The ballad of the lonely educator

[audreysmagic, RN]

So I was supposed to have an inservice, like...15 minutes ago...but no one's showed up. This isn't exactly the first time I've been stood up, and it's one of multiple sessions, but...still. I have to be here because someone will claim they showed up and no one was there if I go...but there are about 50 other things I could be spending this hour doing.

(Historically, it's been like pulling teeth to get people to come, even though they SAY they enjoy my presentations...thus far, my suggestion of using the old mechanical restraints to get the staff to come have been promptly veto'd.)

So, I present to you, In This Room (The Ballad of the Lonely Educator), to be sung to the tune of the old Beach Boys hit, In My Room

In this room, I sit alone, me and my laptop, too
In this room, in this room, in this room, in this room
In this room I was to teach some staff a thing or two
In my room, in my room, in my room, in my room

Do some browsing and some grousing
Stare at the door and pray
Do some eye-rolling and cajoling
Dream of my off days…

Now it's ten minutes past the start but
I’m not even mad
(Yes, I am), (Yes, I am), (Yes, I am), (Yes, I am)

I could do something more productive
But I’m stuck right here
‘Cause there’s a session after this one
Won’t someone come hear?

The lights are bright; it’s cold in here, but
I’ll just browse AN…
In this room, in this room, in this room, in this room…

[Davey Do]

You have my admiration, Audrey Smagic, dealing with your feelings through humorous expression.

For this moment, you personify a trait in myself for which I am pleased.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I feel for you, and I'm giggling along with your song. It's like the reverse of college, right? No students for 15 minutes so you can go?

[RNperdiem, RN]

Maybe that is why inservices (at least short ones usually involving new equipment) tend to involve getting cornered at work, gathered together with a small group of staff and getting quickly inserviced before being released to get back to patient care. I think of it as a "catch and release" inservice.

[JKL33]

Arrange with the manager to have the times covered with the appropriate staff numbers needed for people to attend.

Solved on AN.

[What?! That isn't going to happen, you say??]

??‍♀️

[audreysmagic, RN]

9 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Arrange with the manager to have the times covered with the appropriate staff numbers needed for people to attend.

Solved on AN.

[What?! That isn't going to happen, you say??]

??‍♀️

Gasp! A common-sense solution that will never work as planned in real-life? Heresy, I say.

I actually get around that (a bit, not much) by offering the in-service at 3 different times, which are scheduled to be right before a shift or right after it. And we have 8-hour shifts at my facility.

I'm seriously considering changing my name to "Nobody," though, because an awful lot of people claim "Nobody told me," when, in fact, I did...multiple times... ?

[audreysmagic, RN]

22 hours ago, RNperdiem said:

Maybe that is why inservices (at least short ones usually involving new equipment) tend to involve getting cornered at work, gathered together with a small group of staff and getting quickly inserviced before being released to get back to patient care. I think of it as a "catch and release" inservice.

I'm a fan of the "catch and release" program, myself, with shorter/less complex things...to the point where one nurse saw me step off the elevator and said, "This better not be another dang inservice." (Shockingly, I do other things in this facility, too. ;))

[katherinebrewer7]

It's frustrating, isn't it.

[audreysmagic, RN]

UGH...so, venting time.

Came in to do another session of this in-service, on my day off...my plan was to do it and go home (then come back for my afternoon sessions, as I don't live far). Apparently, someone figured since I'd be here anyway, they'd put me down to cover the open RN Supervisor slot. I probably would have done it, honestly, if they'd asked me...but no one ASKED. It's not the having to stay here so much (as annoying as that is, because I did have lunch plans) as the assumption that I'd just do it so no big deal...

[Daisy4RN]

5 hours ago, audreysmagic said:

UGH...so, venting time.

Came in to do another session of this in-service, on my day off...my plan was to do it and go home (then come back for my afternoon sessions, as I don't live far). Apparently, someone figured since I'd be here anyway, they'd put me down to cover the open RN Supervisor slot. I probably would have done it, honestly, if they'd asked me...but no one ASKED. It's not the having to stay here so much (as annoying as that is, because I did have lunch plans) as the assumption that I'd just do it so no big deal...

Very frustrating indeed!! I hope they are at least paying you well for your time (although I am afraid I probably already know the answer to that).

I like your new lyrics to the song!!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

5 hours ago, audreysmagic said:

UGH...so, venting time.

Came in to do another session of this in-service, on my day off...my plan was to do it and go home (then come back for my afternoon sessions, as I don't live far). Apparently, someone figured since I'd be here anyway, they'd put me down to cover the open RN Supervisor slot. I probably would have done it, honestly, if they'd asked me...but no one ASKED. It's not the having to stay here so much (as annoying as that is, because I did have lunch plans) as the assumption that I'd just do it so no big deal...

Ummmmmmmm... NO. That is not appropriate at all.