Advice to New Interns

• Talk to new people, introduce yourself
  
• Although meeting new people is always difficult, especially when they are your superiors, it makes the internship more interactive if you get to know the people you are working with right away. They are more likely to ask you to help them if they know your first name.
• If you are unsure, ask!
• No matter what the subject, if you are unsure about some aspect of the internship you need to ask a question about it. Your supervisor wouldn't be hosting an intern if they didn't want to teach you. For example, in the cardiac room where the procedures take place I would get to watch everything, however in the beginning I had no idea what was going on. I asked my supervisor to explain something, and once the other people in the room knew I was interested in learning I was flooded with information from many sources (the nurses, the techs, even the doctor).
• Always respect the patients' privacy and the nurses orders
• Be aware that you are working in a hospital. There is always the chance that something serious will happen, and if you don't react to orders right away you could cause a problem. Also, remember that some patients may not be comfortable with you watching their procedure. Be sure to not be in their face, but rather to stand back and give them space.
• Listen to everything
• Even if the doctor is not addressing you personally the information he is saying can provide an insight into the goings-on with the patient. Also, when something is being explained to you be sure that you catch as much of the meaning as possible - the explainer most likely doesn't have time to repeat it all over, and if you listen you are more likely to come up with good questions to ask.
  
• Be helpful and responsible
• These are general tips that apply to all internships; if you are asked to do something, do it, no matter who asked. If you say that you will arrive at noon, be there at 11:55 so you have time to settle in and you can be ready to work by noon. Just in general, do things that will let people trust you. With more trust comes more opportunities to do important tasks.
• Have fun
• Self-explanatory, don't ya think?