Duong 1

Jannie Duong
October 17, 2016
Job Shadowing Journal/ Reflection
Pre Op / Post Op
Today, at Beaumont Hospital of Grosse Pointe, I job shadowed three people in the Pre Op
and Post Op section. One woman was named Dee Dee and the other was named Lisa. The other
man I interned was a name I did not get. At first, the hospital was not very busy and so, there
were not a lot of people around to help me and my partner, Allison. We stood in front of the
educational office for about an hour until someone finally came out to help us. We first started at
the Post Op, where we saw patients being discharged and how the steps worked to get
discharged. Once the patient is done with their operation, their surgeon is supposed to write a
letter on the computer to shows steps of discharge. But today, the operator forgot and we could
not see 100% of how it works. But, we got to see an example and basically, you see what they
need to pack, do, and ingest (pills/ antibiotics/ etc). Afterwards, we went to the Post Op office
and the ladies in the front office had nothing for us to do. So, we stood there for about another
fifteen minutes. Soon, a man walked up to us and asked if we wanted to shadow him and of
course we said yes. He told us he was going to deal with a nerve blockage. We had to wear a
mask and a hair net to prevent germs from coming in and out and to prevent germs from going
into the patient. The ladies by the office told us to be careful because someone fainted from this
and they told us that if we were uncomfortable we should skip this shadow. But, the two of us
went inside anyways to see what it looks like and to experience it. We went in and the patient
was very nice. He talked to us a little and told us that he was a graduate of Lake Shore in the year
of 1989! Soon, the doctors stuck a needle into his neck and moved it around with an ultrasound
tech machine. I can tell it was very painful because the patients feet was curling up a lot while
they were injecting some sort of liquid inside his neck (it was supposedly supposed to go into the
arm). We felt a little uncomfortable seeing the pain. Luckily, it ended on time that we could step
out. That was the end of our shadowing journey for that day.
On a scale of 1-10, I would rate my visit today a 7 because the hospital was very unorganized
about where we are supposed to go and who we were supposed to shadow. There were not very
much activities for me and Allison to do. We mainly, stood around a lot. I really liked the nerve
blockage, though. That was very interesting to watch ( how they inject and how the ultrasound
tech worked).
Today, I learned a lot more about how pre op and post op worked and how nerve blockages
worked. I learned a lot about discharge and how to care for patients preparing for discharge. I
also learned how an ultrasound tech machine worked and what certain materials are used for in
surgery. I got to learn a lot from this experience and I hope to come back soon.

Jannie Duong
 Duong 2

November 7, 2016
Job Shadowing Journal/ Reflection
Radiology
Job Shadowing Journal 2
Today, at Beaumont Hospital of Grosse Pointe, I job shadowed many people. At first, I
went into the radiology section and the person said that they were not busy so they did not have
anything to really show me. So, I stood around for about thirty minutes. Like I said before, the
hospital is very unorganized and there is usually not much to do since Monday mornings are not
that busy. But, after awhile of waiting, students who are also job shadowing from Baker College,
showed me around. They let me touch the x-ray machines and showed me how to use them
through hands, a computer, and a kassette. They also showed me how to do a moving x-ray
which I forgot what it is specifically called. But, Vang, the person I was job shadowing, said that
the patient drinks this sort of fluid that allows the machine to x-ray any part of the body,
specifically the throat, to see what is blocking what and see how the process flows throughout
the body. Afterwards, he talked about the anatomy and told me more about the PA, AP, and
laterals (front and back views and sides). Not only did I meet Vang, I also met Chris, Natalie and
West. They both told me more about the section and college. After that, the radiology section had
nothing else for me to do. So, I followed Dan. He transport patients. I learned how to push the
patient beds and to be honest, it was very heavy. After the both of us pushed them downstairs, he
took me to the MRI. There was also nothing to do there so, we talked to the people who worked
there. They told us stories about how working at the MRI was good but also, bad. Then, I was
supposed to go see some nuclear medicine but, there was a change in plans so, I could not see
what that was. Dan told me that it was just shots with radioactive substances injected into a
patient. After all of this, I went back into the radiology room to talk to Vang some more about
college, associates, and careers. Then, it was already 9:50 and I had to leave.
On a scale of 1-10 (1=bad and 10= good), my job shadowing today was probably a 7. It was
definitely better than the last time I went. I liked this one better because I got to do so much more
today than last time. It was also very interesting looking at the different fields instead of just one
section. I am so happy I actually got to do something this time instead of just watching. But next
time, the hospital should be a bit more organized and show us what we should be doing because
usually I just stand around for an hour until they think of something to do/ show us. Also, I was
very disappointed that the bus came in late. Other than that, the job shadow was so much better
today and I learned so much more hands on activities than before. Today was the best job
shadowing I have ever went to so far. And I hope next time I can do more hands on activities.

Jannie Duong
November 21, 2016
 Duong 3

Job Shadowing Journal/ Reflection

Dietary
Job Shadowing Journal 3
Today, at Beaumont Hospital of Grosse Pointe, I worked in the dietary section and I job
shadowed a worker named Melinda. I felt like the hospital is a lot more organized than before
because they actually had something for us to do today. Usually, Monday mornings are not busy
but, I still got to learn more hands on activities this time.
In the dietary section, I learned how to order food, write down the order, put the foods on
a tray, and put goods in bags. For about an hour and a half, I bagged cookies, rolls, and danishes
into bags. She told me that I have to change my gloves for every time I put a different food or
flavor into a bag because I did not want to cause any allergies. Next, I helped put ice into cups
and closed them with lids. I did not know the purpose of this and I did not want to ask because
they were all busy with the breakfast orders. After bagging so many food and ice, I went over to
help with the tray lines. They taught me how to prepare the food, where to put it, how to work
some of the machines, how to check for accuracy, and where to put the trays when completed. I
helped them accomplish so many things they would have done that, they ran out of things for me
to do. I was done at 9:30AM so, I was done fifteen minutes early. The ladies in the dietary
section gave me some cookies and a drink at the end. After that, I thanked them and I left. If I
had to rate my shadow today, it would have to be a 9/10. I would rate it this because I love doing
more hands-on activities than sitting and observing. I look forward to working in this section
again.
This will benefit me in the future because some of these sections I am currently exploring
could help me with the section I will be exploring myself in the future. It is still related to the
medical field, so I think it will benefit.

Jannie Duong
December 6, 2016
Job Shadowing Journal 4
 Duong 4

Critical Care Step Down Unit

Today I job shadowed at the critical care stepdown unit. I job shadowed a female doctor
named Reem. Basically, the beginning was slow like any other day. Ashley (my partner) and I
waited for about thirty minutes until they found something for us to do. Like usual, they are not
prepared and we usually just stand around. After a couple minutes of waiting, Ashley and I was
split up. I followed Reem and she first showed me the electrocardiogram and how to read it. She
showed me both on paper and on the computer screen. I learned how to know when there is a
clogging in the heart and when the heartbeat is normal. I also got to greet patients and gather
their needs. For example, grabbing water and menus. Another activity I got to see, was
injections. I got to see how injections work and where to place them. In relating to this, I learned
about dosing and adding information onto the computer.
If I had to rate my experience from this job shadowing on a scale from 1-10, I would rate it a 7. I
just think that the hospital should be more prepared and know that we are coming so that they
can prepare some activities that we can learn. Other than that, I really enjoyed learning hands on
activities and being able to greet the patients. They were all very nice and welcoming. In
addition, I also really enjoyed serving the patients needs. I feel grateful that I was able to help
someone that was in need at the right time.

Jannie Duong
December 19, 2016
Lab (Blood)
Job Shadowing Reflection
 Duong 5

Today was so much better than the weeks before. It was so much more organized and
they were actually ready for us to learn. Even if it is slow, they were prepared on showing me
and my partner around and they knew exactly what they were doing.
Basically, today, all I did was watch how they used the instruments to read/ analyze blood to see
what kind of diseases the patient has or if there is a clot in their blood. I job shadowed many
people today. Their names are Jennifer, Kim, Kathy, and Mike.
First, I went with Kathy to see how the instruments work. I also got to see what the machine
works and why they use certain methods to make sure the readings are accurate. To see if its
accurate, you have two machines, one old and one new. You test it on both to see if its accurate.
I also learned how to clean it and when to clean it to make sure it is always accurate. She mainly
said they are supposed to check in it every 8 to 24 hours to make sure the readings are correct
and to make sure there is nothing wrong with the machine.
Next, I went with Jennifer. All I did was look into the microscope and spot different types of
blood cells and how they form, etc. I also got to see what diseased/ infected blood looked like vs
original blood.
After that, I went with Mike to see blood and some things they mix the blood with. I also got to
see donated blood and where some items are stored.
Lastly, Kim just showed us body parts. For example, she showed us some blood samples and a
real kidney. She also showed me more blood samples in the microscope.
Overall, I was not so interested in this section but, it was still fun. I learned a lot more about
blood and how to check and analyze it. I am also happier because the hospital was so much more
organized this time. If I got to rate my job shadow on a scale of 1 - 10 (1 = bad , 10 = good), I
would rate it a 7 because I was not so interested in this section but I still learned a lot and still
had a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the fact that it was organized. Even if it was slow, it was so
much more organized so I liked it alot. This experience certainly did improve since the last time I
have visited.

Jannie Duong
3/6/17
Infusion Services
 Duong 6

On March 6, 2017, I job shadowed at Beaumont Medical Center in the infusion services area.
They were not ready and did not know I was coming to shadow. I waited in the lobby for about
fifteen minutes before they called me into shadow. The two nurses I was interning was named
Holly and Tammy. They were taking care of a client named Don. Don had no feeling on his right
hand. That morning, I watched the client get shots on his arm and watch how IV infusion works.
Basically, there is this machine and it drags the liquid or medicine from a bottle and into your
skin through a needle and pipes. He has to get the amount of dosage pumped every fifteen
minutes and every fifteen minutes the nurses would have to take his vital signs. So, I also learned
how to take vital signs. The nurses told me that the medicine going into his arm was supposed to
help him get his arm to work again, but I did not get much information about this. Basically for
two hours, I sat there talking to Don about his past and listened to his short stories about his life.
I did not learn much job shadowing today. Other than that, I really like the setting of this medical
center because the place is really nice and clean. The nurses and patients were also really nice
and caring. I would most definitely would like to come back to job shadow here again if I could
get the chance. This experience was probably by far the best out of all of my shadows because it
was really nice getting to talk to patients and hear about their stories. Most of them are really
nice.
This will benefit me in the future because this session helped me step out of my comfort
zone and made me talk to more people. It helped me explore what it is like to open up and it
taught me how to talk to patients. It is difficult for me to open up and speak but this section
definitely helped me more at opening up and talking to patients and other nurses. This will
benefit me because I need communication skills in everything to help me get through with life.
Even if it is just asking questions, asking for help, and just talking, communicating is one of the
qualities every nurses or doctors need in order to successfully run a clinic or hospital.

Jannie Duong
3/20/17
Cardiovascular / Pulmonary Stress Lab
Today, at Beaumont Hospital, I worked in the Cardiovascular / Pulmonary Stress Lab. I was very
disappointed at this shadow because I did completely nothing. Most of the nurses were out due to
 Duong 7

the flu. So, there were not many workers and they were very busy and stressed out. We arrived at
7:30 A.M. but we just sat in their break room until the shadow was over. Basically, all I got to see
was a person walking and running on a treadmill. After this, the nurses recorded his heart rate
and did a ultrasound on his heart. The nurses were too busy doing their job that they did not
notice I was there. They did not teach me anything, they did not show me anything, and they did
not pay attention the student shadower (me) at all. I was very disappointed because I did not get
to learn anything today, neither did I get to do any hands on activities. Hopefully next time, the
hospital would be more prepared of the student shadowers coming and will teach or show us
something about that field. Overall, I just sat there for two hours doing nothing because they
were not prepared. I would rate this shadow a 1 out of 10 because I did not do anything, I did not
learn anything, and I just sat there when I could have been doing something more productive and
useful with my time.

Jannie Duong
4/17/17
Nursing
Job Shadow Journal
Today was a more productive day at Beaumont Hospital of Grosse Pointe. I job
shadowed a nurse named Jody. Today, I learned about what a nurse does. She taught me how to
 Duong 8

greet patients, check in patients, serve the patients needs, discharge, and dosages. She showed
me a proper and professional way of greeting them by knocking on the door, greeting herself,
then did her check up. In addition, she taught me what to look for before giving the patients their
medication. She told me that I have to double check the dates, the dosages, and the right patient.
This ties back into what I learned in medical. Both taught me to double check everything at least
three times. While doing this, she also showed me ways on what I am supposed to do before I
greet and check up on them. I have to check for the appropriate P.P.E. before I enter the room and
I have to check what I need to examine.
Todays job shadow was very interesting and productive. I would rate this visit a eight out
of ten because I got to learn so much more this time. This visit was not just about sitting around,
observing, and not doing anything. This visit taught me so much more new information about
nursing, I actually got to talk to the patients, and I learned more about what it is like to be a
hospital setting.
I would have to say nursing is a pretty interesting field and I would most definitely like to
come back to this job shadow site. This field also made me more interested in nursing and I
would love to try this out as a career in the future.
This will benefit me in the future because it taught me to communicate and it showed me
different things a nurse would do. Since I am interested in nursing, this will benefit me because I
will now know a little more of what it feels like to be a nurse, what they do, and how they do
things.

Jannie Duong
5/1/17
Job Shadow Journal
Interventional Heart and Vascular

Today at Beaumont Hospital of Grosse Pointe, I was job shadowing in the interventional
heart and vascular section with a doctor named Sam. My partner and I actually got to see an x-
 Duong 9

ray and we got to see the heart. We saw a tube with a video recorder get injected into the
patients arm. The tube could not reach the heart to check the arteries for clogs so, they injected
the tube into the groan. Once the tube was in, we could see the heart pumping through the
computers, which was connected to the camera. The nurses were taking pictures of the veins and
arteries and everything the doctor needed to know about what is going on with the heart. Turns
out the patient had two clogged arteries. We could not see the unclogging because of the blood
and other disturbing scenes. The nurses and doctors said that we were very lucky because usually
they would have had nothing planned out for our job shadowing. But, since there was a patient
there in relating to our job shadowing topic, they allowed us to watch and learn more about being
a heart surgeon. Overall, the experience was pretty good because we actually got to see more
action and learn a lot more about the heart. What I did not like about this session was how we
had to stand there for a long time while the doctors were finding the heart. I understand that
being a surgeon you have to stand for long periods of times but we were just job shadowing so, a
chair would have been nice. The room was very cold and having to stand there for long periods
of time made my legs very tired and the cold made it difficult to concentrate. I really liked how
we got to see more going on and I really liked how the nurses actually put in the time to teach
what we needed to know. This section was very interesting and I would recommend this to other
students. I would rate this visit a eight out of ten because it was very interesting and I actually
got to see what it is like to be an actual heat surgeon. I actually got to see the setting and what it
feels like to take care of a patient. I also got to learn different skills, what they do specifically,
and see the heart and see which part is which from the computer. This was a very good
experience and I would like to do something in relating to this section again.

Jannie Duong

Lake Shore High School

Medical II Student / Shadower

March 6, 2017
 Duong 10

Ms. Holly and Tammy

Infusion Services

21400 11 Mile Rd

St. Clair Shores 48081

Dear Ms. Holly and Tammy,

Thank you for inviting me to experience this wonderful opportunity to job shadow on March 6th of 2017 at Beaumont

Medical Center in the infusion services center. Thank you for taking the time to allow me to follow you and gain more knowledge

on the infusion services.

I find that this center was a very educational experience. I would most definitely like to come back again for another

chance to shadow your facility. Being able to communicate with one of the patient at the center that morning was very nice. I

thought it was very wonderful to have the opportunity to talk to the patient and listen to his past and his condition. I also enjoyed

meeting some of the staff and other nurses.

Once again, I really appreciate your time and patience to allow me to have this educational experience. I would also

like to thank you Mr. Don, I believe, for allowing me to observe his check up. I would love to job shadow at this center again in

the future if given the chance.

Sincerely,

Jannie Duong

Medical Interview Questions

Deborah Spellicy, Medical Careers Teacher
1 Could you describe one of your typical workdays?
A typical day in health care for me is taking care of numerous patients, preparing
lab work for patients of that day or future days, sterilizing instruments and equipment and
checking supply levels for my ordering that is done on Friday.
2 What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?
I am a certified dental assistant (and a certified teacher). The 20 years of
experience working with patients helps me to cut to the chase with patients and keep on
 Duong 11

schedule. If patients have a problem, I can usually navigate through issues fast and keep
patients happy.
3 What parts of your job do you find most challenging?
The most challenging part of my job is to deal with the changes with insurance
for patients and what treatment is covered and what is not. Also working with younger
health care workers who may not have the same work ethic that I have.
4 What do you find most enjoyable?
Most enjoyable, always, direct patient care. I love working with patients (and
students).
5 How many hours do you work in a typical week?
Typically I work 45-50 hours.
6 Is this field growing enough so that theres room for someone like me?
Health care is growing faster than people can be trained. There will always be
sick people who need help and those who need medical care.
7 How frequently do layoffs occur? How does it affect employees morale?
Lay offs dont occur very frequently in health care. However often there are
people who get fired for not following protocols. Usually people understand and
appreciate when people are let go if they do not measure up or follow protocols.
8 Why do people leave this field or company?
People do leave this field and in my opinion, they are to find higher salaries or to
change careers. The grass is always greener theory definitely applies.
9 Who are the most important people in the industry today?
The most important people are the doctors, the hospital/clinic administration, the
researchers who come up with better treatment options.
10 Are there opportunities for self-employment in your field? Where?
In my area, I must work under the supervision of a dentist, so no, I would not do
patient care as self employed. However, I have done self employment in training other
dental personnel.
11 What would be a reasonable salary range to expect if I entered this field? What is the long-
term potential?
Most incoming dental assistants would begin at approximately $15/hour. With
good skills and longevity you can earn up to $30/hour for office managers or trainers.
12 What is the advancement potential in the field? What is a typical path?
Advancement usually goes in different areasclinically or business. It is
predominately with experience/years of service.
13 How did you get your job?
I got my first job from answering an ad in the newspaper. My current job as a
teacher however, was from my being a trainer and getting to know many people in the
dental community. When an opening was there, people called me.
In other jobs, I moved up by doing a good job, being a team player and problem solver.
14 If you could start all over again, would you change your career path in any way? Why?
If I started all over again, I would have gone to Dental School and become a
dentist. When I graduated from high school my counselors never even thought to send a
female to dental school, but that gradually changed.
15 What educational preparation would you recommend for someone who wants to advance in
this field?
 Duong 12

The sciences are very important in health education. So concentrate, give your
classes your all to keep a high grade point average because getting into
medical/nursing/dental schools are all very competitive.
I also suggest doing as much community service in health care situations and job
shadowing as often as possible and keeping track of the hours spent.
16 What qualifications do you seek in a new hire?
I look for someone with the appropriate license, a good track record who gets
along with others and has compassion for their patients.
17 How do most people enter this profession?
Often people enter the profession by someone they know who is in it.
18 Can you recommend any courses I should take before proceeding further with my job
search?
Science classes, Career classes, joining HOSA and competing.
19 Would the work involve any lifestyle changes, such as frequent travel or late-night business
entertaining?
The work may include longer shifts like 10 hour days 4 times per week. Some
offices/hospitals require that you serve on call for emergencies on your off time.
20 Considering all the people youve met in your field, what personal attributes are essential for
success?
Successful traits are: intelligence, compassion, hard working and being a team player.