Friday, June 30, 2006

I hate my job, I love my job

Here's things I like about my job:

It's totally cool, No day is ever the same, I can teach, take care of patients, provide emotional support and spend a lot of time with families. I can wear scrubs or business clothes. My schedule is very flexible. My bosses are pretty approachable and listen to my concerns.

What I don't like:

Pay-not so good. I can be out for 24 hours at a time. I have to be tactful with people who I think are ignoramuses-not the people who may not know things about the donation process, but people who are really against donation and hinder the process(more on this). We are guests in the hospital and I have to play nice with everyone, usually easy for me, but I have limits. And the pay, did I mention I'm not getting rich doing this?

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of personalities. I've been out a lot. I've done about a case a week for the last 7 weeks. That's 24 hours out, not to mention the referrals where I go and evaluate, but the person's not brain dead or not medically suitable or what have you. One weekend, I went out at 10am, got consent, finished by 7am THE NEXT DAY, went home and slept, woke up, went to another hospital, got consent and got home at 9am THE NEXT DAY(that's day 3, if you're keeping score at home). The family's like, "Who's that coming in and out all weekend? What's their name again?"

I have families that have been wonderful. Even in their grief, they wanted to give the gift of life. I've had families who were mad, threatening lawsuits and scaring the bejesus out of the hospital staff and they STILL wanted to help save a life through organ donation. I was screamed at-SCREAMED AT! by a crazy-ass neurologist (is that redundant?). I have spent 23 hours on site only to have the donation come to a screeching halt because the serologies came back positive. I had a nurse be very rude to me while I was giving an inservice on donation after cardiac death and then have the 'nads to say, "A non-heartbeating donor? WELL! You must be desperate for organs." And throughout it all, the family has been bitching like crazy totally supportive. And the baby! Did I mention that Laughing Baby is crawling! God in heaven. She's gone from completely immobile to a whirling dervish in like 3 weeks and I feel like I spend all her awake time picking her up and "refocusing" her energy on toys instead of, say, the electical cords. And she climbs like a monkey. I have NO idea where she got that from. All right, I'm done-before I wear out the caps key. (AM I SHOUTING!)

8 comments:

Robin said...

I know what you're saying, I think. My wife's life, with some variation, has a lot of the same kinds of issues.

The thing is, you are doing good. I don't mean that you're doing well, I mean that you're doing GOOD in the world. While I don't know you personally (though reading your blog gives me some good clues) I suspect that you are also very good at your job. And I'm glad people like you are out there.

So there's my pat on the back for you.

Shig said...

Thanks Robin. The idea that I make a difference does keep me going, as a transplant coordinator or a nurse...you really feel like you touch people's lives in an immediate, tangible way.

Anonymous said...

we all have our moments, and we all go through it...i'm sure you will too. besides, that is what blogging is for:) i know it is easier said than done, but it does help to remind yourself that you ARE making a difference. hang in there! we are all in this together.

as for the laughing baby...welcome to the tiring but rewarding world of working mom :)

Milliner's Dream, a woman of many "hats"... said...

Geez...when those kiddles get mobile...omigosh...

Hh

UnsinkableMB said...

I can relate to how you feel about your job. I'm only a year out of school and I'm wondering if I picked the right kind of nursing. Maybe when you're feeling this way about your job, you can read other nursing/medical blogs you won't feel so alone in your frustration. Hang in there!!!

Dreaming again said...

I admire you, greatly. I can only imagine how crazy it must be.

I know from trying to get answers about donation myself, that the system itself is under a lack of education ... so, for those who must be in the know, it must be frustrating.

Thank you for what you do.

Bob said...

You think Crawling Baby is a trip? Wait 'til Cabinet/Drawer-Opening Baby comes along!

Shig said...

Thanks for all the nice comments. I'm really waiting in fear for climbing-the-TV-stand baby. I apparantely come from a family of climbers.

Unsinkablemb, the great thing(one of them)about nursing is that if you don't like what you're doing, you can usually get a job doing a type of nursing you like better. Nursing is very flexible that way. Once you have a year's experience, you can usually go anywhere. Ever try ER? It's a blast.