Service Learning II

            For the second installment of my service learning I job shadowed the director of the Infectious Control department at St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings. In doing so I learned important things for school matters, possible career options and of course, a way to grow in leadership. Though I only spent one hour there, because she had a busy schedule and I didn't want to disrupt her entire day, I took away a couple of important facts. One is keeping hands sanitized and all of the health promotions of doing so; when washing hands It is suppose to get done in around twenty seconds and fingernails need the hardest cleaning. Besides proper hand washing technique, I learned how to interact with people in a hospital setting. Following the director into patients room's I noticed the dialogue that the director used when talking to patients. It was that of being respectful and compassionate but not overly nice. In that facts good or bad weren't overlay emphasized, they were said without dramatic effect, which I think is important because it establishes a relationship where the patient can trust the doctor and the doctor can expect the patient to do what is needed to become well again. The dialogue was by far the most important thing learned that day from a leadership stance because there were a lot of little details that I picked up on that kept the director control of the situation. They all can be summarized by one thing though is that I think, because I didn't ask her, that before anything she said she carefully thought of what she was saying and the best way to say. She was able to not let impulsive cues disorganize her thoughts. This I thought was beneficial because a leader can't succumb to anything they do, or I think it would be counterproductive. At the end of the hour I learned of my next service learning opportunity and in a couple of days I would help out at a bone marrow donation.