I am one of the lucky ones who actually stayed friends with their university roommates. Miraculously, all of the “best friends forever” declarations stuck, and eight years later (give or take a day or two), I spent the day with the same girls I met in frosh week at Wallingford Hall. Our ever-changing and improving, yet still so kindred-spirited selves, and the next generation of McMaster grads spent the day welcoming Joshua, the newest member of our club, into the world.
The funny thing about our gang (the “Westside Story” kind – not the “hood” kind….none of us would last 2 minutes in the hood) is the fact that we have all ended up in some degree of the same place. Despite significantly different paths of life, we are all proud contributors to the crazy world of health care. And after taking the longest, most atypical routes imaginable, we nurses have all found ourselves living the nurse-to-George-Clooney dream (minus George – he has yet to show up in my ER – but he will).
As always seems to be the case, our experiences in healthcare drove the majority of the conversation today (between pauses to debate whether or not Joshua really could be any cuter. He couldn’t).
Kate has been an ER nurse for a year. I have been an ER nurse for about 5 minutes. Becky has been an ER nurse for minus 2 days. We’ve all got a lot to learn. This predicament provided the groundwork for my second-favourite moment of the day:
Jenn: It’s overwhelming. I feel like in the ER, you have to know everything. And, that’s a hard skill to learn.
Sara (Social Worker….but still pretty cool): How do you measure your progress toward knowing everything? How do you know when you know 50% of everything?
She was mostly being funny….but 10% serious. She’s probably working on the measurement tool right now. That’s why Sara’s great.
And, what would a second-favourite moment of the day be, without a first-favourite moment of the day???
Jenn to Becky (yep, again, I set the stage): How come you don’t wear your wedding band with your engagement ring?
Becky: Did you ever see a Disney princess with two rings on?
Archive for September 2009
posted by Jenn on Disney, ER, George Clooney
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It finally happened.
Saturday afternoon. Mid-shift 2 out of 3. I was walking down the hall and one of the attendants asked me if the patient in Fast Track 3 had gone home.
And I, with all of the competence and confidence of someone who works in the ER and actually knows what she is doing, responded "YES!"
At which point I knew....there was no turning back. I was now officially and functionally part of the team. I knew what was going on. I didn't have to ask anyone else the answer. I didn't doubt for a second whether or not *Mr. Adams* had been discharged or not. I answered the question with absolute brilliance and continued on to do one of the eight oh-so-important tasks that where on my to-do-list.
And that one moment - amidst the thousands of "I wish I had some clue what was going on right now" moments that occurred that day - made me realize that it is only a matter of time before more ER light bulb moments occur. And that before I know it, I will wake up one day to find myself feeling like I belong there. And that once that happens, it will only be a matter of time before it all makes sense and the whole reason I decided to climb this crazy mountain reveals its beautiful purpose.
Because now that what I believed to be impossible has happened, I know the miraculous is possible.
*name has been changed to protect patient privacy. Obviously. This isn't Liberia.
I am one of the lucky ones who actually stayed friends with their university roommates. Miraculously, all of the “best friends forever” declarations stuck, and eight years later (give or take a day or two), I spent the day with the same girls I met in frosh week at Wallingford Hall. Our ever-changing and improving, yet still so kindred-spirited selves, and the next generation of McMaster grads spent the day welcoming Joshua, the newest member of our club, into the world.
The funny thing about our gang (the “Westside Story” kind – not the “hood” kind….none of us would last 2 minutes in the hood) is the fact that we have all ended up in some degree of the same place. Despite significantly different paths of life, we are all proud contributors to the crazy world of health care. And after taking the longest, most atypical routes imaginable, we nurses have all found ourselves living the nurse-to-George-Clooney dream (minus George – he has yet to show up in my ER – but he will).
As always seems to be the case, our experiences in healthcare drove the majority of the conversation today (between pauses to debate whether or not Joshua really could be any cuter. He couldn’t).
Kate has been an ER nurse for a year. I have been an ER nurse for about 5 minutes. Becky has been an ER nurse for minus 2 days. We’ve all got a lot to learn. This predicament provided the groundwork for my second-favourite moment of the day:
Jenn: It’s overwhelming. I feel like in the ER, you have to know everything. And, that’s a hard skill to learn.
Sara (Social Worker….but still pretty cool): How do you measure your progress toward knowing everything? How do you know when you know 50% of everything?
She was mostly being funny….but 10% serious. She’s probably working on the measurement tool right now. That’s why Sara’s great.
And, what would a second-favourite moment of the day be, without a first-favourite moment of the day???
Jenn to Becky (yep, again, I set the stage): How come you don’t wear your wedding band with your engagement ring?
Becky: Did you ever see a Disney princess with two rings on?
It finally happened.
Saturday afternoon. Mid-shift 2 out of 3. I was walking down the hall and one of the attendants asked me if the patient in Fast Track 3 had gone home.
And I, with all of the competence and confidence of someone who works in the ER and actually knows what she is doing, responded "YES!"
At which point I knew....there was no turning back. I was now officially and functionally part of the team. I knew what was going on. I didn't have to ask anyone else the answer. I didn't doubt for a second whether or not *Mr. Adams* had been discharged or not. I answered the question with absolute brilliance and continued on to do one of the eight oh-so-important tasks that where on my to-do-list.
And that one moment - amidst the thousands of "I wish I had some clue what was going on right now" moments that occurred that day - made me realize that it is only a matter of time before more ER light bulb moments occur. And that before I know it, I will wake up one day to find myself feeling like I belong there. And that once that happens, it will only be a matter of time before it all makes sense and the whole reason I decided to climb this crazy mountain reveals its beautiful purpose.
Because now that what I believed to be impossible has happened, I know the miraculous is possible.
*name has been changed to protect patient privacy. Obviously. This isn't Liberia.