Holding hands

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
— Psalms 73:23-24

In kindergarten you learned that the safest way to cross the street was to: stop, look, listen and hold hands with the other person.

Hiking through the woods on a dark night you learned the safest way to navigate the tricky ground was to hold hands with the person who had the flashlight.

No matter the your age, education or profession, when you encountered something new, something different, something you weren’t sure of, something you were even afraid of, you found the best way through was to hold hands.

Literally or figuratively, you and I are called to hold hands with each other as we journey through life!
Right now you and your fellow associates, physician partners are encountering something new in the electronic medical record (iConnect) and clinical provider order entry (CPOE). Florida Hospital Carrollwood and Florida Hospital at Connerton went “live” yesterday and FH Tampa goes “live” in April!

In the midst of any change you find yourself going through the very predictable stages of:

• Disorientation – What was familiar is now different, stress can cause you to doubt your ability and skill, you might be embarrassed or even discouraged with the challenges of learning.
• Reorientation – Things become a bit more familiar after a couple of days. You recognize the landmarks and begin to get the routine. You feel a bit more confident and even can answer some questions your associates may ask you.
• New normal – The old has passed away, the new is now here and with it confidence in your ability to navigate and now explore what else the new system can do for you and your patient.

In the midst of all these stages, you need to hold hands. Take time to connect with those who know, value, support and encourage you! As the apostle Paul reminds us, particularly in the midst of challenging times:

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
— 1 Thess 5:11