In Control

I think it's strange that 3 months ago I sat sweating, praying, on the edge of my seat, waiting for my interview in a new department AND NOW I'm in control of that department.
I worked my first 4 day week-end by myself. Thurs. to Sun.
I'm not following anyone around anymore.
It was interesting.
Very, very busy.
Exciting.
Boring.
Gross.
My very first patient on Thurs. painted the walls, floor and x-ray table with vomit.
It smelled like hamburger.


I had this funny little conversation with a nurse on Sat. night. The ER was packed and I was working on one patient and a nurse brought over another patient. The computer was slower than a 92 year old on ice. I'm trying to work fast and get done with the first patient, so the nurse can go back to the ER with him, but the computer is Too Slow!!
She's breathing down my neck.

Then she starts walking around looking for something and she finally comes back to me and says: Are you here all by yourself?
Me: Yeah.
Nurse: Well, that's strange.
Me: Uh, on a Sat? Evening? I think there's usually just one person.
Nurse: Yeah, but don't you need a license or something to run the machines?
Me: Uhhhh.......I've been a tech. for 5 years.
Nurse:...............oh, never mind.

Should I be insulted?

24 Down

Well, 1 hour down 23 to go.

It's 8:30 AM and I've already dealt with a stupid Dr. If the Rad dictated a report on the dictation line and I can hear it, why can't the Dr.?

'Can you send up a typed report?' - No.

'Why not? Can't you type up the dictation?' -No.

'Why not?' - Because I'm not freaking Med. Records!

'Well, I don't know the # for the dictation system. We don't have those #'s.' - Ok, sigh. Here's the #. (for the 50,000 time.)

How long have we been using this dictation system? For TWO YEARS!! Yes, it's true....they're stupid.

When I work a 24 hour shift, I work 4 hours at regular pay and then for the next 20 hours I'm on call. I live 30 mins. away from the Hosp. so I stay over night in the Hosp. and sleep on a little cot in the dept. - yeah it sucks.

What do they pay me to be on call and literally live at the Hosp.? $3.oo an hour. That's right $3 dollars. When I was a student 4 years ago at a different Hosp. I made $4.50 an hour on call.

At the school Hosp. they let students work nights, week-ends, evenings, and day shifts(on your day off). It was a lot of fun, at times, and really frightening, most of the time. Sometimes you would have a 1st year student playing tech., with a 2nd year and 1st year student assisting...and that was it. 3 students in charge of the whole dept. for a night. Surgery, ER, ICU, ect. We covered everything by ourselves. And this is at a busy Hosp. Not a city Hosp., but still - in a town of 25,000.

After graduation I felt like I already had 2 years of experience being a tech. So, when people still, after 41/2 years of working at this Hosp., ask me if I'm 'new'......I say no.