acknowledgement, miscellaneous, end-of-unit stuff

Several days since last post -- lots going on: supervisor revealed our "stats" -- copies to each of us students of the widgets we count -- how many visits we made as chaplains on our floors, as well as our length of stay on each visit (or the amount of time we spent with each patient/family -- it's interesting that there's no way to chart or count our visits with staff!) -- and I had (far and away) the most visits and the most minutes with patients/families! I almost felt as if I was being challenged by my supervisor for the validity of my "numbers," but I feel I charted honestly, and I did spend more time visiting with patients than many of the peers I observed (who chose to read or write reports or do other things, which I usually did at home on my own time). Oh, well. I still averaged "only" 3 hours of patient visits per day -- but that was do-able when we are here from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The other public acknowledgement I received is a silver star (for good "customer" service). I had that on my learning contract as one of my goals -- kind of tongue in cheek, but I am so glad I got one. I do need the occasional measure of external appreciation, not only to stroke my ego, but also to help me know that I met a need and actually did a patient visit "right". Otherwise, it might be like taking up a sport without lessons: practicing something and repeatedly doing it wrong over and over....

Our last day of CPE is this Friday. I have very mixed emotions about leaving -- think I will be glad to leave this schedule -- the crazy 24-hour shifts especially -- but I will miss many of the patients (two of whom I have seen every day since I've been here -- all of June and July!) and most of the staff -- paid staff and student interns. We are doing our final evaluations (mine is done and is 9 pages long -- the supervisor says 3 pages is too few and 11 pages is too many). I wrote mine very fluidly and off-the-cuff (like I do everything) so hopefully the stream-of-consciousness reflecting will adequately and accurately reflect all I have been through and all I have accomplished. Now I am facing gift-giving (my need to do this) and how I will say goodbye (or if I will). I probably will feel the need to keep in touch with several people....and I will probably be disappointed when they don't feel the need to keep in touch with me (story of my life!).

This is long enough for now. Need to go respond to some of the nice rev women who have posted to some of my posts! Thanks, gals!