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my latest new job
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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my latest new job
Pleased
So here it is: another new job. Those who know me probably wonder just how stable I am if this is my third new job this year. Well, wonder no longer. I am perfectly stable...just a little indecisive about my life plan. I am still with S****** Hospital since 2001. If I follow Uncle Sam's plan for my retirement, I will still be working there when I am 71. I will retire from S***** when I am 72. Hopefully, I will have learned a few things along the way. Good night, nurse, I have 32 more years of education to come... I am still a baby!
Anyway, I have been working per diem since 2006, but with per diem scheduling I am afforded quite a bit of personal "down time". Not so good when I really need to earn a paycheck. So, my manager very graciously allowed me to come in a couple of times a week and do "busy work" for her - filing, faxing, you know where I am going - a real snoozer! Not that I didn't appreciate the hours, but they were still so sporatic that I never knew where my next paycheck was coming from.
Eventually, I accepted a part time position as Patient Liaison. Another great opportunity, with benefits, but as much as I love interacting with patients, it was a customer service position which is not where my talents lie. Who am I kidding? I know your five-hour wait seems outrageous, but the triage nurse has deemed you stable enough to wait here in this (lovely, comfortable...) waiting room until an exam room opens up for you. I will keep you updated on your status here (and bring you coffee, blankets, whatever creature comforts I can provide within reason...) in our (lovely, comfortable...) emergency room while you wait. What I really wanted to say is, "Yea, there really is a 5 hour wait, and since you are sitting here just waiting and waiting, you might consider this: the ER is jam-packed with patients who are every bit as "sick" as you are, and if you all would just go and visit your primary care doctor for this cold/cough/vomiting/diarrhea/back pain/toothache/whatever non-emergent condition-you-have, we might be able to treat the truly sick patients in a much more timely fashion..." Good thing I was only thinking these things. I found myself very frustrated in this position. I was able to keep most folks happy or content on a daily basis when the wait was long. It was the few that I could not resolve their frustration that really made it difficult. I did not enjoy the challenge. I could not "make a difference" to them, and it really wore me down.
My latest challenge (ie. position) is ED Tech. I am very much looking forward to direct patient care again. I haven't been hands-on with patients since I came to S*****, and interestingly enough, this is the job that I applied for back in 2001 but was offered Unit Secretary as there were no Tech positions open at the time. I almost turned the job down in 2001, because I felt that I had already done "as much secretarial work as I can" - it honestly, no longer interested me. The ED Manager at the time begged me to just come and observe for an hour or two, "Come see what it is like." he said.
I had no idea what the Unit Secretary did, obviously, because I did come and observe for a little while, just to humor him, and low-and-behold it was like nothing I had done before... and I was hooked! I accepted the position, and never looked back!
The Unit Secretary position is sort of a "coveted" position: no one leaves the job, unless they've graduated from nursing school, retired or died, so all this time I have been waiting for one of these scenarios to occur so that I could go back to an FTE. None have happened in the last nearly three years. I tired of waiting, and realized what I should be doing instead. And here I am: The first week of Tech orientation is over, I am precepting with an EMT on day shift (7a - 7p) and learning how to draw blood, apply splints and a whole laundry list of other things, and LOVING IT!! It feels really weird to be learning from a kid young enough to be my son, but feels so great to be doing something Ireally love. YAY!!
My true passion lies in Diagnostic Imaging, and I imagine that "someday" I will finish my degree in radiology. It is just down-right amazing to be able to see inside the human body by a minimally invasive technique (x-ray/contrasted CT/MRI). My hang up is whether or not I want to be part of the health care team, or part of the diagnostic team. Totally separate, and very, very different. I think I would miss the excitement of Emergency Medicine.
At this point in my life, I am in no hurry to decide, and certainly in no way ready to get back into classes -- Miss Kee is still so young, and I really can't see myself returning to school before she is in school full time. Heck, at the rate I am going, I will probably go to college with one of my kids!! Wouldn't that be a trip?!
Anyway, I will be on orientation for the next month, then back to working nights (7pm - 7am) just before the kids head back to school in the fall. I feel like I am finally getting my life back on track since my dad passed away... like I have been stuck in neutral all this time. Is that weird?
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This entry has 4 comments: (Add your own)
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It's not weird at all. I'm so glad you are getting back on track and are doing something you love. We spend so much time working, loving what we do is the only way to go! Martha :-)
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Very cool and no, not weird. At all.
JSista -
In my 25 plus years at Tacoma General I worked at 6 different jobs. One job I had was processing pharmacy refill requests from patients at this particular clinic. My favorites were the one who waited until 4pm on Friday to call in demanding a refill they'd been out of for 2 days. ("SMACK !!) I've know some who transfer every couple years. The more jobs, the more you learn. Linda (gosh it's hot here in T-town),http://journals.aol.com/lsfp1
960/LindasWorld/
7/24/08 8:46 PM
Lori
http://journals.aol.com/helms