Reflection On The OHSU AYA Program

I chose the practicum site, OHSU AYA program, in the beginning because I wanted experience working in a hospital. I felt that it was vital for me to practice my interaction patterns with hospital staff and patients. I chose to work with cancer patients specifically because they are very important to me. Having been a cancer patients I understood the need of these patients and wanted to give back. Also, I wanted to find out if this was the right population for me to work with. The age group this internship worked with is fifteen through thirty-nine. I was excited to work with this age group because I am in this age group. I also don’t like to see sick children or infants. The older population, at least from my experience, do not respect me as …show more content…
In the beginning, I was extremely excited to start working with patients. The training though, was long and very thorough which was difficult to complete. I also felt very lost when I started because it was such a new experience. It took me about two months to find my way around the hospital and to gain the confidence to walk in a patient room alone. The other interns though, provided a great place for me to turn to gain support and advice. We were able to create a relationship where we helped the patients together. The one difficult part of this internship was my original supervisor had lost her position due to funding cuts. My new practicum supervisor was the head doctor of the AYA program, which made him extremely busy and not have time to set down with any of us. Even though this transition took place, I still found the internship to be …show more content…
I want to be a hospital social worker who works with critically ill patients. This experience directly correlates with that. Learning how a hospital works and functions will assist me because they are national guidelines, meaning the ones I learned at OHSU will apply almost anywhere. Also by being able to learn about patient’s rights and the laws I am better equipped to help someone without infringing on any laws. Seeing the needs of this age group is very beneficial because it better prepares me for the difficulties my future patients might have. By realizing the needs, I am also more aware of what resources there are out there for these patients, from support groups to financial assistance. The most important aspect that I learned that I will be able to take with me as I move on, is how to interact with patients and their support system. This is the valuable aspect that I gained from the experience because it helped my confidence grow and my communication skills to strengthen. I am no longer nervous when I talk to these patients, nor am I hesitant to see them. Through this internship at OHSU in the AYA program, I now more prepared as mover through graduate school, my next internships, and future