Posts Tagged ‘E.R.’

Working in the hospital has the side benefit of Sensitivity Training. I’m not referring to overcoming prejudices, though that’s certainly a big part of helping people. I’m talking about assumptions as in, do not make them. When I make them, they backfire.  Learn from my mistakes. 

Generalizations lead to Oops Moments —

Part of my job as an ER Volunteer is to take Patients in labor up to the 3rd Floor — the Floor for Labor and Delivery and Post Partum. It’s where we get to look through the windows and see all of those cutey-patooty-newborns in their first hours of life. And it’s a Floor where Patients usually get to take home more than just a hospital bill.  For months whenever I’d meet people in the elevator going up to the 3rd Floor  I’d say something like — Read the rest of this entry »

Last night I went to a friend’s birthday party at Katsuya — one gigantic rectangle of people I kinda knew with a few I didn’t, including a lovely network exec whose mere presence put me back into pimply high school mode. It had nothing to do with what she did — she was warm and open — and it wasn’t because we were talking about the business —I doubt that she even knows I’m an Actress. We were just two people saying “hi” for the first time, except that one of us was behaving like a mental freak show for no apparent reason. And though I knew I wasn’t doing myself any favors, I couldn’t get out of my own way.

Sabotage Syndrome

Why do we sabotage ourselves like that? People like CONFIDENCE. Insecurity makes people nervous, uncomfortable and everything gets so awkward. This is pretty true across the board – at work, in auditions, in relationships… Read the rest of this entry »

You know how when you step on gum, you can’t get it completely off? Your favorite shoes are never quite the same because part of the yuck stays with you wherever you go? Like you’ve tarnished your sole?

That’s kinda how my soul feels about an school friend “B” who has now come back to haunt me where I volunteer in the ER. Six years have past, we’ve both become adults (supposedly) and the guy who came between us is probably in some residential facility, or wearing an orange jumpsuit or pumping gas in Oxnard. Clearly he’s not a part of her life or my life, but for some reason his past connection has had an indelible effect on our frenemy-ship.  Sad…   Read the rest of this entry »

Be nice, or else…

On my ER shift, a Little Kid’s freaking out about having to get stitches, so I ask him if he can keep a secret? Uh-huh.

Wanna know our  SECRET CODE WORD ?

Yeah!…
…so I whisper: “Owww!”

Minutes later when  Dr. A dabs numbing cream on his wound, the kid yells, “Owww!” So I SHUSH! him about giving away the CODE WORD and he actually giggles — PLUS I get a “trying-not-to-smile-but-I-can’t-help-it” from Dr. A! So it’s a win/WIN of epic proportions! (My Mom would be so proud!)

Then in Triage, ANTHONY shouts at me for taking too many visitors back to see their Mom (c’mon Chan!) which is sooo frustrating! As I’ve said before — working in the ER is a LOVE|HATE situation!

ER Ambivalence —
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WHATEVER! Read the rest of this entry »

what drives you?

What do you thrive on?
What’s the air that you breathe?
What needs to be part of the mix, to keep you interested?

In ACTING we figure out our character’s “Motivation.” Have you ever tried that exercise in real life with the people you know? Have you ever tried it with yourself?

APPRECIATION
Mira, my good-karma gal-pal at the ER, will do anything and everything, as long as it’s appreciated.  She thrives on smiles, “thank you,” and people who say, “you’re an angel” (even when she’s not wearing wings). But take her for granted, and she’s instantly over it – ready to move on— done, NEXT!

LOVE
There’s an Actress in one of my Acting Classes (I can’t name-drop) who is always falling in love. Se throws herself completely into each and every new relationship. Sometimes her love connections last two years, sometimes two weeks. But no matter what, she’s never discouraged in her search for a soul mate. She’s certain he’s out there. She’s so totally open to “romantic possibility” and baggage-free, I envy her. Read the rest of this entry »

CAUTION: Psycho Janitor!

Working at a HOSPITAL is like working at STRESS CENTRAL. Everyone’s “on edge.”

• Going through an uncomfortable procedure is stressful.
• Removing your clothes for a stranger is stressful.
• Waiting for test results is stressful.
• Visiting someone you love who is in pain is stressful.
• Going through labor (and the next 18 years) is stressful.
• Working a 12 hour shift is stressful.
• Receiving your hospital bill is stressful.

I totally get it, but—

I still have no idea why a member of the Janitorial Staff completely went off on me yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »

Sorry, Mom — not feeling so optimistic right now.

Volunteering in the ER isn’t that hard most of the time. Though we help patients in stressful moments of need, we usually send them home with a fix or admit them upstairs for tests or rush them to the OR — and then move-on, “Next!” But every now and then I get sucked into the depth of someone’s despair and like quicksand it consumes me. The more experienced Volunteers, Doctors and Nurses appear to be affected the least. I guess that’s how they get through it.

TOLERATING TRAGEDY

I feel like our nation is experiencing an epidemic of “Desensitizeditis!”

Daily we hear about another random act of violence, often involving a gun and a possibly-bullied, off-balanced human who may or may not play video games, who watches a lot of violent movies and thinks it’s cool to go down in history as a cover story in People. No guilt or sadness over creating chaos and cruelty. No fear of repercussion. Just the overwhelming desire to do something devastating and LOUD. One last chance to be heard.

We as a society hear about it, read about it, Tweet about it —  and then move-on, “Next!” Meanwhile innocent people lose their lives. Family members and friends will never ever be the same. Civilization continues to sink. Maybe we can’t bear to focus on our own loss of safety and wellbeing. FEELING POWERLESS is not a good feeling. Read the rest of this entry »