Work, Work, More Work

It's amazing how much less time I have to blog and endlessly search every corner of the internet, much less to read anyone else's blogs (sorry in advance), now that I have a big kid, 9 to 5 job. Go figure.

It's certainly been an adjustment. I'm trying to get a little more used to doing my chores little by little throughout the week, rather than save them all for the extra 2 days that I am used to having off. Although I miss having 2 extra days a week to myself, I don't miss the exhaustion that is unavoidably incurred in working a 12 hour shift (running around like a crazy person for 12 hours on six hours of sleep will do that to a person). It's also really weird for me to leave things unfinished at the end of the day. In the clinic setting, I have to remember that it's OK if I leave it for tomorrow... no one's going to die because of it (unlike in the ICU).

So work is coming along nicely. Little by little, I'm getting things figured out, but there is still a lot to learn. It's frustrating because I've often found myself sitting at my desk, knowing what needs to be done, but not knowing the right process for getting it done. And I'm not afraid to ask questions, but I often feel like I'm annoying people by constantly asking, asking, asking.

The good thing is that everyone I work with is very nice and has been very patient with me, especially the administrative staff (the ones I bug the most). And I did feel better about things at the end of last week, when one of them remarked that she knew I was doing a good job because she wasn't having patients call repetitively about the same things (which is what happens when things aren't getting taken care of properly).

So I've made progress, but still have a ways to go. And one thing is for sure, now I know why it takes doctor's office nurses so long to return phone calls.... there's an awful lot to do and not enough hours in the day (seems to be a common theme in my field).