I’m lovin’ the job. Really I am.

I’m hatin’ the unpredictability.

I work in a small hospital now. I work in an even smaller PACU. It’s mostly outpatient type surgery’s with intermittent inpatient procedures spliced in.

Surgery is, and always will be unpredictable. It’s like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates : You’ll never know what yer gonna git.

It’s not a recipe. Each case is unique. Everything from the actual surgical procedure, the anesthesia used and the diversity of the patient population.

Here’s where I’m hatin’ it.

Some days are rockin’ and rollin’. Patients roll in and out of our doors all day. In fact we stay pretty darn busy through the morning. It’s the afternoon that slows down. Either from a lengthy surgery or simply due to the nature of the schedule.

Either way… the days can get long sometimes. A whole lot of ‘hurry-up-and-wait’.

Hurry up… get the patient checked in.

Hurry up.. get the patient’s pre-op check list complete.

Hurry up .. get the patient prepped and roll them down to the OR.

Hurry up.. get them on the table.

Hurry up.. don’t make the surgeon wait.

*Do-Do-Do-Do.. Do-Do Do* (humming the theme from Jeopardy)

Wait.. Did they start yet?

Wait… are they done yet?

Wait.. how much longer before the case is complete?

Wait… the team is starting to close.

Wait.. the team is still closing

Wait….

Did I mention I still haven’t even done my job of recovering yet?

I really do love my job. Just sometimes the waiting game really gets to me.

Gets to me.. on those 15hr days.

Zzzzzz..

Have a great night.

Carpe Diem