After 22 years away from the bedside, I'm gonna be on my own for the very first time this coming Thursday. My job to work off my narcotic restriction is a busy med-surg floor, then 6 mos beyond to complete IPN on/or around 7/27/2020. When I envisioned what it would be like, I expected the patient care to be the most overwhelming aspect. It is, somewhat. But, I just keep my body where my head is and move forward. It's work. Lots of things have changed, but a patient is still a patient. I like the work.
What I had not expected was that my new coworkers would be the biggest barrier to success. Not all of them, but the two mainly responsible for my progress. Through out this entire, long and painful process I have managed to keep a little light burning within. Times during orientation I've been slower, or 'behind,' but I was working and I felt stressed but happy. Perhaps it was my own fault for asking, but being the human that I am, I was looking for reassurances or maybe an 'atta girl.' I'd ask, 'how am I doing?' And I'd get a resounding, "terrible! You're behind, you need to hurry up, etc!" Well, I did ask.
The thing is, I didn't feel terrible. To me, my attitude is directly related to whether or not I'm having a 'bad' day. Regardless of if I'm behind, I don't feel terrible. Perhaps, it's naive of me. Maybe I should be a nervous wreck... but, I'm not. I'm happy! I was getting no 'real time' critique about things I could be doing to improve time management. I'd get report and I was just left flat, to my own devices. Sink or swim, and sometimes I sank. No patients were harmed in the process and I was blissfully unaware that I was 'awful.' So, today I aked if I could come off of orientation? The answer was, 'yes!' And I couldn't be happier!
Just to be able to feel my own feelings about how my day is going is a gift! Maybe I suck, but I don't know it until I am told. So, I'm not asking anybody anymore.
I plan on having a great day! I hope you do too.
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Hey all,
I've made it through orientation.
After 22 years away from the bedside, I'm gonna be on my own for the very first time this coming Thursday. My job to work off my narcotic restriction is a busy med-surg floor, then 6 mos beyond to complete IPN on/or around 7/27/2020. When I envisioned what it would be like, I expected the patient care to be the most overwhelming aspect. It is, somewhat. But, I just keep my body where my head is and move forward. It's work. Lots of things have changed, but a patient is still a patient. I like the work.
What I had not expected was that my new coworkers would be the biggest barrier to success. Not all of them, but the two mainly responsible for my progress. Through out this entire, long and painful process I have managed to keep a little light burning within. Times during orientation I've been slower, or 'behind,' but I was working and I felt stressed but happy. Perhaps it was my own fault for asking, but being the human that I am, I was looking for reassurances or maybe an 'atta girl.' I'd ask, 'how am I doing?' And I'd get a resounding, "terrible! You're behind, you need to hurry up, etc!" Well, I did ask.
The thing is, I didn't feel terrible. To me, my attitude is directly related to whether or not I'm having a 'bad' day. Regardless of if I'm behind, I don't feel terrible. Perhaps, it's naive of me. Maybe I should be a nervous wreck... but, I'm not. I'm happy! I was getting no 'real time' critique about things I could be doing to improve time management. I'd get report and I was just left flat, to my own devices. Sink or swim, and sometimes I sank. No patients were harmed in the process and I was blissfully unaware that I was 'awful.' So, today I aked if I could come off of orientation? The answer was, 'yes!' And I couldn't be happier!
Just to be able to feel my own feelings about how my day is going is a gift! Maybe I suck, but I don't know it until I am told. So, I'm not asking anybody anymore.
I plan on having a great day! I hope you do too.