Since I’m on leave now (though I’ll be back to do a call tonite), I think it’s time I did some reflection about my job. Been through 2 months of it now and I think that I’m in one of the most ‘mistaken’ professions around. (I’m sure other pple feel the same way about their jobs too.)
1. RESPECT
Seems like there’s been a lot of talk abt r.e.s.p.e.c.t (hehe like PINK does it). About how er hem some pple feel that if poly students can enter med, it undermines the respect the public has for us. Well, let me say, respect is the first thing you must learn to live without.
Patients shout at you, they say your ’service’ sux, relatives shout vulgarities at you, nurses ignore you, or scold you or worse, some just tekan you… Your bosses humiliate you… You gotta learn how to live with a damn thick skin or you’re going to break down on the 3rd day of work! Most importantly, no matter how others might ill-treat you, you gotta respect yourself :)
2. PRESTIGE
Oh yeah? Is there a lot of it? (just refer to the para on top). Haha… I think all medical students, whether they have any family in medicine or not, do fantasise a bit about all that jazz that comes with the short prefix in front of their names but this really comes with a lot of shit as well. So it’s not all that pretty clothes, walking through OT doors with a swish and a sense of importance. More often than not, you’re probably stinking under yr scrubs having not bathed in quite some time, having glove powder on yr hands that doesn’t seem to be washed off no matter how u scrub, or having blood splattered on yr pants leg… making it more economical to wear g2000 instead of Raoul. Heh.
3. MONEY
Hey I’m really tired of people insinuating at how much I’m earning. For the last time, let me say, my hourly pay is a mere 5+ bux. And when I go on call, the hourly pay is like 11 bux per hour. Wow, you mean the rest of you are earning less than me? That must be terrible…
Not that I’m complaining about my pay, I’m just provisionally registered after all and I owe the government a hell lot of money (of which they refuse to tell me the break down clearly… Everything is just so muddy!)
Thankfully, I’m too busy working to spend my meagre salary.
Haha Ok, seems like I’m grouching a lot today. If not for the fact that I actually enjoy sticking needles into pple and suck that warm blood out (and enjoy the varying shades and textures of blood different pple have), I’d say I have a thankless job.
Since I’m going on call tonight, I’d better generate some good karma by thanking the universe for all the good things in my job:
1. Ok, I love all the nurses I’m working with (most of them anyway), especially those in the GM ward and the one with the renal unit. :D You guys are great! Esp M.A. Thanks for taking all the bloods for me! Can’t wait to see your baby :D Yeah and P too, your presentation skills are awesome! K too haha for rescuing me on that nite we had that bleeder… Ok and SK… We can only work together in the Day hahah… our karmas really clash badly at night… I still rem the multi-admissions, multi-bleeders and multi-desaturators… Nightmare!
2. The ward clerks! Haha S and B in my old ward… nice to hang out with u gals… and my Grandmummy Lolz… Pls don’t nag at me too much haha… I always do what I promise.
3. The feeling of anticipation, the renewed vigor in my weary steps at 6am… together with the beautiful sunrise (it’s actually just a shade of pale gold on the grimy unpainted walls of the hospital…) Sometimes I break out in a cheer with my fellow nurses.
4. The great feeling as you clear off your passive changes ward by ward… Ie. Like wheeling the phlebo trolley down the ward just doing bloods bloods and more bloods… and the awesome feeling as you use your dying pen to scratch off changes that you’ve completed!
Ok I hope I’ve chalked up enough karma. Wenky just told me the hosp is rather full tonight. I pray it remains thus.
