Not alone!

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel. — Psalms 73:23-24

It is one thing to look forward to something new; to anticipate how much better things will be, or how happier you will be, or how nice it will be to have something reliable and safe. Whether your new beginning is a skill, relationship, car, job, house, or new town, dreaming about it and experiencing it are two different things
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Anticipating the new rarely takes into consideration all the work, the changes, the stress of learning new ways, developing new habits and becoming familiar with what before was only a dream. Somehow the dream of the new overshadows the reality of the change and that is probably a good thing otherwise you might never change!

Well here you are. “Next week” is now. Everything is new at Florida Hospital Tampa: 40+ systems like; iConnect, CPOE, billing, Surg-net, Lab, Pharmacy, Radiology, Scheduling, equipment, WOWs (workstations on wheels), bar-coded wrist bands and Pyxis meds dispensing…the list goes on.


It is exciting to experience change for some, yet for others not so; a bit of anxiety accompanies the journey. As one wise guy said: “I love change so much, I want you to go first!”

Sometimes in the midst of all new things you can lose touch with yourself! Expecting to be able to adapt, understand, navigate with the same competency and care you demonstrated with the old way only leads to frustration and discouragement … particularly when you try to do it all alone.

In the whirlwind of using the new system, surrounded by patient call lights, physician orders and med reconciliations you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed, even frustrated. You are probably not the only one to feel that way, but you will always feel that way if you try to do it all alone.

Remember you are not alone! You are part of an amazing team of professionals who have trained extensively, who have the same dream and commitment. You are surrounded by an army of AHS IS experts, over 150 who have come from the many different system hospitals to help you transition.

Let them know how you are doing, and experience to joy of being understood, accepted and supported. You do this every hour of every day for your patients; let someone do it for you now!

As you begin your new journey in patient care, realize that you are not alone. Indeed the Lord is watching over you, your teammates are beside you and your AHS family is here cheering you on!