Week 3: The IT Detectives of BRHMC

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Week 3: The IT Detectives of BRHMC

    This week felt like going undercover as we conducted a hospital-wide hardware assessment. Though what most staff didn’t know was that this was all preparation for a new system rollout coming soon. With clipboards in hand, my teammate sir Erickson, and I became the unofficial IT detectives of BRHMC, visiting every ward and offices to evaluate computers, printers, and peripherals. It was equal parts fascinating and awkward when nurses would ask why we were checking their computer specs, and we’d have to give vague answers.

    The biggest surprise? Just how badly some departments were crammed for space. We found nurses’ stations where three people were sharing one ancient PC, admin offices with printers wedged between filing cabinets, and workstations where the monitor was practically hanging off the desk. One ward had a printer put so precariously on a stack of binders that I held my breath every time someone printed something. It was kind of funny in a "how is this even working?" kind of way, but also an eye-opening about the problems they face. You could clearly see which departments were struggling with way more demand than their current setup could handle.

    What made it especially interesting was seeing the contrast between departments. The ER had relatively decent equipment (probably because breakdowns there would be critical), while some back-office areas were running on computers so old they still had Windows 7 stickers. We took note of every outdated machine, every printer held together with tape, and every workstation where staff had to take turns using the computer. All this data is apparently going to help plan the new system deployment, though I’m not sure how they’ll solve the space issues. Some of these offices don’t have room for another keyboard, let alone a whole new setup.

    Between inspections, I got to play tech support for minor issues with the guidance of sir Erickson, which mostly involved restarting frozen computers or untangling the world’s most chaotic cables. By Friday, my feet were sore from all the walking, but I’d gained a whole new appreciation for how hospital IT has to work around physical limitations. Who knew that finding space for a printer could be just as challenging as configuring it? Next week, I’m secretly hoping we get to start deploying some of that new equipment, though unlikely, I'm staying optimistic!

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