Arrive
at 7:15am – Check Email / Listen to voice mail / Set up computer / Pray…”Father meet me here…”
Two
staff members touch base to update me on personal struggles; I provide a
listening ear, encouragement, prayer and a hug. Nurse
Practitioner pages me – behaviorally challenged child and younger sibling. Interview Mom; recently relocated in OK from
out of state; offer supports; DHS, resources. However, BC patient states
he needs to use the restroom. I escort
him and sibling to bathroom. He refuses to go back to exam room. He decides to run instead. I give chase;
sibling passes me. Patient runs down
staff hallway. He quickly ascertains
that each hallway is similar but wants to be sure there’s a height and weight
station on each hall; he weighs himself on each hall; I catch my breath. He
takes off again; I prevent him from going into waiting room on many occasions;
he runs by exam room w/ Mom more than once; she waves at us. He eventually gets tired and asks for water;
I am considering 911 for myself…he is cornered by a doctor; he struggles,
kicks and hits; she holds him on floor and I return w/ water. Eventually he
agrees to get up and walk into exam room.
I block door to keep him from leaving.
Mom has remained calm and seated in exam room talking to NP. He is given immunizations in exam room and I
escort family to clinic lobby to wait for Sooner Ride; I escort family to cab. I
have been paged.
I go upstairs to hear a patient screaming because a boil is being lanced; a long time patient in room w/ Mom and MGM. Older sibling is waiting in hallway, I chat w/ her. Crisis Nurse checks in w/ me and we are told that an ambulance has been called to parking deck. We exit building and run to far end of parking deck. A Mom is sitting in a chair, surrounded by paramedics and security. I approach and hear her comment she has no insurance and has a child being seen inside clinic. I tell her who I am and she gets defensive when I ask who her child is. I tell her I’m going to take her child away since I am a SWK. She doesn’t laugh…(I’m kidding) No, I tell her I will check on her child and touch base w/ her friend who is w/ child. I give her my card and tell her I can help her be seen by a doctor; even though she doesn’t have insurance. I am paged twice while in parking garage. EMSA agrees to drive her to front door of clinic. When we approach the front door of the clinic…the little one from upstairs is now in-between the sliding glass doors throwing a MAJOR temper tantrum. Mom is on floor and MGM is leaning over a flailing kidlet. Crisis Nurse checks on the Mom delivered by EMSA and I assist w/ calming patient. Mom stated patient wanted to take stairs from 2nd floor and upon arriving on the 1st floor she has a fit because she didn’t get to ride in the elevator. I am told Mom fell earlier in the day so I ask patient and sibling to take a ride in the elevator, while Mom gets car. We go up to the 3rd floor, we peer through the glass and ride back down to the first. I put patient in car seat, strap her in and run upstairs. I am intercepted by a Mom who gives me a hug and asks for crackers…cheese please; I provide. I think I missed a meeting…again.
I speak w/ Mom who is under a lot of stress; she has 3 children all are in exam room. They discover me and try to take my watch off, step on my feet, pull on my glasses – all while I’m speaking w/ Mom and making sure she’s okay and trying to find out what resources she needs. She comments to kidlets now and again; they continue jumping, singing and hitting. I give Mom card and tell her I will call w/ resources. I start to get up and am bear hugged by the youngest and receive a big juicy on the cheek…today’s reward. I am told thank you by the BH nurse and I run back over to the other side of the clinic to talk to a Dad and Aunt who request services because Mom and Dad are divorcing; Mom is mentally ill and drug seeking. I offer services and listen. I go to my office and listen to messages. One of which says, “deni, emergency call.” I grab an interpreter and find out that one of our parents has been arrested and he is not a resident. Mom is frantic that Dad will be deported. Their child has a chronic illness and Mom does not work; Dad is sole breadwinner. I receive calls periodically of updates throughout the day and finally Dad is released and goes home.
I pass by a room and hear a Mom yelling at kidlet. I enter room and Mom demands to know who I am. I talk to kidlet who is crying. Mom calms down. I walk kidlet to office and we get juice, animal crackers and a stuffed animal and return to exam room. I give Mom a juice and my card and tell her if she needs to talk or needs some help to call. She smiles.
Granted I haven’t charted all day and it is now about 4:30pm. I go to my office and attempt to organize the names of everyone I saw in order that I saw them so I can chart. The Medical Director comes in to tell me about a Mom who called to complain about our appt. desk; she makes some comments that alarm the MD. She asks me to call and f/up. However, I call to make a medical necessary Sooner Ride appt., as usual I am on hold for extended period of time and transferred…a kidlet comes into my office and says “TOYS.” I tell the little one he can have a toy so he wipes snot on his hand, wipes his hand on me, picks up a stuffed doggy and gives to me and then grabs one for himself…Mom ushers him out. I do not speak to a live individual so I hang up and decide to call a cab for Mom and kidlet tomorrow..…… I listen to my messages and I have 3 urgent phone calls from a mom. I call her and she wants to know why I called. To return your call. I didn’t call. Yes, you did…3 times. Then she remembers and asks me if I know of a car pool or free taxi to take her to work….I offer suggestions.
I make a round in the clinic and head back to my office…it is 5:45pm. I email the gang at church and tell them to pray for me I won’t be there tonite. I chart until 7pm and call the Mom the MD gave me. We talk for almost an hour. I am blurry eyed and pooped…but I got a hug and a kiss today…blessings! I run the day through my head to be sure I didn’t promise someone a phone call and haven’t called. There are referrals to be made, a CPS call to be made and I haven’t looked at my notifications today…but maybe, hopefully I threw one starfish back in the ocean today. I shut everything down and head out the door. I get a text from a Grandma she needs groceries...off to Wal-Mart; delivered; another hug! I get home around 10pm.
Then there are those days when a child wants to kill himself, or a Mom tells me she has no hope, or a kid’s getting bullied, or a young woman cuts herself, or a child is abused, or an obese uncle refuses to take his insulin because he’s so angry, or a Grandma is abandoned and alone at home, or one of our homeless dies…these are the days when I am reminded that Social Work is hard because life is hard and I am so blessed to be a Social Worker.
I am also reminded that Jesus cares. He cares about every detail of our lives, every hair on our heads He has counted. He wants to give us the desires of our heart. He takes each step with us. He reminds us to provide the tangible in order to build relationships and introduce people to Him. He reminds us that we are planting seeds and there will be a harvest. He reminds us, We can do more. We can do better. In His service, d
