adjusting back to blue side

[DOC_Newt]

I just finished with a three year tour with Division and now i'm at my second hospital command andI am finding it hard to adjust. The main reason is with the Marines I did everything as far thier medical care went, plus I lead 6 junior HMs, now I sit behind a desk all day just trying to make up things to do.Also every timeI see a junior HM with little or no respect for senior personelI just want to snatch him or her up and fix them on the spot, but that's not the way to do it at a hospital, does anyone else see it my way?

HM3 (FMF) Newton

[puckmedic]

A very quiet one on one with you doing all the talking works wonders. If it doesn't slap it on paper. Have it ready and waiting, then tell the offending youngster that based on their response to you determines the out come of where that paper goes.



I got the same crap o la from the hospital in Guam when I was trying to set some one straight, so I resorted to the above tactic. It worked so much better.

[crazycajun]

HM3 Newton,

I'd have to agree with you on the adjustment back to the hospital. FMF side the house you get to do so much more medical care than allowed. Just remember that shore duty (if you want to call it that now) is meant to give you down time to recover from your deployments. With that said, you should attempt to find collateral duties to get involved with, PFA Coordinator for you department, volunteer to be part of the Navy Ball Committee, etc. If not already enrolled, get your but in school and get educated. Remember Big Navy wants you educated.

As far as mentoring your junior Sailors, couseling on paper is a good way to do it, it sets a track record for if they do not change their way of behavior. Though remember that you can also use couseling for postitive re-enforcement also. As you already know, they are not Marines that you are dealing with so you'll have to change tactics on them.

Hope this helps.

Semper Fi,

cracycajun

[DOC_Newt]

The only problem with your suggestion is that they are not my Sailors they have there own LPO and ALPO, and I don't want to step on their toes or tell them how to lead their Sailors, even if they are all F'ed up. If I had junior Sailors they would be good to go, but I don't have that option being the personal assistant to the Master Chief over seeing branch clinics many 2 hours away or more. The only way I know to do it is by example when we do clinic visits.

HM3(FMF) Newton

[Da-Chief]

PER the MCPON's GUIDANCE..

If you see someone screwed up.. FIX them, Don't wait, it is "YOUR" job to hadle it even if they belong to someone else, then tell them (THE LPO etc..) To pull their respective HEADS out of their asses..

;-)

Da-Chief.

[hm1park]

I feel your pain brother,

I left 2D MAR DIV for a tour at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, FL. Great times there, yet I found myself like you, angry at people constantly, at least in my first 6 months there due to how people just are "so screwed up" ,"their uniforms are jacked", etc, etc. Our naval regulations are with us no matter where we are, but the MARDIV mentality doesn't fit in well with a Naval Hospital no matter how much of a tough guy it made us feel then, hanging with the guys yelling motivational words such as Oorah, Errr, charge, KILL, and WTFyou $%^&#@

I say the easiest way to deal with this is match your style to your environment. When a guy walks past you unshaven, or disrespectful, etc. Take on a more P/C approach. No spouse of an active duty member wants to see one of the hospital staff being sidelined in the hallway of our hospitals for an ass chewing. Rather than "COME HERE SHIPMATE!! YOU'RE JACKED UP!!" Try, "Excuse me HN Smith, could I speak with you for a minute? Your personal appearance is ..... please take care of that now." I would make the effort to find their LPO and casually mention it to them, not as a big deal, but as a courtesy so they can follow up and ensure their personnel adhere to the high standards of our corps. Noone likes someone telling them how to run their shop, but these are opportunities we can use to build bridges with others who can support each other in many other ways. Belive me, you needgood networking when dealing with branch clinics.

You should never have to raise your voice to another shipmate in this climate. Over time I'veformed the opinion thatthe best way to deal with problematic behaviour is talking with people, letting them know your expectations, follow up, and documentation.Creating a paper trailcan work in your favor for repeated violations or for outright UCMJ violations, but try to use your charm, wit, and leadership skills to guide and teach your shipmates as opposed to squashing them with USMC style ass chewings. Always criticize in private and praise in public.

My two cents

[popsie]

Lot's of good advise. I've been out for a while, but I remember when I went from the green side to the Seabees. Talk about culture shock. I was looking for a green side billet to go to. However, I stuck it out. Learned to lead by example. Even now on the civilian side. We have our share of knuckle heads. I take the approach to school not scold. However, I am always looking for new placs to hide the bodies. From being a corpsman I've learned always have a plan B or C. Adapt and Conquer.

[olddoc1]

One of the things the Navy needs to do is provide some method for HM'S to be recognized by the civilian medical establishment. Our training is different, but just as effective. What a waste of training to put a field HM in a hospital setting with little or no hands on duties. Licensure and certification have a place in the medical field, but should not exclude those whose training was non conventional. A shortcut route to RN, medical school, one of the ancillary specialties such as pharmacy, lab and xray should be made available to the HM who wants to continue in the medical field. Ive talked to so many retired HM's, medics and techs who just gave up his/her medical training and went into some other civilian field because the civilian medical community wanted him to repeat the training he already had. Who would you want in a national disaster such as Katrina, a RN with no other training or a RN/MD with HM training who can treat the patient, protect the patient from theenviornment in any environment?Someone who has training in hygeine, prevenative medicine, medical improvisation, minor surgery, life support and the list goes on, can be so much more efficient and effective in mass medical field problems. We need to build a ReserveNational Medical Emergency Response Team where everyone has a place. Thanks for your service, you should know that you are the heroes of your generation. John

[combatdoc]

Hey Newt OOHH-Rah

Won't they let you stay in FMF, that's what I did? I hated the outside. Wasn't so much a respect thing, just felt like I was actually doing something with the Fleet.But that was a few years back. Well, okay, maybe more than a few.

Doc Cottrell

Koh Tang

15May75

[DOC_Newt]

Hey, combatdoc I thought about staying Green side but decided not to I needed some down time to pick up rank and deploying and being in the field every other week was not the way to go about it, plus it was time to come home for awhile and see the family and friends more than once a year. Not to mention the Navy has this Sea Shore rotation and I'm trying to follow that. But yeah I'm finally getting use to this Blue side thing again, just in time to be MAPed to a Green side unit go figure.