The Internship Process and Learning Outcomes - Essay Example

Section/# Self Reflection Analysis: A Review of the Internship Process and Learning Outcomes Introduction: The medical internship process has as one of its core aims the potential to develop practical knowledge of situations, outcomes, and approaches, that have otherwise only been discussed within the classroom setting. As such, the internship process allows for the individual to finally apply the knowledge that they had gained in a real-world dynamic. Accordingly, the following analysis will briefly summarize some of the experiences that this particular intern engaged with during the internship process, some of the implications for growth that these imply, and potential recommendations that could guide future placements this particular internship site. Accordingly, it is the hope of this author that the following analysis will not only be beneficial in helping to outline and find the internship process that I experienced but also in helping to guide others that might utilize some of the relevant understanding that this brief discussion provides. Summary of experiences Naturally, a thorough summary of experiences would naturally require a dissertation length response. However, some of the highlights of my particular internship program involved the realization of the importance that communication plays in defining the actual outcome for the individual patient. Beyond merely engaging with the patient and seeking to infer what specific needs they might have, experience after experience denoted the fact that continual and constant engagement with other stakeholders within the healthcare profession, the particular site in question, was of vital interest towards seeking to promote and maximize the outcome that patients might experience. The underlying reason for this was contingent upon the fact that individual patients could not be approached from a singular perspective. As such, I encountered many situations in which my own limited engagement with the patient was insufficient towards understanding the broader dynamics that were being exhibited and what some of the potential outcomes and the means of approach could be the most effective. In this way, the overall competency that I exhibited within the early part of it was of course work by the overall competency that I exhibited towards the end; due to the fact that I came to realize the integral and extraordinarily important role that fellow stakeholders and communication within held within this particular process. One of the means by which the internship process helps to reshape the way in which I approach healthcare has to do with the fact that I came to see the profession as less of a faceless process that follows a “by the book” approach and came to view it more as an interactive and ongoing level of communication that allowed for healthcare professionals to interact with the patient and calm to determine what needs they were seeking to fulfill within each and every interaction. One of the fundamental problems that I encountered time and time again was the issue of burnout. This took place not only on a personal level but also on an organizational level as some of the individuals within my unit were pushed to the absolute limit and were operating on little if any rest; both with respect to physical and mental rest. The critical analysis of this particular situation, as well as discussions with close colleagues, illustrated the fact that definitive measures must be taken in order for any new participant within the organization not to experience this burnout and continue to perform at a high level of productivity and efficiency. Ultimately, I was counseled, and came to realize on my own, that even though extraordinarily long work hours define the requirements of this particular internship, the need to find fulfillment and meaning outside the workplace was also essential if I was avoiding this burnout and continue to remain productive and mentally and physically healthy. Concerning the ISLPs that I set for myself at the outset of this particular internship, the following section will help to detail these and response to the question of whether or not I was able to achieve them as expected. In terms of the broadest and most overarching of these goals, developing a strategic plan for the department, this came to be a fundamental aspect of my day-to-day activities. However, before such a process could be engaged, it was necessary for me to attend a series of courses that help to define how strategic action was engaged and how it can effectively be encouraged. As such, Six Sigma, White Belt, and Lean were all necessary components of this process and somewhat slowed the rate at which a strategic plan could come together; due to the fact that it was necessary for me to attend seminars on these topics and fully synthesize the information that was presented in them prior to actually effecting a change within the strategic plan of the workplace question. The same can of course be said with regard to DAU course, the CLC course, and the ACQ course; as they required relevant time prior to conducting the strategic organizational plan. One aspect of my training that was able to provide an almost immediate level of understanding and success is with respect to quality assurance. By studying existing manuals, reviewing Hospital standards, emphasizing upon issues relating to improvement in the national patient safety goals, this particular aspect was one that was relatively easy to understand and could effectively be engaged within a relatively short time. However, the pitfall of this speed of understanding has to do with the fact that other issues pertaining to the courses that had been listed above were still largely unknown at the time in which I came to grasp quality assurance to a more effective and knowledgeable degree. In this way, it was effectively impossible to begin crafting a strategic organizational plan prior to understanding each and every component part of what might be included. The analysis of the data within the project itself is also somewhat tedious; due to the fact that time constraints created situations in which analysis of large amounts of data were effectively impossible. However, the data analysis portion of the product was the most involved and most time-consuming; creating a situation in which formulating and evaluating the budget, with these variables being known, was much faster than gathering the patient first was Lastly, attending departmental meetings was an essential complement of the internship training process; and one that could not be ignored; both the sense that they were mandatory and since that they provided ongoing valuable insight with respect to how process it should be engaged and how best practices should be elicited. Implications for growth One of the most relevant implications for growth within this process is contingent upon the constraint that time provided. As has been evidenced within the preceding analysis, the constraint time provided stressful situation in which I was oftentimes unconfident of whether or not all tasks assigned within the time allotted. However, implication for growth, at least from the personal standpoint, has to do with the fact that this allowed me to budget my time more effectively and focus upon for goals that I understood to be most relevant and the most time sensitive. As such, effectively planning once time and allocating sufficient resources, as well as contacting individuals outside one’s regular organizational group, is an essential complement in ensuring that this particular process can take place Recommendations that could guide future placements at this site A definitive recommendation that can guide future placements at this site would be to address the issue of stress first and foremost. As has been discussed briefly within the preceding analysis, the issue of stress is something that I did not engage in till I was partially into my own internship. However, if one seeks to take the most out of this experience and provide the most productive outcome for all individuals involved, seeking to address the issue of stress and managing effectively is an essential goal that must be affected immediately. Conclusion and a Five Year Prospectus: As with any process, the internship process was one that denoted strengths and weaknesses with respect to my own personal approach and the means by which I accomplish tasks and met deadlines. However, after reviewing the way in which this process took place, it is clear and apparent that a five year prospectus, and learning outcomes from this process, must be indicated in order for the internship process to be as meaningful and valuable as it was intended. Naturally, one of the first outcomes that needs to take place within the following five years is to continue on the path of learning and to ensure that relevant course material and industry best practices are understood and engaged with so that the strategic plan is relevant and maintains prescience within the current era. Secondly, it is also essential for me to ensure that interdepartmental engagement takes place within the organization that I am employed by. By ensuring that individuals are cognizant of the roles and responsibilities of others, as well as indicate with them, the possibility of developing a “tunnel” mindset is necessarily decreased. I recognize the importance of this early in the internship as individuals from different departments within the organization came to me as a means of reflecting different thoughts and approaches that I had not previously conceived of. As such, in order for this process is in place, it will be necessary for me to insist upon a level of outside engagement with individuals that might not necessarily be considered as within my own organizational purview. Read More