Striking Out on My Own

Well, I just finished my first solo shift at the hospital. I managed to successfully find my way around both hospitals, only asking for directions once. I had a very short day, as most of my patients today were very tired. However, if I were to divide the time I spent evenly, I actually spent the average amount of time (7-9 minutes) with each patient. Perhaps I didn't do so badly time-wise after all.

I wish that more of my time could be spent in Texas Children's. The prospect of working with children seems particularly rewarding. However, TCH does not separate out their Church of Christ patients from other Christian denominations, so the only way Lifeline visits someone there is if we receive a referral. These don't happen all that frequently, though, so most of my patients will be in St. Luke's. I saw a wide variety of people today, from the not-yet-born (I made a stop in Labor and Delivery) to the very aged, from people who had just been discharged to people who were admitted months and months ago. It is so true that you never know quite what will be behind each door.

I had a good experience with a nurse today. Just as I was about to enter a room, she asked if she could help me. I told here that I was a chaplain and she exclaimed "Oh, thank you so, so much." I could literally see the relief on her face. It's always nice to know that my presence is appreciated, by patients, their families and the hospital staff.

Tomorrow we'll do some more on-call training and Wes and I will spend the afternoon shadowing the person who will be on-call. I am hoping to learn a lot through this process. I am also anticipating the possibility of a heavy day, so pray for me in those regards.