Two Years at SickKids

This week I passed by two year work anniversary at The Hospital for Sick Children, as well as my three month anniversary working full-time in the Critical Care Unit.

I first started as a relief clerk on the hospital-wide float team, covering sick calls and other absences in every unit and clinic. It was a really amazing learning experience getting to see the differences in how each area within the hospital operates, but my favourite placements were always the critical care units and the emergency department.

I've always gravitated towards jobs with fast-paced environments where my problem solving skills are challenged, and these units definitely fit that description. It is hardly what I pictured doing while I was studying in either of my Computer Science and Professional Communication programs, but I've found both to be immensely useful in my day-to-day work.

Hospitals are becoming more reliant on computer systems every day, so even something that seems incredibly small like being the person who can fix a keyboard or printer issue without having to wait for the IT team to arrive in the morning can save hours and make everyone's shift easier. There are so many projects implementing new technologies and our digital workflows are often changing, so the number of times I've been able to draw on concepts from my Computer Science education to help my colleagues surprised me when I stopped to think about it.

It really shouldn't have surprised me but I definitely benefit a ton from my Professional Communication degree since my role could be simply explained as the person who makes sure everyone on the unit gets the information they need to do their jobs. Whether it is using customer service and people management to ensure a smooth and welcoming experience in a clinic or if it is making use of crisis communication principles to provide proper support for an emergency code situation, communication skills are invaluable in this role.

Right from my first shift in the Emergency Department where I got to experience multiple trauma cases where the clerk must follow the direction of the charge nurse in order to coordinate the team-wide communication, I saw the value of the skills I was able to develop in my degree. It is extremely high-stress and fast-paced being expected to listen to requests from nurses and physicians, send pages/messages conveying information to the relevant people, and watch the monitors in the trauma room to anticipate the team's needs. It is also our responsibility to manage the needs or expectations of family that may be present as well as enforce the regulations related to how law enforcement officers are permitted to engage in the process.

I'm excited to continue applying the skills I learned through my education in a setting where I can make my small contribution to improving the experience for patients and families. Before this job, I always loved the roles I held in the education sector because I felt like I was giving back to my community in some way, and that is the same feeling I get working in the hospital.

Moving forward I look forward to finding more ways to make use of my technical experience, both from studying Computer Science and from the computing hobbies I've picked up over the years. Hospitals already rely so much on technology and the role of clerks will inevitably evolve to use technology more closely as well.