September 6

How has it been 10 months since I last blogged? I can't promise that I'll ever update regularly again, honestly. I hit the point a while ago where I didn't really have anything interesting or funny to say, or at least anything that was new and worth reading. Most of my posts were about how much I hated my job which can't have been fun for you guys. There's also the tough spot that my new job is specialized enough that it's hard to write about it without giving away where I am. So many of our patients are a specific type and I don't want to jeopardize my job on the off chance someone found the blog. Although I guess reading back through fifteen years of bitchin would probably lose it either way, even if I was completely complimentary of the new spot (which I am). But I suppose I'll keep straggling along and writing when I can...

That said, I cannot believe I've been here over a year. I have been off orientation since November and I feel like I fit right in. The people are great, the department is fun, I have a great manager. It's all wonderful, seriously. There are mild annoyances, for sure - one of the managers isn't great and of course there are policy decisions that frustrate us but overall I love it. Today I was texting one of my friends who still works at the old job and jokingly said "I ain't even been stressed in a full year." But then realized it's kinda true. I had the expected learning curve stress, and trying to fit into a new place with new policies and new ways of doing things, but once I figured those out I have been genuinely, truly happy here. I used to have such deep rooted dread to go to the old place and you know what? I haven't hated a single second of the new job. Not a single moment, seriously. It's so wonderful to love my job again.

I also get to help new residents learn how to be doctors. It's a good time. Many of them are really good and while many of them are not yet, I think they will be eventually. There are the scattered few who we think may be in the wrong field, but mostly I love helping them all learn how to Emergency Trauma Care (tm). It's fun, for real. I personally have learned so much more because we have to be on top of our game. And interestingly enough, I've also gotten way better at reading CT scans. Obviously I'm not an expert at it, but I've gotten fairly proficient at it. Having a new set of residents every month means we have to be proactive in all things since they're still learning doctor basics. Often we'll say "hey, this patient looks like they might have a splenic lac" or "hey come look at this XR, I'm pretty sure that's a pneumo. Want me to set up the chest tube?" And then most of the time we're right, and they do, and then we do something about it all before the radiologist has read the scans. It's fun, for sure. It's also a bit nervewracking when the residents straight up ask me what they should do for the patients, but again that just makes me a better nurse. 

So, yeah. I love the new job, I'm smarter every day, I am not stressed, and it's a fun place. Good times!