Internship is ending but with new beginnings

My overall experience at the internship program was very memorable. I loved going every single day, and would even go on days that I did not have school. I would recommend this program for every incoming Senior. This experience is basically a free chance to see what you want your future to revolve around for the rest of your life. Definitely take advantage of every minute of it, because for me personally it flew by. Senior year flies by in general, but this program gives you the chance to meet many new and important people that have the capability of opening new opportunities for your future. Along with the new people you get to meet and become close with over time, you also get a ton of helpful information and advice that will stick with you for a lifetime. I really enjoyed volunteering my time at Valley, and I was able to continue my stay afterwards because I was recently hired as their second only female security officer. I could not be anymore content with where I am ending off high school, and starting new chapters of my life.

Prox Badges & Keyscan

This week I have continued my work with the Prox Badges and the Keyscan system. I have also been working on Termination lists, and updating vehicle information for new employees. For the termination lists- I just have to go into the system and change the employees badge to invalid, remove their access, and sign off that I am taking them out. As for the vehicle information, I have to go into the employee's vehicle tab and type in the Make, Model, Color, Year, license plate number, and state the vehicle is registered in. Then I am able to issue them parking passes if necessary. However, all employees that started working at Valley Hospital after 2008 have to park at an offsite parking garage and take a shuttle over. Only employees that were before 2008 have parking spots. Volunteers, Per-diem employees, employees before 2008, and visitors are allowed to park onsite.

Walk-thrus

Week of 4/24/2017

This week I have been focusing more on WalkThru's. Basically, all a "walkthru" consists of is the security officer walking through a specific unit on a specific floor, and making sure that everyone is okay/ safe, that no one needs help with anything, but also looking for not so obvious things as well. For instance, on some walls of the hospital there is a red colored "P" with a cross going through it. This means that it is a No Parking Zone, and so nothing should be blocking that area. If there is something blocking these areas, it must be called into the base, and the charge nurses will be called about the situation. As a security officer, you are also constantly looking for health violations as well while walking around. As for myself, it's also a chance for me to get to know the hospital, because you always have to know where everything is in case of an emergency. There a three different building, being Bergen, Phillips, and Cheel. Each building has four floors, except for Cheel - has a fifth floor.

Prox vs. Matrix

This week I have been focusing on a specific program on the computers called Keyscan. Basically, Keyscan is a program that has to do with the Prox Badges in the hospital. The entire hospital will eventually be on a Prox badge system, so every employee will have to be put into the computer manually. I was learning how to put each person in manually, and this included downloading a picture of each person, their job title/ department, the badge ID number, full name, and access areas within the hospital. However, for every entry I made in Keyscan as I added each person- I had to print out a brand new Prox Badge with a specific code for every person. These Badges take a lot of work to create, because each one is unique to that specific person.
           Prox Badges: they are a new type of badge that does not have to be swiped. With these badges, all you have to do is wave it in front of the scanner and it will be picked up, scanned, and the access will be granted if you are allowed access to that area. Which makes moving throughout the hospital even faster, and there is less contact which means less germs being spread. Rather than the old system we used called Matrix, where you always have to swipe your badge to get in. Or constantly take the badge off your uniform because you could not reach the swiper.

Multitasking is key!!!!!!!!!

This week I was focusing more within the main base. In the Main, we have all of the camera systems, and alarms for the entire hospital. I have scanners in front of me at all times showing me all entrances of the building, who is scanning to try to come in, and whether or not they have access to the area they are swiping for. Another really cool system that is located in the Main Base is installed into the computers, and allows me to open up any door in the hospital that I need open. It also allows me to open up doors in the Kraft Building and crucial Building, which are completely offsite. The Main Base can get extremely hectic at times, and you need to be ready for anything. For instance, if you need to make a phone call/ answer an incoming call, you also need to be prepared for a call to come in over the radios as well. You need to literally be able to listen to two or three different things at the same time just in case an emergency is taking place. If there is ever a down time, which is not often at all, you have to watch the cameras, or make Daily Log entries about things that are happening within the hospital that Security is responsible for. Daily activities always needed to be logged in case of any questioning, or need-to-know circumstances. Its a very hands-on place to be, and definitely one of the most crucial.

Finding help in dark places

Today we a little hectic and pretty busy! Sadly, we did have a patient come in that was experiencing domestic violence abuse. It was very sad to see her come in two days in a row. The first day she had a bruise around her eye, and she insisted to the nurse that she had fallen. However, the very next day she came in again as a drug overdose. She was too scared to leave her husband that she purposely overdosed on drugs. The craziest part was that she had about $12,000 wrapped away in her purse because she was trying to leave her husband in a hurry. I left the ER the other day with a heavy heart as the police were coming in to talk with her and take statements, and she was probably terrified. At least now she is in better hands, and the hospital will help get back on her feet again and in better health. That's the only reason those nurses keep pushing, and it's an amazing sight. 

February 10th, 2017
Considering that yesterday was a very slow day, this Friday was completely packed! Since everyone did not want to drive to the hospital yesterday with the icy roads, they all came today since it cleared up. From the time I got there , around 12:20, from the time I left , a few minutes after 3, there was a consistent flow of patients coming in as Walks Ins & through the Ambulance Bay Area! The tension was very high for some people, but it was a very productive day overall.