My first official day on the job was great, everyone was warm and welcoming just as I had expected! There was no drastic change in personalities whatsoever. What I saw during my job shadow, was indeed the working environment I had now entered into. Stephanie brought starter bags of Amish Friendship Bread, something I had never heard of. I was a lucky recipient of a bag and I'm excited to try it out. You have this bag of dough-goo and for the first few days you mush the contents around in the bag, around day 5 or 6 you add some stuff, then continue mushing for 4 days. On day 10 you add some more stuff, making super yummy ready-to-bake goo. You divy up some of the goo into 4 bags (to later give to your friends) and bake whatever goo is left over into "friendship bread." Think of a chain letter, but it involves baking instead of forwarding annoying messages to your friends. Tyler and I decided to leave our goo bags at the office until the weekend so we could remind each other to mush the contents around.
I was very lucky to see a wide variety of age ranges, and different type of visits during my job shadow on Monday, which made the day easier. I was already familiar with the basic ins-and-outs of the clinic and the expevted duties. In no time I was checking in my own patients and becoming the main correspondent between doctor and parents. Stephanie was great to standby in case if I had any questions, and was helpful in providing me tips and tricks.
I'm trying to make a vast improvement in a personality flaw I have had since childhood, I have always had trouble receiving constructive criticism. There is a switch in my brain that must be broken, because it is unable to process the difference between helpful tips and all-out attacks. I always take it as an affront to my ability to perform the task at hand, I'm not doing it good enough, or they think I'm stupid, etc. I've decided it will be healthier for me if I can make the transition into accepting this type of feedback, afterall its meant to improve me as a person and this case a nurse. I am easily frustrated when I think that I am not perfect at ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Instead of becoming angry with myself and having a defeatist's attitude, I intend to hear what is being said and improve on it in whatever way I can, because the person sees my potential to be better. I still struggle with this, and have to make a conscious effort to do so, but I'm hoping if I can do it professionally I can do it personally as well. On a personal level, I believe MY biggest downfall in my marriage is instead of hearing the good things that Mitchell has to say, how he is trying to help me fulfill my potential, I choose to take it and tear myself down. If I change this it will be something Mitchell will not only be proud of, but appreciate greatly. I'm not going to lie, I bet it would make his life a lot easier ;).
Stephanie and I have identified something that I need to work on. I will admit that when we first discovered it I felt like the world's worst nurse and beat myself up about it. After a little processing I figured out the source of my problem as in what caused it, and a solution. This not only helps me process the problem in a healthier manner, but it helps me feel more accomplished and not like a failure. Win-win, right? We noticed that when I finished giving the little kiddo's their immunizations I wouldn't safety the needle and I would set it on the bed! This has endless bad outcomes and a nursing 101 NO-NO! It is not like I'm a first timer either, I have no excuse! It took me awhile, but I finally figured out that I am not used to the kind of needle safetys that this clinic has! At Benefis and in nursing school our needles had the safety attached to them. All you had to do was slide the safety up with your finger, or hit it against and object and it would be ok, then you could drop it whereever there is NO RISK of a stick. The safety that Legacy has is attached to the syringe itself, it has a long tube that you are supposed to pull up and over the needle. This is completely foreign to me! So in the hustle and bustle of giving squirming, kicking, screaming kids their shots, I notice there isn't a needle safety like I've been engrained to use and I'm caught off guard, I don't know what to do. This isn't the habit I'm used to. This is a perfect example of how we can get into autopilot mode and do not really think things though when we're stressed out. My solution: take a few of the safety syringes home so I can get practice and not worry about making this mistake again. We'll see if it pays off.
The morning visits went by very quickly and then it was lunch time, another foreign concept. Not only do I actually get a lunch, but I get to take a whole hour. I found myself sitting there wondering, "what am I going to do with all this extra time?" I'm used to eating my food in 5-10 minutes since I had to sneak lunches at Sandhills. I had a delicious cobb salad, half of a home made sandwich and some blueberrys! Stephanie had also packed a lunch so she came upstairs to the break room with me and we talked during our entire lunch! It definitely made it go by quickly, and I got to know more about her and her family.
The afternoon went by just as quick and before you know it I was out the door at 1630. I drove to the gym and did my little routine there. I worked out furiously, but felt good afterwards. On the drive home I started feeling a little queasy, I had attributed it to working out and not having any food since 1200. I figured eating would help, it always does. I made a delicious sweet and sour chicken lean cuisine steamer, single serve 290 calories and 22g of protien can't beat that! I was able to have two bites before I had to run to the bathroom. I spent the next hour vomitting. Turns out my delicious Cobb salad was bad.
One Zofran, lots of sprite and many hours later, I was able to hold down some tomato soup. I put in a feel-good movie to distract me from my illness. It was around this time I noticed that it was quite a bit windy outside. The wind only got worse, I could hear stuff flying around out side, the garage doors were shaking so bad it scared my puppy! The poor thing had to spend the night in the bedroom with me, he couldn't stop shaking! Even though he was scared, he did very well indoors overnight. Luckily there were no accidents on the carpet. I tried to fall asleep, but I could hear the house settling, the fence creeking and people's trash cans blowing over through my ear plugs! At night time wind has always made me unreasonably nervous and anxious but in Montana it was never a threat. We had awesome mountains that made it damned near impossible to have toranados, and if we ever did get one it was an oddity. The week we moved into our house in Raeford there were three tornados in our area. Two touched down in Fayetteville, appx 10 miles away, and one near our house in Rockfish, appx 2 miles away. We were so so so lucky that the one in Rockfish decided to head the other way, towards Fayetteville and not towards Raeford. Regardless it was ridiculously windy, and it ruined a few panels in our fence.
With that said, let me remind you reader, that over his Christmas leave from the Army, my awesome husband built our fence. Most of his leave was spent toiling over this fence, he barely got a chance to hang out and relax. So as the trash cans tipped over outside and my garage doors rumbled, all I could think of was our fence. What if it falls down?! When Mitchell gets home from JRTC he will be so discouraged! I know him and I know him well, instead of blaming it on the ridiculous winds he would blame his "shoddy worksmanship." Even if I pointed it out to him that the neighbor's fence fell down and their flag pole was busted, so it couldn't be because of his workmanship. Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well that night. By the way, our fence is still standing. I would like to take this moment to say a preemptive "I told you so," to my husband. I may have mentioned to him a few times that he built a very good looking, very hearty fence, especially for it being his first fence.
Amish Friendship Bread!
Our table in the break room. The walls have really cute coffee related decorations! I would love to have them in my kitchen, they'd match the curtains over the sink!
We also have a cute little couch and TV in the break room!
Picture of our awesome fence! That's right my honey made that!
The rest of our fence. Keep in mind this was no small task. We have a backyard that is almost an acre!
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