Rural Nursing

As much as I love my job on 3C I hate winter driving. It's one of my completely irrational fears. I haven't even got into a big horrific accident before to explain the fear away... Scratch 'big' accident, I haven't gotten into any accidents at all in the winter but somehow between the ages of 20-23 the fear emerged and is quite persistent. 

BUT more than hating winter driving, I hate not working. My job provides so many things; social interaction, learning, helping others and money. Not working takes away all of those but mostly takes away the money in two ways because usually when I am not working, I inevitably spend money. Not working in the first 6 wks after we moved to Saskatoon killed me, I was so excited to get a job and start working I literally skipped to work. 

So what do I do when I hate driving on (inevitable) bad winter roads once we move to Taber but I hate being stuck inside all day during winter not working? Get a job at the Taber hospital! Now I can work half and half so I avoid 50% of potential panic attacks by not driving through snow storms and blowing snow, still be able to work full time AND now I get to learn so much more by starting out a rural nurse...

Mainly...

Pregnant ladies coming in to give birth and they expect me to be able to be their nurse. Let's just say I have no experience whatsoever in pregnancy and birthing. The semester you spend learning about it in second year of school and two births I "helped" with as a student just doesn't cut it. I am so over my head. But I am excited. I love 3C and plan to try and keep a position there while working casual in Taber... I have had two days of orientation so far and I think I am really gonna like it and will learn so much for rural nursing.  

I just have to get used to all their idiosyncrasies;

 

-Like having paperwork that is from 1970. Seriously.

-Or having MASSIVE rooms. I am so not used to having so much space in patients' rooms

-Or having no charge nurse and no assigned pt's. How do you decide who charts what???

-Or pulling up right to the hospital, parking for free and walking less than 5 m. to the doors

-Or having to mix up all my IV med bags and giving respiratory meds. I miss RT's and Pharm already

-Or getting an admission phone call from emerg... and the pt appearing 2 seconds later (as Emerg is literally behind door A)

-Or having to do ANYTHING women's health. A woman came in today to get induced and all I could think about was that there was a newborn in her stomach just waiting to get out, how much it was gonna hurt her and how much babies destroy women's bodies... Think I need to reorientate my thinking.