This song sums up my life right now... I'm working as hard as our furry friend in the video. Enjoy!
5.30.2011
5.29.2011
Balancing Act
Work is taking up an unhealthy portion of my waking hours despite my best efforts at finding balance.
Have you heard that sad song before???
If you said "yes" it's because this is typical of nurses - especially those of us with an extra dose of Type A in our genetic makeup.
As a staff nurse, I used to be able to leave work at work, with the exception of those nights that I was on call. Management is another story. Believe it or not, I actually packed up some projects and let them enter the sanctuary of my apartment. For the long weekend, no less!!!
Have I completely lost it?
I think the answer is Yes.
Fortunately, this will be remedied. Thankfully, I will be going on a long vacation soon! There will be NO ACCESS to e-mail, voicemail, or pager for a week and a half.
[cue audience: "ooooohhhhhhh..."]
Will I be able to handle it?
I am going to MAKE myself handle it! Next stop - REJUVENATION!
Have you heard that sad song before???
If you said "yes" it's because this is typical of nurses - especially those of us with an extra dose of Type A in our genetic makeup.
As a staff nurse, I used to be able to leave work at work, with the exception of those nights that I was on call. Management is another story. Believe it or not, I actually packed up some projects and let them enter the sanctuary of my apartment. For the long weekend, no less!!!
Have I completely lost it?
I think the answer is Yes.
Fortunately, this will be remedied. Thankfully, I will be going on a long vacation soon! There will be NO ACCESS to e-mail, voicemail, or pager for a week and a half.
[cue audience: "ooooohhhhhhh..."]
Will I be able to handle it?
I am going to MAKE myself handle it! Next stop - REJUVENATION!
5.15.2011
It's Tough Job, But...
If you peruse the job boards, there are a lot of openings for nurse managers and directors of nursing in surgery. After spending the last 10 months in my current position, I can understand why: this job is HARD. I'm not saying that it's a piece of cake being a staff nurse. The challenges are a bit different.
It wasn't too long ago that I was a staff nurse. I remember what it's like to run around trying to making sure you have the right equipment and instrumentation for a case, while the surgeon and anesthesiologist are breathing down your neck to get the patient in the room.
As an assistant clinical nurse manager, I make rounds and help the folks in my services get their day started. Throughout the day, I jump in when needed - running downstairs to the Sterile Processing Department to get instruments, troubleshooting machines when the circulating nurse can't figure it out, calming an angry surgeon, etc. In other words, I am trying to be the frontline leader that I wished I had in my past job.
Not only am I clinical, but I need to function at administrative level. There are meetings and conferences to attend, projects to coordinate, evaluations to write, coaching/discipline to give, and plenty of spreadsheets and reports to compile. This is definitely NOT an eight hour, Monday thru Friday job. If I'm not careful, I could work 12 hours every day during the week. Although I don't have to take call, I am still on 24-hour resource call unless I'm on vacation.
At the end of most days, I am physically and mentally exhausted. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it. But then I think about the progress that we have made thus far that has made a different in patient care, physician satisfaction, and employee satisfaction.
I suppose the most important thing is that I feel that I am making a difference. Once that fades, if it ever does, then it will be time for me to think of something else to do. Luckily, there is no shortage of opportunities in healthcare!
It wasn't too long ago that I was a staff nurse. I remember what it's like to run around trying to making sure you have the right equipment and instrumentation for a case, while the surgeon and anesthesiologist are breathing down your neck to get the patient in the room.
As an assistant clinical nurse manager, I make rounds and help the folks in my services get their day started. Throughout the day, I jump in when needed - running downstairs to the Sterile Processing Department to get instruments, troubleshooting machines when the circulating nurse can't figure it out, calming an angry surgeon, etc. In other words, I am trying to be the frontline leader that I wished I had in my past job.
Not only am I clinical, but I need to function at administrative level. There are meetings and conferences to attend, projects to coordinate, evaluations to write, coaching/discipline to give, and plenty of spreadsheets and reports to compile. This is definitely NOT an eight hour, Monday thru Friday job. If I'm not careful, I could work 12 hours every day during the week. Although I don't have to take call, I am still on 24-hour resource call unless I'm on vacation.
At the end of most days, I am physically and mentally exhausted. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it. But then I think about the progress that we have made thus far that has made a different in patient care, physician satisfaction, and employee satisfaction.
I suppose the most important thing is that I feel that I am making a difference. Once that fades, if it ever does, then it will be time for me to think of something else to do. Luckily, there is no shortage of opportunities in healthcare!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)