September 2

It's been quite a long time since I've been the noob at work, feeling lost every day and like I'm drinking from a fire hose any time someone teaches me something. This new job has me feeling such a way but I'm slowly getting the hang of it I think. Switching hospital systems is a big jump and I kinda took for granted all of the little things that made it so easy to go to work every day. Things like knowing the hospital zip code, or where to find extra Christmas tree adapters, or the shortcut from the parking lot to my unit. Another one that gets me is phone numbers - I knew literally every phone number at the old job by heart and it's hard fumbling around for a phone list when your patient is crashing and you need to call CT quickly or to call the triage desk to retrieve a family member or even just tell the transporter what your unit number is. 

There are also much bigger changes, like going from a hospital where I could take verbal orders all day long to one where I can't put any orders in at all. Or working with just the ER attending, Trauma attending, and maybe a PA to dealing with a whole team of residents. The charting is still the same EMR, but the setup is totally different and way more comprehensive. Also I carry a pager now, since I guess I went back in time 25 years too. 

All these changes are the part that makes a new facility overwhelming, but so far I think I like the actual job a lot. Every place has it's faults and this new hospital is no different although I'm sure I made the right choice. Every day is a bit easier than the one before and I fortunately have a full three months of orientation. Maybe by the end of it I'll feel like a competent nurse again. Maybe.