Blog #25|: Mentorship

Literal

·     Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties:  

Mentorship Log 

·     Contact Name & Number: 

            ☞ Kathleen Rivero (Volunteer Coordinator @ San Dimas Community Hospital) : 909.599.6811

                        ☞ Dr. John Dimowo MD (Mentor from Pine Avenue Urgent Care) : 

951.966.6626

Interpretive

     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

  
    In the summer and throughout first semester I began mentorship at San Dimas Community Hospital working in the Emergency Room and in second semester when I narrowed down my project topic I found mentorship with Dr. Dimowo. I actually gained something from each mentorship experience. Working at the hospital and mentoring under Dr. Dimowo have taught me more about patient care. Along with my usual duties as a volunteer in the emergency room I was expected to restock supplies and clean up stations after patients leave. But the best part is when I actually got to interact with the patients and/or their family members and have the opportunity to assist them with any basic needs; fetching them water or food from the cafeteria or even keeping the company while they wait for the doctor. It is these moments that I look forward to the most because I have the privilege of serving these patients even in the simplest ways possible with genuine care and compassion. I took what I learned from this experience and was able to take it a step further during my mentorship with Dr. Dimowo. He was an inspiring model of what patient care should be like. On multiple occasions I was able to observe excellent patient interaction. This goes further than brief check-up and prescription write offs. Rather Dr. Dimowo made it a point in each session to follow up with the patient on not only their health condition but on their lives in general; hobbies, family, work, etc. This takes patient care and a doctor/patient relationship to another level when it is more personal. 

 Applied

     How has what you’ve done helped you to answer your EQ?  Please explain.

    Most of what I have learned has been through being able to observe and ask Dr. Dimowo questions. I learned first hand why each of my answers is important in answering my essential question. I was able to talk to patients and ask them about their treatment regimen and how it is helping them cope with their condition and their responses were all positive. Not only does this mean that my mentor is doing an excellent job, it means that each treatment is effective and is helping them live more comfortable lives. 

Blog #11|: Mentorship 10 hours check

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

San Dimas Community Hospital Emergency Room 

 
2.   Who is your contact?

Kathleen Rivero 

3.   How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?   

~20


4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

 Working in the ER is very interesting. At times it is busy and at other times it's really calm. Especially depending on the day I volunteer. Typically Saturday mornings are really calm. I perform a number of tasks in the ER such as running blood work or urine samples to the lab to be analyzed. Also, I restock all of the station supplies that the nurses or doctors use for the patients that come in. I sanitize some of the equipment and pretty much anywhere and everywhere there may be bacteria or dirt. I change the sheets on all of the station beds after the patients are gone and sanitize the bed and area around the bed as well. I also provide basic service to the patients that come in. I can bring them water or fetch the nurses for them; simple tasks like that. 

Blog #1|: Summer Mentorship Component

Literal (Know): 

•   Mentorship Log

• Contact

Literal (Need To Know): 

      What questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience?  List them.  
☞ What is the most effective way to make sure the patients are
          comfortable?

☞ What is the most important factor that plays into taking care of the
           mothers and their newborns 

☞ How does a team of nurses work together to make the department (in
            this case OB dept.) organized and keep the work effort efficient?

Interpretive: 
          
     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
     I've learned a lot from my experience working in the Obstetrics (OB) Unit at San Dimas Community Hospital.  Through working in OB I learned that patience and endurance are key characteristics among the employees working on the floor. Patience with handling a family's concerns, communicating with doctors to try and get information about the patients and filling out heaps of forms, charts and assessments sheets with a detailed analysis of each and every patient as well as their baby. Endurance can help anyone in life but especially anyone who is working in an Obstetrics department. On a hectic day where the number of births can  range from 6-8 babies within a 24 hour period, an RN working a 12 hour shift would be caught up with paperwork, running around assisting patients and their families, answering phone calls, and communicating with doctors for details or further instructions. Being able to multi-task and be organized are really important not only in OB but in the medical field in general. I realize that multi-tasking is a big part of working in any department in a hospital especially because often times one department will communicate and/or need something from another department. For example, Pediatrics or Obstetrics communicating with Lab to run tests for blood or urine. Or surgeons contacting the Sterilization room for instruments during surgery. Most departments are connected in one way or another. 

Applied: 

     How did what you did help you choose a topic?  Please explain.

            Well first, I think the best part of this whole experience was being exposed to other areas in the medical field. While being employed in Obstetrics I was sent to other departments to run errands. I saw what it was like in the Surgical Dept., the Lab where specimens are sent for bloodwork or other tests, etc. Basically I was exposed to different fields of the hospital even if it was for a short amount of time. Each of them were pretty hectic and busy, that's for sure. But the overall experience has definitely made an impact in my final decision for senior topic. At first, I was determined to do my senior project on pediatrics. Pediatrics was my first pick because I knew that I wanted to do my topic on something in the medical field and I love working with children so Pediatrics seemed perfect. I had even planned to use what I learned to help me decide on a career path. However, after being thrown into the hospital with so many different departments and specialties I decided that I would want to try all of them and later on specialize in something that I had tried out and enjoyed above anything else. So, after extensive research and very informative meetings with multiple people in various areas in the medical field, I have decided to do my Senior topic on nursing and will later on choose a specialty. Nurses (specifically RNs) can work in a whole bunch of different areas. They can dabble in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, ICU, ER, almost anywhere in a general hospital and I'd love to get hands-on experience in every area. Anywhere in a hospital there is a volunteer, there will most likely be an RN nearby. I think if I can volunteer in different areas in a hospital, it'll help me specify what I want to do for my senior topic.