As the rotations continue and I get closer to seeing almost every department, I’m really getting a good picture of how the whole puzzle fits together. I know some of my classmates don’t like doing rotations and they think it’s a waste of time, but I think that’s a big mistake. In my opinion, that’s the problem with management, not just in healthcare, but across every industry. There are too many managers who have no idea what people do who work for them. No, I’m not shadowing people to learn how to do their job. But I am learning what they need in order to do their jobs well and now I understand some of the problems they deal with on a day to day basis. And I think that’s more valuable than a lot of people realize.
Lab: I didn’t realize how important the lab is to so many departments. They literally interact with EVERY department at the hospital! It was very interesting to see all the different processes they go through and I also followed a couple of phlebotomists to the patient rooms.
EVS (environmental services): This is another department that I think gets forgotten by most people until they work in a healthcare setting. They handle linens, scrubs, hazardous materials, cleaning, and so much more. They have a big effect on HCAHPS scores due to the perception patients have about cleanliness. Definitely another interesting rotation.
Security: This was a really fun department to visit! I walked around with one of the security officers, which she called “strolling and patrolling.” Then I rode around in the security car with another officer, which he called “rolling and patrolling.” The chief of security also showed me funny videos of some of the officers getting tazed during training. Pretty hilarious stuff!