During my four-week experience in Huron at Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC), I was given the opportunity to shadow all different kinds of departments throughout the hospital (some that wouldn’t have even crossed my mind as a nurse!). I believe that one of the most important ideals that I got out of this experience is how vital interprofessional care is. One cannot do everything by themselves, healthcare is a team sport. Everyone needs to come together from all different types of backgrounds to perform the highest quality of care. And that is exactly what went down at HRMC. Everyone was also more than willing to take time out of their day to teach us which I was extremely grateful for.
Dennise Brock, the education coordinator at the hospital, was our rock during the whole experience. She organized all our observations throughout the hospital as well as hosting us at her house and making sure we were always busy. We got the opportunity to be in cardiac rehab, physical therapy, dialysis, the clinic, lab, medical floor, purchasing, medical records, outpatient clinic, OR, OB, occupational therapy, food service, emergency department, facilities department, radiology, and even the Covid-19 testing site.
My favorite department that we were able to go to was definitely the ER. I love the adrenaline that comes with being an ER nurse and every day being completely different. I was fortunate enough to have some awesome nurses and PA’s to follow around and teach me everything they know. I also really enjoyed the purchasing department. Going around the hospital dropping off supplies as well as getting to know all the supplies got to be a fun job for me. Last but not least, I enjoyed following maintenance around for the day. These guys do not get as much credit as they should; they do everything from unclogging toilets to making sure the hospital has its power.
The REHPS program has been greatly beneficial and has given me many qualities to continue to succeed in the medical field. It has helped me gain knowledge on the human body and treating people which fascinates me. It has taught me about the interchanging and adaptive roles that there are working in a small healthcare facility. Lastly, it has taught me the importance of teamwork and achieving a collective goal.