So I'm an Oncology Nurse now, Also, There's a Pandemic!

But hey at least I'm not miserable in the ED anymore! 

I've come to love blogging a few times every couple of years, and the best part about it is rereading over my old blog posts which brings all the memories flooding back. 

Working in the ED was both more and less miserable than I remember it being! Quitting was still one of the best decisions I've every made. Wound up spending the rest of that year working in the Urgent Care attached to that same ED. I probably would have stayed there longer if not for the long commute, terrible hours (5p-2am) and for the having to see the coworkers who resented me for bailing on my new grad program- whoopsies guys, my bad! Worked with some of the greatest nurses I've ever worked with in that job though! A whole world different than in the ED. Willing to admit when they didn't know stuff and work out how to do things with a newbie like me. They were awesome teachers. Most of them. There were still a few assholes. 

Coming up on two years in outpatient infusion. It's great. The only assholes I work with are the patient's sometimes! And they have cancer so really they are wildly nice and interesting and special and I love them! The pandemic makes it less great. 

After reading my old posts about what I liked and didn't like about ED, I do think I stumbled along into the most perfect branch of nursing for me. I get to do IV's, I get to help patients navigate the confusing medical world, I get to feel like I'm making a difference however small (usually I feel like I've done the most good in a day if I've made lots of tea for folks), and I really get to know my patients. 

A fun moment from this past week:

I wheel a patient down the hall, he sees Dr. Chaos, yells to him loudly, " Hey Dr. Chaos, how's it going? You know it's your fault if I die right?" Dr. Chaos responds that yes, he is indeed aware, and we all share a heart laugh.