CPE Unit 1 begins with the hospital orientation

Takeaways from hospital orientation:

The organization is trying hard.   Orchestrating a day where each department steps forward to explain itself and attempt to engage new employees is no small thing.  Presentations were not rote, though there was much that could have been done to make them a bit more lively.  (Send us the materials in advance then let the participants do a self-quiz to see what they can recall prior to the presentation?)  Interesting that the younger nurses seemed especially antsy.

Chief Medical Officer struck a good tone.

• QCAMP - if we can get these things right, we succeed:  Quality, Culture & Communication, Access (service availability - new approaches like MRI scheduling on demand 24/7), Marketshare (local area branding), Physician alignment (the hospital's direct customers).  Ah, the power of a good acronym!
• At a community hospital, physicians are voluntary, not employees of the hospital.  
• SJR was the only hospital in NY state in 2010 with a positive financial report? (Ouch!)

Human Resources - I think this is the group that presented their employee recognition program (STARgram).  Mesage about personal responsibility for customer experience writ broadly.  CARE (Connected, Attentive, Responsible, Enthusiastic).  Actually, I got that impression from staff, which was ...surprising.
LOVED Maya Angelou quote:

I've learned that people will forget what you said...people will forget what you did ... but people will never forget how you made them feel. 

Pastoral Care department: The key four letter word in a hospital, loss.  Implied that what makes something a spiritual matter is whether it addresses why, why me, what's next?

Also covered:  infection control (MRSA can live on an uncleaned surface for 9 months, HIV exposure - optimal time for treatment is 2 hours, wash hands before and after use of gloves), risk management, security (disaster planning, red code book at each station, bands on patients, fire - RACE, PASS, i.e., Rescue, Activate, Contain, Evacuate and Pull, Aim low, Squeeze, Spray), privacy/HIPPA (just don't).

Met two of my unit colleagues.  Both M.Div.  Both expressing the same trepidation that I believe I expressed when starting at BI.  Now, I'm just excited!