the shuttler has been on clinicals for almost a month now, in a local acute hospital. she feels that she has been through a lot, both good and bad experiences, in the mere (almost) four weeks there. the good, the bad, the sad, the joy and almost everything else.
she thinks that there is still so much more to learn during clinicals, and they really shouldn't cram the course in such a short period of time. besides pushing the students to their limits, the shuttler thinks that it is also compromising the quality of the potential learning that could have been maximized further. afterall, the students are expected to adapt, take over cases and implement treatment strategies in the short period of time, which, frankly is rather a short period of time to juggle everything. not to mention the nagging deadlines of reports and assignments that would soon follow after.
the shuttler have had a reasonably enjoyable time with her clinical supervisor, who is a rather understanding and educating man who also happen to allow the shuttler plenty of opportunities to explore her sessions. although the shuttler had problems adapting to the system of things initially, she appreciates her supervisor's trust and respect for her as a colleague.
being in clinicals is a tough transition to a certain extent. suddenly the shuttler found herself thrown out in the real world, trying real hard to assimilate everything she had learnt in the past two years, into actual practice. being placed totally in charge of a patient was also something that the shuttler found hard to accept initially, as it meant that there was great responsibilties in her hands. whatever the outcome of the patient was, it laid within the shuttler's hands.
of course, there are patients that the shuttler look forward to seeing, and wish that she could spend more time with them to maximise their rehabilitation potential; those who required plenty of coaxing (till the shuttler's mouth runs dry at times even!) just to sit out of the bed; those who have family members who are ever so supportive of therapy sessions and are so grateful to even the student therapist who made a difference to the patient's life. clinical life is just so exciting at times. you never know what kind of person the patient is while reading through their case notes. each and everyone of them have such an unique life story waiting to unravel, and to be explored.
but there is always the sad and gloomy side of clinicals. the shuttler feels so sorry for those patients who had no visitors since the day of admission, while the neighbouring bed gets swarms of visitors each day; for those domestic maids who stay attentively by the patient's bed, taking care of their every single need; those patients who lie in bed, staring at the ceiling and being totally unresponsive to external stimuli.
thankfully, the shuttler has yet to encounter deaths of her patients. but it would be good to feel affected. afterall, that would only indicate that the shuttler had emphatized with the patient, and truly cared for the patient as a student therapist. it would be disasterous if one day, the shuttler would simply brush off death as if nothing had happened.
what would happen to man, when he has lost one of his own, and yet feel no grief?
last four days to go before the end of this clinicals. the shuttler is filled with mixed emotions. what a roller-coaster of all sorts it has been. mentally, physically and emotionally.
you name it, we have it.
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