Things started off a little rocky because I found out one week before I was supposed to start that I needed to be CPR certified, have a bunch of immunizations, fingerprints taken, a drug screen, a TB test and a background check done. Kinda made for a crazy stressful and chaotic week. Turns out I was all up to date on the random immunizations (thanks to all that I had to get for Brazil) and the rest somehow managed to work and I was only delayed a day and a half.
So Tuesday morning I got the last of my paperwork and headed up to Salt Lake. I went to Primary Children's Medical Center to turn everything in and get my badge...and then I was an official intern! I headed over to the RTC (residential treatment center-my facility) to get to work. Tuesday was treatment team meeting, where all the social workers, therapists (including OTs, RTs, Music therapists, speech and language pathologists, etc) nurses and child psychiatrists meet together to discuss the clients and how their treatments are going. It was a little interesting since I didn't know any of the kids, but it was a good introduction to the program. Then I spent a little time on the floor with the kids and headed home. Day 1 was a SUCCESS :)
The rest of the week was great too! Wednesday was a long day, with an 11 hour shift. But it was also fun because we had pet therapy...and those kids love the dogs! I also got to spend a lot of one on one time with a few of the kids and even help with tuck ins at bedtime. It was great! And yesterday we had an activity at Boondocks, which was tons of fun!
It's been interesting to get to know the kids. They've had a rough life and are dealing with some pretty difficult stuff--that's why they're at the RTC after all. My heart aches when I read some of their charts and see what they've been through--parents fighting, divorce, abuse, malnourishment, homicide, etc. It's intense! A lot of times the kids just want to know that someone is there, that someone cares about them and will take care of them. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked "May I have a hug?"--and I've only been there one week! But I am always willing to give them a hug and sit by them, read to them or do melty beads with them.
All in all, I love this experience! I am so grateful I have the opportunity to work with these kids and help them and love them. I'm so excited to work with them for the rest of the summer!
