Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
opportunity to take me through the hospital on a tour, and go over in depth as to what my role as
one of the patient relations interns would be. Some of the topics that we discussed included:
dress code, day to day tasks, interacting with patients, and our hours. I learned a great deal about
what Ms.Franchetta’s work day looks like. In addition, to taking me through the hospital, she
took the time to ask me about what I look to get out of this internship. I feel very comfortable
On Tuesday, I spent a great deal of time in Macon at two different locations. One location
was Macon Occupational Medicine. This is where I received my physical assessment. In addition
to paper work, I was required to complete a fit test, blood tests, and urine tests. Working at
Occupational Medicine. Thankfully, I passed! Next, I spent time at the employee health office at
Coliseum Medical Centers. Here, I was required to present a nurse with my immunization
records, and also complete paperwork for Human Resources. Luckily, all of my vaccines are up
to date and I did not need to receive any that day. However, this was a timely process as it was
Thursday was the first day that all four patient relations interns were at the hospital at the
same time. We were able to begin discussing our roles and our thoughts about
assignments/projects. In addition, we spent a majority of our time going through research and
binders/portfolios from interns in the past. This was extremely helpful in terms of what was
expected. Our symposium this year will be focused on Palliative Care so Ms.Franchetta spent a
On Friday I began researching topics that are related to the symposium topic, Palliative
Care. Each of the interns are beginning to decide what areas they are more suited to be in charge
of. It is clear that this is going to be a group effort and will require a great deal of patience.
However, I look forward to making progress on this project and working alongside these ladies.
Coliseum Medical Centers. Orientation took place at Coliseum Northside Hospital in Macon, Ga.
The day began with an introduction of the executives of the hospital. Personally, this portion was
the most interesting to me because I have thought about pursuing a master’s degree in hospital
administration. The administrators lectured us on how they have chosen to run their hospital and
what makes them so successful. The 3 shared values of Coliseum are: ownership, compassion,
and excellence. In addition, they have created an acronym for how to guide employee
interactions with patients: AIDET, acknowledge, introduce, duration, explanation, thank you.
This lecture was particularly helpful because I will be interacting with patients and their families
on a daily basis. All in all, although orientation was a little exhausting, it was essential for us to
On Tuesday, our supervisor Ms.Franchetta took us through the ICU for an orientation and
debrief. Our area of work includes the ICU as well as the CVICU. This is a pretty extensive
portion of the 2nd floor of the hospital and it is essential for us to be comfortable in terms of
navigation. Also, there are areas on the floor where we receive keys and patient information, so
she showed us those places. In addition, we met more staff on the floor and spoke with them
On Wednesday we spent majority of our time completing office work and doing research.
On this day we decided that our course presentation will take place at the symposium that the
patient relations department will host. The symposium and our project will be centered around
caregivers. Our focus ranges from caregivers in the U.S., Georgia, Middle Georgia, and in
comparison to Sweden.
On Thursday, in addition to our normal duties, we spent time learning about documenting
patient info. This was a guide of what to write, what to be concerned about, and how to follow
up. This information is crucial as we move into our roles this upcoming week.
On Friday, we spent time finishing up tasks from the week. We began working on some
brochures and pamphlets for the symposium. Also, we continued our research on each of our
round on patients every day. This ensures that we have an understanding as to what is going on
with the patient so that we can better serve them and their families.
tasks to complete for the day. My first task was to create posters to remind us of tasks to post in
the office. I created these posters using Word, printed them out, and laminated them. Then I
On Tuesday, the four interns met outside of the hospital because our supervisor was
undergoing surgery on her wisdom teeth. During our work period, we spent time delegating
some of the tasks that Franchetta assigned us. This included typing up information that we need
to correct from previous years, typing up medical terminology that we are responsible for
learning, and several other tasks that relate to our symposium. The other interns trusted me to
look into improving and revamping the brochure that we will use at the symposium. I will not be
For the remainder of the week, most of our work was focused on research. Research is
not one of my areas of expertise, so I am encouraged to use this project and symposium as a time
addition, I tested out many different computer programs that we can create flyers and brochures
on. I finally found a program that I believe is the most organized, and professional. Also, this
program allows each of us to share projects with one another so that we can work
collaboratively. The four of us really worked hard this week on improving the promotional
materials that were used in previous years because they are very outdated.
supervisor made the decision to not do a symposium this summer. This means that our project
for this course will be changing slightly. Instead of presenting information at a symposium, we
will each spend 5 minutes presenting at a caregiver support group. Soon we will divide topic
among the four interns which will determine what we will present at the support group. This
small presentation will be an aspect of our larger presentation for this course. In addition to
On Tuesday we finally hit the ground running. We began with rounds in the morning
alongside a team of nurses, PAs, doctors, and other hospital staff. During multidisciplinary
rounds interns take notes on the patient’ condition, treatment changes, family status, and any
other information that is important. Rounds are where the patient relations team can receive
insight into the care plan for the patient and the support system. In addition, this allows us to take
note of families that we might need to pay special attention to and check on later. This day was
very hectic because two patients were also undergoing heart surgery. For operations, the patient
relations team is in charge of checking on the patient’s condition throughout the operation as
well as acting as a mediator for the family. Once assigned to a surgical case, I am responsible for
tracking the progress and orienting the families as to where the patient will go following surgery,
and who the nursing staff will be. All of these tasks require a great deal of time and are also
followed by a considerable amount of paperwork. However, I really enjoy the social aspect of
For the remainder of the week the interns got into the routine of rounds with care team,
patient relations rounds, surgical cases, and office work to follow. These days are long, but they
are rewarding. I am thankful for our supervisor for walking us through each process while also
giving us a great deal of freedom to complete tasks independently. This way we are gaining
experience and learning a considerable amount of information. Over the weekend, the interns
met and continued to work on our project. Research and other tasks were pushed aside this week
due to the hectic schedule at the hospital. Thankfully our schedules allowed us all to meet over
This week was the longest work week yet. Each day, we began with multidisciplinary
rounds. These rounds lasted longer than they typically do because there are more patients in the
ICU/CVICU. Rounds lasted at least two hours every day, sometimes they were even longer. At
rounds the Patient Relations interns have to pay close attention to what the upcoming treatment
plan is for the patients. In addition, the interns must take note of the family and support system
that is present with the patient. Many patients do not have stable family situations and in that
case the attending doctor will call upon the Patient Relations team to come and mediate with the
family. In addition, many of the patients this week were in critical condition. Several of the
family members have been put in a position where they have to make life or death situations for
their loved one who is unable to make those important decisions. These are terrible
circumstances, and during rounds our team takes note of what families need specific attention for
this reason. We round on them several times throughout the day doing anything that we can for
them in order to make them more comfortable. However, this has been difficult because we can
only do so much. Unfortunately, we do not have any power in restoring their loved one’s health.
This has been increasingly difficult to realize this week. In addition to checking on patients and
families, we round in the waiting rooms of the hospitals. In addition, there were several heart
surgeries that we were assigned to this week. Each intern is assigned a case in order to orient
their family. These are assignments that last the entire work day, which is why most of our days
were long. We have to stay up to date on the patient’s status pre-op, during the operation, and
post-op. Meanwhile we orient the families on their condition, what is to come, and a
In addition to our hospital duties, we worked a considerable amount on our project this
week. The vision for our project has been redirected from a symposium to conducting a caregiver
grief support group. Caregivers face a great deal of challenges and deserve support. Our support
group is scheduled for July 29th. Due to the hectic schedule at the hospital we were only able to
work in increments on these duties towards the end of the work day. Therefore, we decided to
meet again on Saturday for a few hours to catch up. Our supervisor Ms.Franchetta encourages
working from home in order to get extra hours and get ahead. When we work outside of the
office on the weekends, we send her our work. This is beneficial because during the work week
we can focus primarily on Patient Relations duties in order to get the most out of this
experience.
The week of June the 17th was a busy one for the interns at Coliseum Medical Centers.
On Monday we were presented with a different care team than the one that we have become
accustomed to. There was a new attending, new pharmacists, and a few different nurses on the
floor. This is a reality of working in the hospital environment, staffing is irregular due to long
hours. Therefore, we had to adapt and become acquainted to a different style of multidisciplinary
rounds. This showed me that it is important for the care team to all be on the same page and
work together towards the common goal of patient care. As we were all discussing about the
condition of our patients, a patient down the hall coded. Rounds were put on halt as the medical
staff rushed into Room 19 to intervene with life saving measures. This was the most urgent
situation that I have been witness to thus far. I felt a little uneasy seeing the man being shocked,
On Tuesday, we were with the same team and completed rounds without any
complications. There were a few patients that the case manager was having difficulty with
transferring them. We spent some time discussing their financial and family situation with the
case manager. I learned a great deal on this day about the realities of individuals that are insured
On Wednesday we began with rounds, along with the rest of the care team. Following
rounds, the Patient Relations team had a short amount of time to prepare for a student to come in
for an interview and tour. Ms.Franchetta requested that the interns go through our daily tasks
with her, walk her through the units, walk her through the hospital, and take her to lunch. The
meeting went well, and this is how we spent the majority of our day. Luckily, interns from the
past have created binders that are very informative in regard to our position. Therefore, we spent
a great deal of time sharing those with the student and it was less overwhelming.
Thursday and Friday were days spent in the unit for the majority of the time. Surgeries
began to pick up and I was exposed to more clinical scenarios. Sadly, this furthers my belief that
I do not think I am meant to pursue a career in nursing. However, I am so grateful for this
internship because I am in the exact environment that I need to be in order to better direct my
future career path. In addition, I am learning about so many other roles that individuals play in a
hospital and how they are all important. Although the days working in a hospital are long, our
supervisor makes sure that we are okay and are not overworked. She understands that we need
many hours for this course and continues to engage us in this work environment. This week we
also did some housekeeping tasks for Ms.Franchetta when the unit slowed down. Being that part
In addition, the interns have found it helpful to spend most of our time working on our
projects on the weekend. This is beneficial because we can be more present on the unit during
the week. It is best for us to work together because otherwise things get confused. Thankfully,
we are all close to one another and it has been easy to spend our Saturdays working on our
caregiver support group. In addition, we are all beginning to work on our weebly accounts.
Monday of this week began like any other week. The routine of interdisciplinary rounds
followed by meetings and more rounds continued. However, there was a different attending in
the ICU/CVICU once again. This week, Dr.Wright, conducts rounds and carries out duties in a
different way than the other attendings that we have worked with thus far. This is another
instance where I am learning to be flexible and adaptable. In addition, I am learning a great deal
about bedside manner. The attending that we worked with this week is extremely blunt and I can
tell that some families do not respond well to this form of communication. Particularly in a
On Tuesday of this week we began the day with our normal routine. In addition, the
interns conducted rounds in the waiting rooms on the second floor of Coliseum. Spending time
with patients and their families takes up a majority of our days. This is because majority of the
time we have to relay questions to nurses or physicians that are assigned to a certain patient. The
reality is that I do not have any clinical privileges and therefore I have to communicate with the
daughter took the time to acknowledge our team. She expressed her gratitude to us for our
continued efforts towards her father’s condition. In addition, she noted that she is from Atlanta
and has never observed a team atmosphere similar to our care team. We all felt uplifted and
encouraged by her words. I can really tell that the clinical staff is very dedicated to each and
every patient.
On Thursday and Friday of this week we continued with our normal interdisciplinary
rounds. Upon visiting the waiting rooms and speaking with families, there was a specific group
that needed support during a difficult time. I spent some time sitting with them and could tell that
they were particularly emotional. This was the first time that I was in a very tense and emotional
scenario and I used my grief support skills. I could also tell that they were appreciative of my
gentle attention.
In addition, the interns continued with our weekly routine and met on Saturday. Our
supervisor Ms.Franchetta wants to be presented with more progress on our caretaker support
group on Monday. Therefore, we spent a great deal of time observing other successful caretaker
support group plans on the internet. This helped us get a gage for the topics to include in our
Monday of this week began similar to every other week, with multidisciplinary rounds.
However, this week the original ICU doctor returned to the unit. The interns and I really enjoy
working alongside him and it is obvious that the rest of the care team feels the same way. Dr. K
is very intelligent, takes great care of his patients, and is an excellent teacher. Although I do not
plan on pursuing a clinical career per say, I learn things from him each day. Ms. Franchetta has
explained to us how important learning the basic clinical knowledge when working in a hospital,
regardless of your position. This helps us interact with the patients by being completely aware of
Rounds on Tuesday were fairly short. Ms. Franchetta explained to us that things are
usually slow during the summer. Even staffing was low due to the holiday. In addition, there
were no surgery cases that we were expected to follow. This makes for a fairly slow day in the
office. However, Ms. Fran had another student from Georgia College come to Coliseum for an
interview/tour. When this happens, the student follows us through our daily activities in order to
determine if this internship is a fit for them. This took up most of the day
Wednesday, the interns spent time on putting actual information onto our grief support
group PowerPoint. We decided on what information to make virtual and what information should
be distributed on a handout for the participants. The time for our grief support group is nearing
and we are becoming more aware of the work that we still have left to do. Ms. Franchetta has
been spending a great deal of time working with us on how to properly grief counsel.
On Friday, I spent most of the day working on my individual work. In addition, I have
began spending time creating my weebly account. I have never created a website before, so this
has been slightly difficult for me. However, I think that this will be a great skill to have moving
The interns and I met on the weekend briefly due to the slow nature of this week. We
realized that we needed to catch up on some tasks. I feel more prepared heading into this week
but the semester is becoming quite hectic. However, we are all hard workers and I feel confident
physician was running behind, and rounds began later. I have come to realize that many times in
the hospital setting, if you are not a person of high authority, others do not respect you as much.
Sometimes I feel like my role at Coliseum is not of high value. This furthers me into the thought
On Tuesday, the waiting and patient rooms began to pick up. The interns spent more time
with the families in the waiting rooms tending to their needs. I am learning how to communicate
efficiently with clinical staff in regard to questions that family members might have. This makes
the patients and families feel like their needs are being prioritized and that the staff is tending to
them quickly. In addition, our supervisor was preparing for a really big meeting with corporate.
She needed our insight on some improvements that she was going to present at the meeting. We
assisted Ms.Franchetta with brainstorming and completing her draft for the meeting.
On Wednesday, after we completed rounds with the care team, we spent time with
families in the waiting room. There was one surgery scheduled on Wednesday. However we had
some free time in the office and so we helped Ms.Franchetta type up some flyers and different
documents that needed to be completed. I have helped in creating several flyers and brochures on
Word and feel much more proficient in this area. I am encouraged by my progress in this area
because I feel confident that this is a skill that will help me as I move forward into a career.
On Thursday and Friday, we spent time in the office after completing rounds in the units
in the morning. There was one surgery on Thursday, and I spent most of the day orienting the
family of the surgical patient. This means that I spent time with them in the waiting room
answering their questions and tending to any needs that I could. In addition, I go over paperwork
with them and hospital rules and regulations. In addition, families are able to come back into the
unit while their loved one is still in surgery. During this time, they get a preview of which room
the patient will be taken to and who their nurse will be. This makes families feel much more
On Saturday the interns met because we are becoming overwhelmed with the amount of
work that we have to do in the next few weeks. There is a lot to do for Coliseum but also for this
course. In particular, our main focus right now is working on the presentation for this course.
tried to keep in mind that I need to give it my all being that we only have two weeks left. On
Monday, we hit the ground running. Multidisciplinary rounds ran a little long today and the unit
was quite busy. This means that we had many families to check on and provide support for. In
addition, there were two cardiac surgeries scheduled on Monday. This means that we were
responsible for following the cases throughout the day and orienting families. After work, the
other interns and I went to our regular coffee shop and completed the outline for our
On Tuesday, we completed rounds and then rounded in the unit and the waiting rooms. In
the waiting rooms I had some families ask me a few questions that I needed to confirm with a
nurse. It is nice to know that majority of the nursing staff is very accommodating to us. After
lunch, Ms.Franchetta had some documents and emails that she needed assistance with. She
appreciates our help and insight very much. In addition, helping her with side projects makes me
Wednesday was a little slower in the unit. However, there was a surgery scheduled and I
oriented a family. Being that the unit was fairly slow, we had more time to work in the office. On
Wednesday the other interns and I talked about how we have learned a great deal about time
management this summer. I have realized that I have done a poor job of time management
outside of work. In terms of my personal health, I have been so tired from work I haven’t found
the energy to grocery shop regularly, work out regularly, do all of the things that are required of
an adult. I am realizing that everyone practically works eight-hour days and there will always be
responsibilities outside of work. This is something I want to improve on for the remainder of the
Thursday and Friday of this week were very similar. After rounds we talked with Ms.
Franchetta about the status of patients in the unit. Then we spoke about our grief support group
and the expectations that she has. After lunch we would work on our project and other
assignments for this course. The interns and I designated Saturday to meet and work on our
presentation. We really wanted to meet and get it completed for the most part because we want to
focus on our grief support group coming up. I am glad that we met on Saturday to finish our
presentation.
7/22, 8:00-4:00 (8 hrs) 7/25, 8:00-4:30 (8.5 hrs) Hours this week: 40
7/23, 8:00-4:30 (8.5 hrs) 7/26, 9:00-4:00 (7 hrs) Hours total: 440
7/24, 8:00-4:00 (8 hrs)
This week was very hectic. Monday rounds were typical for our unit. There are many
elderly patients in the unit right now. Once again, we are realizing that the unit can be slow
during the summer because people put off their health issues due to engagements and their
schedule. The interns and I spoke a great deal on Monday about our plans after the internship is
over. Many of us are considering going back to school.
On Tuesday I took really good notes in order to better interact with our patients. I want to
be aware of the most relevant and important information. In addition, I am learning more about
interacting appropriately with those that are outside of my department. Many times, in a work
setting you will have to team up with a group that might not be directly in your line of work. I
think in those situations it is important to treat the other group with the utmost respect because
their contributions matter as well. Both parties are moving towards the same goal. Unfortunately,
I have realized that Chaplaincy services and similar departments do not always receive the
respect that they deserve.
After rounds on Wednesday I had some free time to work on assignments for this class.
Most of my weebly was not constructed until this week. I appreciate the weebly assignment
because I feel this will be a beneficial source to present to future employers. Building a website
from scratch requires some technical skill. I am much better with technology after this internship
and after creating my website. In addition, it is helpful to be creating this website along three
other interns. Oftentimes we help one another and offer each other advice on creating the
content. Also, because we worked on most all of our projects together this summer most aspects
of our weebly are very similar.
On Thursday rounds continued for a fairly long time. I can appreciate when the attending
doctor is very thorough with patients and their families. This makes families feel much more
seen and important. On this day I completed some tasks for Ms. Franchetta and spent some time
organizing our office. While working on our project and presentation we have pulled from many
resources around the office, so I took the time to make sure everything was back in place on
Thursday.
Friday was another fairly slow day at Coliseum. After multidisciplinary rounds we
rounded in the unit and in the waiting room. Occasionally some families might ask for some
water or coffee. Even extending some refreshments and a smile makes a noticeable difference in
their experience at Coliseum. After we completed our work for Ms. Franchetta, we had a decent
amount of time to work on the content for our grief support group. In this case I have learned to
be flexible, because there have been some changes over the summer in this area. In addition, we
spent time working on our final presentation which we will present next week.