The psych ward

Today kicked off the first day of my psychiatry rotation.  I get to spend the next four weeks learning to manage the myriad psychological issues that will afflict my future patients.  To say that I had a deer-in-the-headlights look all day would be an understatement.  It was both frightening to the core and a remarkable experience. 

Beginning the day, I took the road to the hospital with cheerful confidence.  It is a nice leisurely drive from where we're staying to the hospital.  For the most part, the area is quite beautiful - wide open fields, gently rolling hills with long shadows dashing across them early in the morning.  The nearer to the hospital you get, the more the trees close in and the last stretch of road is a mildly creepy meandering road through the woods.  As the trees thin the hospital jumps into view, looming three stories above you.  It looks exactly as a psychiatric hospital should - pale brown bricks, a flagpole standing tall at the front door, and long wings stretching to either side of the main entrance.  The whole picture is topped off by that which only nature can provide - a permeating chill cuts through me and the grass crunches as a fresh coat of frost gives way under my feet. 

The day went just fine - there were no issues with any of the patients at all.  In fact, I enjoyed getting to know a couple of them and putting their angst-ridden minds at ease a bit with a few soft words and a plan to help them.  But the entire ward was, just as the outside of the hospital, exactly what one would expect from an institution like this one.  The lights were down low (in fact only every other light fixture was on), each door requires opening with a key are re-locking after passing through.  The basement (which is used by the staff as the main mode of movement from one building to another) is a half-lit labrynth of hallways and corridors, offices and conference rooms.  I was lost instantly.  Simply leaving the hospital at the end of the day took me a full 15 minutes and I have a set of keys to the place. 

Overall, this will be a challenging rotation.  I did not thoroughly enjoy my first day which I usually do.  I mean to make the most of the time I will spend here, but I anticipate that it will be a bit difficult.  Only time will tell.