Today I learned...

I had a work meeting this morning before classes and I just can't seem to get this thought out of my mind...you reap what you sow. This meeting was a training class for the PCA's (PCA= Patient Care Assistant aka CNA) on the Float Pool that I work on for Intermountain Healthcare.

Have I mentioned that I L-O-V-E my job...I learn so much everyday and meet interesting people and co-workers each shift because I have the opportunity to work at 5 different hospitals in the Salt Lake valley, not to mention that I get to pick my schedule...you can't beat that!

Anyway back to the meeting this morning... we were talking about the standards that are expected of us when we work at different locations because while the care is (or at least should be) consistent each unit has a little bit different protocol for some things. I have learned as I have gone to work that sometimes it is more the people you work with rather than the policies of a unit that dictate how things are done...which is what makes me think of reaping what you sow.

One of the PCA's in this meeting this morning would NOT quiet down about how the nurses at a certain hospital just don't help and they are lazy and they treat this person like a runner even when they are swamped with their own work to do. It was interesting to hear this woman and her opinions and of course, once one person starts other people had to tell their sad story of how they have been "misused and abused" by nurses on certain units at different hospitals. Anyway, it occured to me if you focus on those kinds of things that is all you see but if you focus on the good things in the people you work with- that is what you will see.

If I was to find something that I didn't care for much with my job it would be that people pass on their opinions about patients and staff you will be working with during the shift change report. I HATE it when that happens. I learned a couple of weeks ago to just let it go because people are going to have their opinions but they don't have to be mine.

I had a patient that I was told was terrible to deal with and mean. My first rounds I waited until the very last to go into that room and was very apprehensive because of what I had been told. I tried to be nice and cheerful but I know he could feel my nervousness. I decided after that that I was going to ignore what the previous PCA had told me and not treat him any differently than I did any other patients and that changed everything. Maybe it was my imagination but... his attitude toward me changed when I changed my attitude towards him- crazy how that works! It was a good lesson and I am glad that I learned it earlyin my nursing career and I hope that as I progress I will be able to pass that on to others.

I have heard it all before from other people about like attracting like and reaping what you sow but this morning it never rang so true to my heart and mind. I love learning moments like that!

Until next time...