Resident Assistant Internship
This summer I was able to do an internship related to my major in Applied Health Science. The position was Resident Assistant at the Pillars of Mankato Assisted Living Facility. I was able to complete 32 hours of interning every week or sometimes even 40 hours every week. During each shift, there were different employees on the schedule. Before the shift starts, I can check my schedule in the manager's office. Right after that, both shifts (morning and evening shifts) would gather and chart for 30 minutes. That is required so the next shift employees know what is going on in the building and with the residents. My schedule would change too, being one time in the Assisted Living site and one time in the Memory Care site. Being able to work as a Resident Assistant, has helped me a lot in developing my patience, either working as a team with my coworkers but also working with elder patients daily, because by working with elder patients you are faced with a lot of situations during the day, like for example, one of the residents is feeling down that day, I can be a support for them and make them feel better. But also being a Resident Assistant has helped me build empathy for this kind of situation and become a more compassionate person. If I am having a bad day, that would be reflected in my patients and they notice every detail. I always make sure I start my day positively before I go to work because I know that the residents notice everything.
As a Resident Assistant, I was able to improve my communication skills by communicating effectively with my teammates, my supervisors, and my residents. By doing that I improved my active listening, and how to adapt to other communication styles occurring in different situations related to my patients, and my supervisors. I can manage conflicts between residents and staff members. While working in a nursing home no one is perfect, and we all have our weaknesses. That’s why is good to recognize our weaknesses and seek help from other team members who have complementary skills and strengths. When I first started giving medications, I would struggle with residents who had cognitive or communication impairments. They would not understand why they needed to be taking that medication and they would resist due to the fact of being scared or confused. In that case, I would call one of the other team members and help assist the resident by explaining what the medication was and why they needed to take it. In the beginning, it was confusing for me too on how to react and respond properly, but I learned the right way by listening to the lead of my team members.
One other thing that I should be improving on in my leadership style is delegation. Sometimes I would hesitate to ask my coworkers for help, thinking that I would look unprofessional if I asked for help in my duties. However, I understood that can lead to burnout and needing to be more efficient in managing multiple tasks all at once. An effective leadership style like collaborative leadership and supportive leadership helped me in those situations. My team members created a positive work environment for me that was focused on teamwork, open communication, and continuous improvement. I believe that if I had got a different reaction like poor communication and poor-quality care from my team members, I wouldn’t have been able to do my job correctly, which would have affected everyone. There are Resident Assistants who have caught my eye most of the time during shifts with them, which makes me admire them more, because of their hard work and desire to help people. For example, one of my coworkers, who is in the same position as me, her contribution to the workplace is her exceptional patience and empathy towards the residents. She can connect with the residents on a personal level, making them feel heard and valued. She always takes her time to listen to their stories, even though she might have heard them for the third or fourth time during that shift, and engages in meaningful conversations, which helps in the resident's emotional well-being improvement. During my time there, I have learned a lot from her compassionate approach and how she manages to take care of each of the resident's unique needs.
On the other side, there are also other Resident Assistants I work with who are not as kind and mindful as this one coworker. For example, a couple of weeks ago we had a fall on the Memory Care site, while I was working in the Assisted Living site. One of the residents fell and had a concussion on her head. The coworker working on that site called the Triage After Hour Nurse, who helped with these cases and also called 911. She also called me, and I went to help her until the ambulance and the nurse arrived. I noticed that she was overwhelmed with this challenging situation, which was affecting her ability to provide efficient care for the resident. She was completely frozen and was waiting for my help the whole time. She was having difficulty and was struggling to follow the established protocol, which is the take vitals and comfort the resident until the nurse and 911 were there, without moving her from the position she fell, in case of any unseen injury on her body. While I understand the pressure in this kind of situation, working alongside her made me realize the importance of remaining calm under pressure and maintaining composure to be able to focus and adapt quickly to the change of circumstances.
While being able to complete this internship, I realize I have grown a lot since the first day I started and I understand better leadership skills. While working in a nursing home, my theory of leadership revolves around the principles of compassion, empathy, and collaboration. This approach, I believe, is the best to create a supportive environment for both residents and staff, while promoting improvement and growth. Effective leadership while working in a nursing home requires genuine care and concern for the well-being of residents. I would also say that the field of healthcare is ever-evolving, and leaders in nursing homes must be open to continuous learning and improvement. Encouraging staff to stay updated on the latest advancements ensures that the nursing home provides the best care possible. Throughout my undergraduate career as an Applied Health Science major, my understanding of leadership has evolved too. I used to see leadership as primarily directive or hierarchical, however, as I dived more into the field of healthcare, I came to realize that effective leadership in a nursing home is not about authority but rather about inspiration, collaboration, and respect toward everyone.
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