Feeling thankful: 2 days off orientation and many more to come.
Last night was probably one of the best nights I've had at work. I've been off orientation for two days now (Saturday was my first official start day) and I know without a doubt that this is where I am meant to be! Throughout yesterday's shift, I had a few frustrating moments, but I just reminded the patients that I was there to help them in anyway that I could. I had 2 or 3 patients come up to me and say that I was nice, caring and had a good personality. One patient in particular who I never had much interaction with said he appreciated me for doing the little things that "most people wouldn't do." Listen. Sometimes we get frustrated and burned out with work because we let one bad or negative comment/person/situation ruin our day. It's like getting 6 positive things and 1 negative, but completely disregarding the 6 positive and fixating and focusing on the one negative. This is something I struggled with in my young adult life, and it's still a struggle. But yeah, yesterday I had some frustrating moments. But I was still smiling about those comments when I was driving home.
Then, at shift change, something else happened. I was with the 3rd shift nurse when I realized an error I made that messed up some of our very important meds count. We didn't know what to do, so I asked the nurse who I was working with (who was about to leave) what to do. She stayed behind, called the supervisor and we got the situation straightened out. Ya'll, I was kind of freaking out. But we got the situation resolved, and thank God for that because it could have been really bad and a lot worse than what I was making it out to be...because I do that. Smack. But everyone was so reassuring, saying things like "it happens" and "it'll be ok" and "we'll figure it out" and "it's nothing we can't handle." Then I ran into the supervisor on the way out and we talked a bit more. She told me that if I was going to make an error, it would be something like that one (I really am not at liberty to discuss what REALLY happened). We talked about it and I left for home feeling so relieved! I am just so happy, blessed and thankful that this is where I belong and I work beside such a wonderful team who has my back!
You know, when I was in school on my various clinical rotations, fortunately many times I had really great nurses that I worked with. Then other times, I sat in a corner, tried to ask questions and felt like I was an inconvenience. I felt like nobody wanted anything to do with me. It's an awful feeling! But since day 1 here, I have not felt anything like that! I don't feel afraid to ask questions, everyone is so willing to help me and are so friendly and willing to answer my stupid questions. I've never felt stupid or have never been given the infamous "well you should know this" response to ANYTHING I have asked. Yet I'm challenged to think of the answer instead of just giving it to me to shut me up. I'm happy that I'm not in the nursing workplace stigma where the other nurses, oh how does it go, "eat their young." In my field, we help people, but we help each other too. I think that's the way it should be.
Then, at shift change, something else happened. I was with the 3rd shift nurse when I realized an error I made that messed up some of our very important meds count. We didn't know what to do, so I asked the nurse who I was working with (who was about to leave) what to do. She stayed behind, called the supervisor and we got the situation straightened out. Ya'll, I was kind of freaking out. But we got the situation resolved, and thank God for that because it could have been really bad and a lot worse than what I was making it out to be...because I do that. Smack. But everyone was so reassuring, saying things like "it happens" and "it'll be ok" and "we'll figure it out" and "it's nothing we can't handle." Then I ran into the supervisor on the way out and we talked a bit more. She told me that if I was going to make an error, it would be something like that one (I really am not at liberty to discuss what REALLY happened). We talked about it and I left for home feeling so relieved! I am just so happy, blessed and thankful that this is where I belong and I work beside such a wonderful team who has my back!
You know, when I was in school on my various clinical rotations, fortunately many times I had really great nurses that I worked with. Then other times, I sat in a corner, tried to ask questions and felt like I was an inconvenience. I felt like nobody wanted anything to do with me. It's an awful feeling! But since day 1 here, I have not felt anything like that! I don't feel afraid to ask questions, everyone is so willing to help me and are so friendly and willing to answer my stupid questions. I've never felt stupid or have never been given the infamous "well you should know this" response to ANYTHING I have asked. Yet I'm challenged to think of the answer instead of just giving it to me to shut me up. I'm happy that I'm not in the nursing workplace stigma where the other nurses, oh how does it go, "eat their young." In my field, we help people, but we help each other too. I think that's the way it should be.
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