Just Raven

Work has been crazy as always. I’m there so much these days I have become a permanent fixture on each shift now. I do feel like I live up there, and often stay up there in a small room they got me. Last week I worked 86 hours. This week it’s not quite that bad…depending upon how it goes I could be up there 72 or 80 hours. Doing four double shifts and either one or two single shifts. Week 5 of this schedule. 4 more to go at least.

The new staff have been great. They seem to catch on quick as to what is expected of them. And so far they seem to like the work and the patients and the intense nature of what we do. We don’t hire anyone who hasn’t had years of experience and that helps a lot. The first group of orientee’s just passed all their competency tests with flying colors. Now we’re working on the second group. Once they are trained, I’m done with this awful schedule.
I can get my life back and do the things I want to do.

There have been some sad events at work and it’s hard to live with it. I imagine it’s more difficult for new people to see this stuff happen too. Death is never a pleasant thing to work with, and when those who die are young kids and teenagers, it’s worse.

The people who I have known and worked with for a long time have been my rocks and steady force in my life for the past several weeks. I don’t think I would have been able to stand it had they not been right along my side working rough hours with me. We’ve held each other up when we were ready to collaspe, and pushed each other around when needed. We have laughed and cried together. I’ve worked with some people I didn’t really know either…and we have become fast friends (I make friends quickly). When you work long 16 hour days, day after day, there isn’t much you end up not knowing about the people you work with.

We have tried to make the best of a bad situation. We take breaks together and we goof off together and we get into some trouble together. Every night around 8pm, after the patients are bedded down for the day, half us go out front to the big field and just have fun. When it’s hot and humid we do the waterfights; when it’s cooler out we just play touch football or softball. Then we go in and let the others go out for their time. It’s a good way to relieve the stress and it keeps us all sane. Rain or shine, we always get out there and do something active and fun.

I’ve worked some swing shifts too…second and overnights doubles. That’s crazy because overnights is pretty calm and days is extremely busy. Go from mellow to wild in about 5 minutes. The bad things (death) always seem to happen in the early hours of day shift…kind of weird.

This week’s schedule is Tuesday- 10pm to 2pm Wednesday; Wednesday, 10pm-6am Thursday; Thursday-10 pm to 6am; Friday-6am to 2pm… and Saturday 6am to 10pm.