- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
I worked with the pharmacy team of Doctors Hospital in Columbus to reconcile patient’s medications when they came to the Emergency Department, to compound medication IVs following sterile compounding techniques, and to maintain stock of medications throughout the hospital. I got to work alongside technicians and pharmacists, and my work with them is fostering relationships to mentor me as I continue through pharmacy school and to expose me to more than what I would just learn in school.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
My view of the world changed drastically during my STEP Signature Project. Working in a hospital during COVID-19 has changed my perspective on myself, on healthcare, and on my future in this profession. I have seen a total of three surges since starting to work full-time in May, and the stress it puts on the staff has been remarkable in the worst way imaginable. I am proud to work in healthcare and be on the right side of this pandemic, but seeing so many people still refuse vaccination and end up hospitalized tears at my heart. It has taught me the compassion I hold for the patient population I work for, but it has also made me angry. Learning to balance how emotional it has been has made me stronger, and I am so thankful to continue to grow in healthcare and fight this pandemic. I have and will continue to grow into a strong, determined, and compassionate pharmacist that can still flourish in the position.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature
Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Dr. Jeremy Taylor, the infectious disease pharmacist at Doctors Hospital. He talked to me about how throughout the pandemic, he worked a total of 63 days in a row. He came into work every single day to try and save lives of those suffering from COVID-19. He has a wife, a daughter, and a son. The commitment he displayed in fighting the pandemic, and in still balancing being a husband and father was heroic. He displayed so much compassion, empathy, and hope for healthcare and the people workers are fighting to save. He has been my biggest inspiration at this internship.
Just last week a 21-year-old patient was admitted with COVID-19 Delta variant, and they were unvaccinated. For the last two weeks our Emergency Department has been overwhelmed as we are being forced to board patients since we have no empty beds for admission. I have now seen Ohio Health buckle down and require vaccination of its employees to try and aid in stopping the spread of the Delta variant, but it is just another weight that the healthcare system is forced to bear since not enough American citizens will vaccinate. There have been so many ups and so many downs that I have lost track, and this side of working at Doctors Hospital has contributed to my angers and frustrations. However, I know I am growing stronger because I am learning how to balance every feeling I have about the situation.
The comradery within the pharmacy, and even outside of our staff, had made such a lasting impact. We track the cases and follow the rules, but we still find time to lean on each other for support. People have cried, but the next day people still manage to laugh. Working healthcare right now feels like being sixteen again and having more hormones than I know what to do with, but the support from my team and leadership has strengthened my love for myself, helping others, and being a front-line worker.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future.
I think the bigger the heart can grow, the more love it can spread. I hope that having to learn to take the anger I have experienced and still provide optimal patient care will carry through the rest of my career. Beyond that, I hope I can love more people than ever. The healthcare field is full of compassionate people, but I have seen them be tested within the last year. I want to continue to pass that test and grow as a person to make the world a better place on big and small scales
The hazardous medication storage in the IV room
This is a weekend shift with four pharmacists, one technician, and one intern along with myself pictured. I have loved developing relationships with them.