The working week

Well, I've done 7 shifts so far, in my new temporary role at work and all I can say is...I'm glad there's only another 10 to go!

The job itself is time consuming. The phone never stops ringing, my colleagues have questions they need me to answer plus patients need attended to, in what have been huge clinic numbers this week. On top of all that I'm supposed to do statistics, check over admission paperwork, have meal breaks, attend in-services/meetings and so the list goes on. It's bloody exhausting. I don't know how K does this job day in day out.

I've often said to K, when I see her still there at 17:00 to go home. Now that I'm in her place I can see why that last 30-45 mins is so useful. It's quiet as most people have gone home. The phone doesn't ring and you can get shit done with no interruptions. It's bliss. I've gone without meal breaks too which I promised myself I wouldn't do but it's just so hard to get away. It got to the stage one day (I'd had no break and it was 13:30) when four people called my name in around 30 seconds I had to say "stop". I calmly explained that I'd had no break, my blood sugar was in my boots and brain cells were dying by the second so it would have to be one conversation at a time, "who's first?".

Added to the job itself there's the travelling times. As the job is 08:00 til 16:30, I'm catching peak hour traffic in both directions. It's now taking me 50 mins to get to work and just over an hour to get home (30mins and 45 mins respectively on an 07:00 til 15:30 shift). I would get the train but there are no parking spaces at any nearby station by around 06:45 so that idea is gone. So I'm stuck with driving...in traffic littered with some of the worst drivers on the planet.

Sydney drivers are arrogant, ignorant, impatient and just plain rude. They cut you up and under take you only to get one car further ahead. They drive up the arse of the car in front which results in slamming on brakes as it's obviously just too difficult to look ahead and judge what the traffic flow is doing. GRRRRR. By the time I get home I'm done in and usually annoyed at being almost driven off the road!

I have another two weeks of this job to go and I'll be delighted to hand the reigns back to K upon her return. It's certainly been an eye opener and an experience but not one I'd like to do on a permanent basis. K has my admiration (well she had that anyway but it's increased in it's proportions) for the job she does. I'm pleased to have had the chance to do something different but I think I'll be glad to go back to the ward when the time comes.

Oh and it'll be interesting to see what happens on Wednesday this week when we go on strike for improved working conditions from 10:00 til 14:30. I'll let you know how that goes.