First Patient in the Clinic

My first "real" patient visit occurred last Friday in the Campus Health Clinic. This was quite the milestone. I can't share the details of the encounter due to HIPPA but I can chat a little about the intensity of the experience and how incredibly daunting it can be.

The main issue was learning the paperwork. We have had minimal exposure to re-evaluations, SOAP notes and chiropractic treatment plans up to this point and when there is a hiccup in your memory of it all, it can throw a wrench in the works. I stumbled a bit on taking a proper SOAP, particularly the assessment part. Mainly because I had nothing to really gauge my patients progress on besides illegible notes from the past intern. Next time, I can document things better being that I am now writing the progress down and I can read it!

There is no time for second guessing when you are with a patient and for the most part, you have to think on your feet and be quite present mentally. The balance of patient satisfaction is held quite delicately in these first few visits and their trust in your ability to help them is based on a very small window of time. In a nutshell, it has to work out the first go around because they will not come back for further treatment if it doesn't. In the long run, the patient loses out and quits coming to the clinic completely in these situations. The intern loses confidence and it doesn't turn out nice. This is why it is very important to really know the person's status prior to seeing them initially and to go in with a game plan so things run smoothly. The patient must come first and they have to know you truly do mean this. If I had it my way, I would end all the requirements to get through the clinic and base it on merit. The way we have to go about obtaining visits is controversial. I figure if I have to spend a little more time here to get things done honestly, so be it.

Another hiccup in the mix was my understanding of where chairs were in the room. I knocked into one I was sitting on because I forgot it was there. It slammed into the adjusting table. Embarrassing! I then moved it aside and of course it was placed right by the door so when the attending arrived, the chair was knocked across the room in a loud bang. This doesn't help things a bit. Know thy surroundings.

This is so much fun. Transitioning into this role is hard but so worth it. I keep thinking how close I really am to the end product. It is a journey, that is for sure.

All for now