Observation from a Career Coach
I took my 93-year-old Dad to get a blood test. We were greeted by a young man, Tom. He started to prepare and signed “thin veins”. He poked, poked, poked, and no blood came out.
He said, “I am getting Alex”. Alex was busy, so he came back with Kathy. She’s a bit older, maybe more experience. I felt a bit relaxed. She blew a vessel in the arm and decided to do a butterfly in his hand.
At this time, Alex came by. Kathy didn’t want to give up the butterfly moment, so she proceeded. Tom signaled Alex to wait, and he did. In no time, Kathy blew the hand vessel. She passed the work to Alex. Alex quickly got the blood from his arm in a few seconds.
As a career coach, I can’t stop thinking about –
- Tom is great at advocating for his patient for the best care and know when to ask for help. We need kind people like him.
- Kathy is over-confident. I would ask her to slow down and reflect on her learning.
- Alex is a young man with a gift and is supportive of his colleague. I would encourage him to think about what else he can do with his wonderful hands.
For me, learning is
- Don’t confuse age with experience and experience with skills.
- Always advocate for my people during medical care.