first impressions

the first week was a success! i had my apprehensions about it and i am pleased at how well it turned out. i am delighted to be continually reminded that this is the RIGHT profession for me. long 10/12 hr days pass surprisingly quickly and i get excited about all of the various activities throughout the day. i have an excellent supervisor who i am learning from each minute. i haven't been documenting my thoughts daily, so this is a little summary of the first week.

i have noticed the importance for maintaining an appropriate amount of self disclosure and maintaining that professional appeal with the patients. there have been many times where the stories/lives/reactions of the patients have made me emotional or uneasy. it has become more clear to me of the necessity for balancing work with leisure and personal pursuits. working with individuals who are dealing with mental illnesses including depression, psychosis, and substance abuse (to name a few) can be taxing. to clarify the name of my blog title: professional sprinkled with real, it is important to maintain the professional appeal (as mentioned above) yet get on a 'real' level with the patients. one thing i love most about the work of the occupational therapist is their ability to get to know their clients/patients. it is our close involvement, our REALness that allows us to meet the needs of the clients/patients by helping them to regain function and return as close to independence as possible. my response to the patients was professional, which might have to do with my role as the observer being my first week and all. near the end of the week i became more comfortable engaging with the patients and realized that i can move beyond the professional level and a bit more onto the real side. however, maintaining proper boundaries and retaining the 'professionalism sprinkled with real' approach remains a challenge for me. i err on the side of professionalism now to avoid risking too much self disclosure. often i want to smile, chat and reach out to the patients and to be there for them. not sure if this is the appropriate environment since it is an acute inpatient locked psych ward with many people severely psychotic and depressed, because as i have been warned many times this week:"SAFETY FIRST"

my emotions were definitely rocked this week. thoughts of empathy and remorse for the lifestyle situations of these people. all i want is for them to find peace and happiness. it kills me to see them so depressed and alone. i take courage in the motives and efforts of the staff that work tirelessly for the well-being of each patient. it is really amazing to see. it is a great facility and i am really lucky.

as for self doubts of my ability to perform accordingly, i have adjusted my mindset as i have been able to apply what i have learned in the classroom. i have no doubt that as i continue along for the next 12 weeks and learning as much as i have in this short while that i will be a confident OT! whoop!

ok, now for my THREE day weekend. aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! that is the best!