us to STOP! It was kinda funny - that we could not stop! It also has many of us confused as to how we are suppose to act when we join our real bases. We may need some time to decompress and act "normal" again.
I discovered that i hate saluting. I hate being saluted and I hate always being on the lookout for people I am required to salute. Plus, i don't think my salute looks right. I am very self conscious of my salute. i need to work on that.
The physical side of COT was not all that. We had very little PT and what we had was way inappropriate. The evil woman who worked us out would order 50 sets of push ups and diamond grip push ups - WTF!! Who can physically do that many push ups. Running was okay, but my fitness definitely declined while I was there. I am glad to be out so that now I can improve my run times again.
I did not have the bonding experience with my flight mates that I have heard from other people. It was not a cohesive group and we definitely had a few spoiled little girls that really made it difficult not to hurl them from the ropes course. There was one I did not even speak to for the last two weeks. Sad, other flights seemed to really bond.
Speaking of the ropes course. It was the highlight of the entire program. I am scared of heights, but I made it through and so did all but one of the entire group. It was a scary and intense experience that I am so glad I completed.
The dining out was also so much fun. the bummer was we had a room inspection at 0500 the next morning so we could not really enjoy it past the first bus ride back. The skit was awesome and we heard over and over again that it was the best the staff had ever seen. I hope it gets posted to you tube!
So now starts the real work. I am geeked up and excited to start. I am attempting to temper my excitement so that I do not scare off my future co-workers.
Oh did I mention how freaking wonderful it is to sleep in a big comfy bed again. It is amazing!! This morning i slept in, took a 40 minute HOT shower and drank a pot of coffee! Things I so much missed! Today life is really good!!!!
Truth is that it was not all that bad and if pressed, I would say that I enjoyed myself. Sure, you are sleep deprived and overstressed but it is not all that bad. It went by and looking back much of it was a blur.
They get you the second you get out of the car with the yelling and corrections, but as the weeks pass they let up more and more. I think it is both a relief and confusing all at the same time. You get use to following rules and doing things the training way that when you are not required to it feels somehow wrong.
our class received first class status (earlier than any other class - we were told) and we were not required to detail or march anywhere, but we still did. We did until the instructors told us to STOP! It was kinda funny - that we could not stop! It also has many of us confused as to how we are suppose to act when we join our real bases. We may need some time to decompress and act "normal" again.
I discovered that i hate saluting. I hate being saluted and I hate always being on the lookout for people I am required to salute. Plus, i don't think my salute looks right. I am very self conscious of my salute. i need to work on that.
The physical side of COT was not all that. We had very little PT and what we had was way inappropriate. The evil woman who worked us out would order 50 sets of push ups and diamond grip push ups - WTF!! Who can physically do that many push ups. Running was okay, but my fitness definitely declined while I was there. I am glad to be out so that now I can improve my run times again.
I did not have the bonding experience with my flight mates that I have heard from other people. It was not a cohesive group and we definitely had a few spoiled little girls that really made it difficult not to hurl them from the ropes course. There was one I did not even speak to for the last two weeks. Sad, other flights seemed to really bond.
Speaking of the ropes course. It was the highlight of the entire program. I am scared of heights, but I made it through and so did all but one of the entire group. It was a scary and intense experience that I am so glad I completed.
The dining out was also so much fun. the bummer was we had a room inspection at 0500 the next morning so we could not really enjoy it past the first bus ride back. The skit was awesome and we heard over and over again that it was the best the staff had ever seen. I hope it gets posted to you tube!
So now starts the real work. I am geeked up and excited to start. I am attempting to temper my excitement so that I do not scare off my future co-workers.
Oh did I mention how freaking wonderful it is to sleep in a big comfy bed again. It is amazing!! This morning i slept in, took a 40 minute HOT shower and drank a pot of coffee! Things I so much missed! Today life is really good!!!!
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