The Harsh Environment: Who’s To Blame?
Have you ever wondered why things are the way they are? One of my readers brought up a great point about reaping the benefits—or in her case, the detriments—from past students on rotations. Could it be that some negative opposition during rotations may be a result of a previous experience with a haughty student? The reality is that a harsh interaction with a nurse or preceptor may have nothing to do with us. How do we deal with that?
What about the positive encounters we have in the clinic? It probably has nothing to do with our stellar charm or good looks. Not considering the personality makeup of those in the clinic or hospital, the quality of the encounter can be related to previous conditioning. With this being the reality, we can play a part in the shifting of the winds. We can either maintain the momentum in the environment through negative/positive response or be an element of change. When seeking change, the results will not be immediate. It will take patience, even understanding, that we may not reap the benefits.
On the flip side, our laziness or pride can quickly affect the future for other students. The take-home message for those entering rotations or pre-clinical experience is to avoid being reactive creatures. Rather, make every effort to think through the response to a cold run-in. Also, we are in this together. We must continue to partner in representing the physician assistant name. Our decisions today will affect someone else tomorrow.