Thursday, July 07, 2005
Grace under pressure
I’ve been away for a while. Like anybody cares. But I’ve been busy, since I just got a new job.
Now this new job is a huge step for me, since it’s working in healthcare and I’ve never done that before. Up until now, I’ve mainly worked in retail, since that is what my degree is in. But after a year as a student nurse, I figured it was in my best interest to get a job in that field.
So I went to the hospital to fill out a proper application. I didn’t know what to think when I parked in the garage and read the sign warning me that the hospital would not be responsible if someone broke into my car and stole my C.B. Radio. I wondered if my C.W. McCall 8-track tape was safe.
So I’m left to wonder how I’ll perform, how best to deal with the pressure. I considered joking with the patients. That seems to be the easiest thing to do. I got some practice when I was just a volunteer at the hospital delivering flowers. What do you say to someone who has just had brain surgery and doesn’t know the person who sent him flowers? “Looks like you have a secret admirer”? Joking with patients can help iron out the rough spots, like when you've accidentally walked in on a new mother who is breastfeeding.
Of course, the best way to deal with stress or adversity is to pray about it. I've been doing that a lot lately. I've found that prayer is a marvelous paradox in that, in the act of letting go, we gain more control over our situation.
I predict that working as a nurse requires a sense of control. Some of my nursing instructors were definitely control freaks. But I find more comfort in gaining control through letting go.
Now this new job is a huge step for me, since it’s working in healthcare and I’ve never done that before. Up until now, I’ve mainly worked in retail, since that is what my degree is in. But after a year as a student nurse, I figured it was in my best interest to get a job in that field.
So I went to the hospital to fill out a proper application. I didn’t know what to think when I parked in the garage and read the sign warning me that the hospital would not be responsible if someone broke into my car and stole my C.B. Radio. I wondered if my C.W. McCall 8-track tape was safe.
So I’m left to wonder how I’ll perform, how best to deal with the pressure. I considered joking with the patients. That seems to be the easiest thing to do. I got some practice when I was just a volunteer at the hospital delivering flowers. What do you say to someone who has just had brain surgery and doesn’t know the person who sent him flowers? “Looks like you have a secret admirer”? Joking with patients can help iron out the rough spots, like when you've accidentally walked in on a new mother who is breastfeeding.
Of course, the best way to deal with stress or adversity is to pray about it. I've been doing that a lot lately. I've found that prayer is a marvelous paradox in that, in the act of letting go, we gain more control over our situation.
I predict that working as a nurse requires a sense of control. Some of my nursing instructors were definitely control freaks. But I find more comfort in gaining control through letting go.
