Just Living the Dream

What does it mean to work at Mayo? If you ask my co-worker Tyler (and any of his buddies), he indubitably will quip he is "livin' the dream." I couldn't define that for you...I'm pretty sure it's a half-hearted joke aimed and fired in mockery of the proverbial "American Dream". You know, the one about raising yourself up by the bootstraps, working hard, earning money at the job you love, and then settling down with the spouse of your dreams in the house of your dreams and having little ones who bring ineffable pride and joy to your heart. (Maybe he'll get around to actually explaining it by the end of the summer, but I'm not going to get my hopes up!) Anyways, Mayo takes really good care of their employees and anyone who works there won't tell you differently because they know that they wouldn't get half the treatment they get now working somewhere else!

For me, this summer pretty much is just living a dream. I constantly wake up from reverie feeling a need to test reality, to make sure that I'm taking it all in. Then, when I believe I am awake, I fall back into that peaceful dreamlike state to soak up its healing rays like the California...ahem...Minnesota sunshine.

The other night, I sat in the warm midnight air marveling at the journey I'm on. Fireflies dotted the black periphery and ribbits echoed in the darkness right before frogs dove into the pond. Then a doe tentatively crept out from the woods. Ever so elegantly, she lowered her head to the grass to eat. It was a perfect moment! One that captured the peacefulness and beauty that comes with intimacy with Christ and elicited some good wonderment. Specifically, I was wondering at what God is doing in my life, because, as you should have gathered by now, I feel like my time in Rochester has been so ideal that it feels like a dream much of the time. I held my breath often when I first got here. I was waiting for the ball to drop and something painful to happen, yet I have found only blessing and rest from previous turmoil. I was also wondering about a future here and friendships--those that would be lost and those that would be gained in leaving California. 

Sounds like after five weeks,  I'm finally past the culture shock and honeymoon phases of the adventure because such deep questions as the ones I've just mentioned are the hallmark of a soul confronting reality. If I move here, I probably won't have as many go-out-and-explore days. I'll be assimilating and working. The adventure and the growing won't stop, thankfully, but my reality will be...realer [Not sure what word I'm looking for but that one'll do...] as I confront the real world more on my own than ever before.

Enough of that pensive stuff! Here's some more objective stuff that you'll find interesting:

St. Mary's Hospital, the Francis Building entrance. I work in this hospital but in a different building.

Where I Work:

I work in the Cardiac Surgery ICU, which is located in St. Mary's Hospital, the older of the two hospitals that comprise the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It's a 25-bed unit that sees all ages, from newborns to centenarians. If I remember correctly, that makes it the largest unit and the only one that sees such a wide age range.  It's one of the handful of cardiovascular-related units at Mayo's Rochester campuses. 

The surgical patients we see undergo reconstructive/restorative procedures on their hearts: new heart valves, coronary bypasses, aortic aneurism repairs, ventricular assist devices (usually for severe heart failure), and patients on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). Occasionally, we get overflow patients from other units, for example, a couple weeks ago, one of my patients had sepsis and its myriad complications.

What I Do:

I work with a Clinical Coach every shift I'm on. Basically, they are RNs who teach me and help me hone my ability to think critically, practice physical assessments, give report and collaborate with other healthcare team members, and learn the computer-based charting interface. I'm not allowed to give medications, like during my clinical rotations for school, but it gives me more time to focus on the rationale for medications and other interventions. Unlike most other Summer III interns who have one or two coaches, I have four and they are absolutely great! I get the benefit of learning from their different strengths!

One of the unpredictable rainstorms I walked into after work during Week 1. I walked about 500 feet with an umbrella in hand, jumped a puddle at least 6-inches deep, and was soaked up to my knees!