Sometimes… You Have to Learn How to Walk All Over Again…

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Editor’s Note:

Having negotiated the intricacies of assimilating into 57 heart programs prior- the one thing I know for sure: Each heart program is it’s OWN distinctly different animal. Equipment and the OR layouts vary to a certain degree- but after awhile, even those differences start to gel together and became a familiar enough learning process, that none of it is truly intimidating. There is a limit to how often you are going to be exposed to a device or process that you haven’t encountered before- so your prior experience and familiarity with processes or things- eventually become very similar to whatever it is that seems new to you TODAY 🙂

The elephant in the room here- or at any program is almost always the political and/or the social beehive that comprises the group or institution that you are joining, Grace periods for new perfusionists are usually very short, and involve intense scrutiny- sometimes to the point where you may feel judged, misjudged, or misinterpreted.

I guess the area of greatest concern are the expectations that both parties bring to the table, and identifying and eliminating mismatches that subsequently would grow into thorns as you try to integrate into a program. The key is to transform the way you present yourself, as NOT being a guest or visitor- rather a proactive team player. It’s a subtle dance, and can be tricky at times, but the objective thing to keep in mind, is that unless the program is completely dysfunctional (i.e.; a revolving door) BOTH parties want this to work- and both parties need to bend and sway with the natural rough spots that are always encountered when joining a team.

I heard an interesting comment from a friend of mine when we were discussing this sort of scenario regarding new hires and expectations. They stated: “Sometimes… You Have to Learn How to Walk All Over Again…“

That kind of summed it up for me- hence the title of this post.

It can apply to most roads anyone chooses to take- because they are all built a different way, with materials that are perhaps foreign to us, each with their own peculiar twists, turns, and of course- the inevitable washed out bridges and road blocks. That’s when teamwork comes in- to navigate those hurdles and keep yourself grounded.

Hang in there bro. You got this.

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