Bound for the Looney Bin

I just finished my first week of work.  It's pretty official now.  I am an employee of Lurie Children's Hospital and I have the ID badge and key fob to prove it.  I had orientation Monday which was pretty generic and very lackluster.  It was for all new employees and I mean ALL from head chef to security to finance to shipping to research to interns to gift shop to nurses and everything else in between if you can imagine.  We went over benefits and insurance plans which I have come to terms with the fact that I will never understand.  Orientation went from 8:30-4:00 so I had to miss both of my classes that week and to top it off we had a test so I needed to make that up.

Since my weeks are very hectic it only worked out that I could make up my test on Tuesday.  Im telling you I am getting pretty good at this balancing act.  I started my day by going  to Children's early to sit in the sky lounge and get a last minutes study sesh in before day two of orientation.  Day two was a little better because it was more interactive.  We had to sit through this "diversity training" class for the morning and then met with our managers and nurse educators in the afternoon.  I had to skedaddle after lunch go to Rush and make up my test (which I was 10 min late for because the el was taking forever).  My teacher was like take a breath and then put your stuff down and she gave me ample time to finish.  I didn't really study and showed up late for the test yet did 10% better than the first test we had.  Perhaps this should be my new approach to tests for the rest of the program.  I think I wasn't over thinking or second guessing myself on this one.

That didn't end my day though.  As soon as I finished my test I had to turn around and go back to Children's to meet with Ann, the nurse educator, because my first day on the floor was saturday and that was the only time she could meet before then.  We went over scheduling, policies, the computer system, and many other things.  Because I had clinical up in Evanston at 7 in the morning the next day, she didn't want to keep me too late and pretty much went over the "need to know" info on the floor.  I knew how to clock in and where to go, the rest I'd just learn on the job.  Ann didn't seem too concerned though.  She said my biggest challenge was going to be shutting off my brain and assuming the role of the nurse assistant, not the nurse.  That's okay with me though.  I have no problem sitting back with less responsibility and learning from the nurses on the floors.

I keep telling myself there is an end in sight and I am so lucky to start doing what I think know I want to do while still in school.  This job will open a several opportunities and I will forever be able to write Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, a nationally ranked pediatric hospital, on my resume.