I started my internship a little bit behind the semester on May 28th. In this short amount of time, I feel that I have learned so many things. Within the first week, I learned how to operate the front desk, which includes answering phones and transferring calls to appropriate personnel, welcoming everyone who enters the building, providing direction to people who are unfamiliar with the building, sorting and delivering mail to residents, putting in work orders, handling any administrative duties needed by management, etc. These skills were tested on Friday, June 21, when I was on solo front desk duty to cover an emergency call-out. I was a little overwhelmed because while I learned some things, I still am not fluent in all areas. The shift went well. I needed some assistance, but everyone around me was more than willing to help.
I had the opportunity to meet with the heads of all the departments except for two. They provided me with a brief overview of their responsibilities and the expectations they have from their team members. In the upcoming shifts, we plan to implement a rotation system to ensure I gain experience in all areas. I am particularly excited about this as it will allow me to understand the functionality of each department and interact with the employees to gather their insights on how to improve the organization. I also have Zoom meetings with the CEO, COO, and VP of Commonwealth Senior Living next week, which is super exciting, and I hope to gain more knowledge about the company from their perspective.
Given the nature of my internship, which involves working with patients with dementia, I was required to undergo dementia training. This experience was not only insightful but also deeply impactful. While we all understand the profound effects of dementia on the brain, the virtual dementia tour I participated in was a truly eye-opening experience. It has significantly enhanced my understanding and empathy towards the patients I work with.
I am working closely with the business manager. She has shown me many of her responsibilities, such as conducting interviews, payroll, and inputting resident payments. Before this internship is over, I hope to participate in a contract signing and learn more about how to handle disciplinary conversations with employees.
I have been tasked with getting the business (resident) files up to DSS standards for this internship. It has already taken up a considerable amount of time. I have gone through the files and audited them to find what is missing. Now, I am going back through to see what I can obtain from the residents’ families or from within nursing files.
During my time at Commonwealth Senior Living, I have not only adapted but also grown to love the atmosphere of the assisted living environment. One of my main goals is to learn about the residents and interact with them as I see others do, which I find incredibly fulfilling. Thus far, I have completed 78.5 hours out of 200 of my internship experience. This has been a great learning experience, and I look forward to learning more over the next month.
