Practicum Makes Perfect - Getting Ready

Hello again everyone,
         Well it's ten days and counting until I start my practicum a children's medical center and with each day I become more and more excited; and a little bit more nervous. For those of you who have no idea what i'm talking about let me catch you up. This summer I had applied to and was accepted into the Child Life Practicum position a Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. This is a highly sought after position and I was fortunate enough to get one of two positions. So this fall I will be spending every Monday and Tuesday afternoon and evening in Children's emergency room with the supervision of a child life specialist. A child life specialist is someone who primarily works in children's hospitals to help children cope and understand what is going on and why they are in the hospital in a way they can understand. Also, play is an important part of the job of a child life specialist. We can use play to educate a child about an upcoming procedure or to simply relax and normalize the child's day in a strange environment.
        I recently had a phone call from my supervisor at children's and she gave me an idea of what my first day there would be like and also what to kind of expect in the ER, especially at night. This was an eye opening phone call because, although I had an idea of what my time in the ER would be like, I still was surprised by some of the things she said. Some of the key things she mentioned were that if I overwhelmed by what is happening, then I need to take some personal time to gather myself before coming back in. She also said that while at times it can be stressful, on the other end of the spectrum are times when it can be very boring and monotonous. However, I am still so excited nonetheless.
        To prepare for my upcoming twelve week time in the ER at Children's I have had to complete a background check, drug screening, complete and verify my vaccine information, obtain a letter from my university stating that I do in fact go to this school, and complete a long list of small presentations online with topics ranging from code of ethics to HIPPA laws to the different types of emergencies and what to do if they occur. And after each presentation I had to take a small quiz and score 80% or higher to pass that portion. I have also had to purchase some scrub sets which are not cheap. Regardless of all of these requirements, I cannot wait to get started.
        The next time I will post on my blog will be after my first week at children's. See ya'll then!