CPE Reflection #1 - An orientation like no other
“An orientation like no other”
Mention to anyone that you’re doing a unit of CPE, and the entire discussion shifts to a place of remembrance. They’re immediately taken back to their own CPE experience, and most, if not all, describe it as “life changing, tremendously impactful, eye opening, awakening.” I’ve yet to meet someone who didn’t throw around profound adjectives as they tried to put this powerful experience into words. Many seem to struggle with choosing words that don’t minimize the impact that they’re trying to describe.
I arrived right on schedule and, given away by my bow tie, was greeted by Terri. We walked in together. The chapel space at Mercy was larger than I remembered. I had paid a visit before when my wife, Brittany, was having knee surgery. Off the chapel is an office with space for two or three people. Definitely not four. It reminded me a bit of the office off the chapel at the airport. The cramped feeling seems to be by design. A subtle reminder that the work is out with the staff and patients, not in the office.
My day had been mapped out quite nicely. A quick tour around the chapel and donation closet. A friendly hello to the cafeteria staff and some time with two team members. And, finally, a staff meeting and lunch with the larger team.
My first full hour was spent with Julie to learn about healing touch. This was a completely new topic for me. Julie was an excellent teacher. A former lab technician, she learned about healing touch while working in the lab and Atrium paid for her training. Julie explained the nuances of healing touch, including how it differs from massage therapy. As her lesson concluded, I quickly realized that his would be a fully experiential lesson. Before I knew it, my shoes were kicked off and I was lying on the table (which looks exactly like a massage table) preparing for a healing touch session. While I couldn’t verbalize any concerns or topics for healing, it took Julie mere seconds to tell me what was out of sync. Julie used various techniques. At times, she gently placed her hands on or slightly above my body to sense energy imbalances. She used slow, rhythmic hand movements near my body. Short of her signal that our session was complete, there was no pressure or massage involved. It was incredible. In addition to the benefits that Julie assured me of, my mind was clear. I had left behind the mental gymnastics that plagues my brain as I attempt to keep the various to-do lists of life together in my head. I was refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge. Little did I know what foreshadowing was taking place.
I spent the next hour with Michael, a music therapist. Michael is the only full time music therapist at Mercy, but has a rotation of music therapy students seeking hours for board certification. Michael and I headed to the fourth floor at the request of the charge nurse. This particular nurse is a big fan of music therapy and refers patients often. The patient she referred turned down her time with Michael, but an important lesson remained. “Sometimes, music therapy looks like getting someone a ginger ale,” he shared. After striking out a second time, we were met in the hallway by “Miss B.” She flagged down us from halfway up the hall. As we settled into the session (something I had only heard of, never experienced) we sang This Little Light of Mine. As we finished, Miss B turned and said “I want him (me) to sing by himself. How about Amazing Grace?” Never one to turn down the spotlight, I cautiously leapt into surprising activity number two of the day. Michael was kind enough to join me on the second verse, and by the time we got to “being there 10,000 years” we had a cute little harmony with the three of us.
I could have never guessed what this first day would be like, but it became quite clear to me why people have such a hard time putting words to their CPE experience. If just 10% of my time is like this first day, then I believe I, too, will struggle to find the right words to describe such a powerful experience.
