I shall be a lifeless working drone no more
Dogs make you more interesting
I recently spent nearly 3 weeks in Perth on my annual leave. The first lot of annual leave since October in 2006.
When I was home and not working I realised I was bloody exhausted. I spent much of the time hidden away in my parent's Shenton Park house with little energy to do anything apart from taking Oliver for a walk.
Fig. 1 Cute but disordered
It is true: without a dog you're nobody but with a dog you're somebody. People pay attention when you have a 'cute' dog in your lap sipping an overpriced flat white (double shot because you want to taste the coffee) with mum while sitting in the alfresco bit of Dome Subiaco on Rockeby Road.
I'm not loving Melbourne well. In fact I'm neglecting to love Melbourne at all. Coming to Perth made me realise how exhausted I am.
Why am I exhausted?
I might work on the neurosurgery & neurotrauma ward of the southern hemisphere's most l33t hospital. We'll save you from massive road trauma, we'll dig your brain tumour out, we'll clip or coil your aneurysm, we'll do something to your chiari malformation (only seen that once), we'll drain the excess brain/spinal fluid to stop your brain getting squashed and we'll keep your severely brain injured son or husband alive to live for decades in a nursing home - that's modern health care.
Fig. 2 Exhaustion
Look at me I'm a 'hero'
Nurses like me will be the ones saving your life and brain. You'll hate us for incessantly waking you up to ask repetitive questions like "where are you" "what month is it" while shining bright torches in your eyes and marking you out of 15. A neurosurgeon is useless unless someone identifies a neurological abnormality. And the person most likely to notice your newly drowsy state or blown pupil is me. Then and only then can you get a CT scan the identifies an acute bleed and promptly to theatre for skull hacking and blood shifting that saves your life or limits brain damage.
Ultimately I came to your rescue - your vigilant and knowledgeable Registered Nurse.
Back from my tangent.
HR time warp
Having a nationally broadcast reality television show and the latest machines that go 'ping' my hospital manages to have arcane practices from the 19th century Victorian era such as manual rostering. You just read that correctly - manual rostering. One person with a list of names (many names some part time and some full time) paper and pencil. No specifically designed computer rostering software.
The effect is ridiculously long and unsafe stretches of shifts. It isn't uncommon to have to work 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 days in a row. It isn't uncommon to work a long stretch like 9 days then get only 2 days off and come back for 3days of work followed by 6 days at work. Another nasty is getting 4 or 5 days off prior to a long stretch like 10 days with inadequate days off the recover. Days off before and long stint do not equal days off for recovery.
Mighty lists
How am I supposed to:
On my few days off I lack the energy and inclination to go and do anything.
Things I have not done (or not done enough of) because I'm just living to work:
On Thursday evening 7 June 07 I took the beast for a walk in Kings Park. I was ambulating in the direction of the DNA tower surrounded by the Australian bush with bats fluttering about I contemplated most of the above.
I'm coming home
Fig. 3 Gangsters
I'm really happy with my decision to return ASAP to Perth. It's exciting and I can't wait.
Congratulations on reading to the end. If you can answer several questions to prove you read everything I'll buy you a drink.
I recently spent nearly 3 weeks in Perth on my annual leave. The first lot of annual leave since October in 2006.
When I was home and not working I realised I was bloody exhausted. I spent much of the time hidden away in my parent's Shenton Park house with little energy to do anything apart from taking Oliver for a walk.
Fig. 1 Cute but disordered
It is true: without a dog you're nobody but with a dog you're somebody. People pay attention when you have a 'cute' dog in your lap sipping an overpriced flat white (double shot because you want to taste the coffee) with mum while sitting in the alfresco bit of Dome Subiaco on Rockeby Road.
I'm not loving Melbourne well. In fact I'm neglecting to love Melbourne at all. Coming to Perth made me realise how exhausted I am.
Why am I exhausted?
I might work on the neurosurgery & neurotrauma ward of the southern hemisphere's most l33t hospital. We'll save you from massive road trauma, we'll dig your brain tumour out, we'll clip or coil your aneurysm, we'll do something to your chiari malformation (only seen that once), we'll drain the excess brain/spinal fluid to stop your brain getting squashed and we'll keep your severely brain injured son or husband alive to live for decades in a nursing home - that's modern health care.
Fig. 2 Exhaustion
Look at me I'm a 'hero'
Nurses like me will be the ones saving your life and brain. You'll hate us for incessantly waking you up to ask repetitive questions like "where are you" "what month is it" while shining bright torches in your eyes and marking you out of 15. A neurosurgeon is useless unless someone identifies a neurological abnormality. And the person most likely to notice your newly drowsy state or blown pupil is me. Then and only then can you get a CT scan the identifies an acute bleed and promptly to theatre for skull hacking and blood shifting that saves your life or limits brain damage.
Ultimately I came to your rescue - your vigilant and knowledgeable Registered Nurse.
Back from my tangent.
HR time warp
Having a nationally broadcast reality television show and the latest machines that go 'ping' my hospital manages to have arcane practices from the 19th century Victorian era such as manual rostering. You just read that correctly - manual rostering. One person with a list of names (many names some part time and some full time) paper and pencil. No specifically designed computer rostering software.
The effect is ridiculously long and unsafe stretches of shifts. It isn't uncommon to have to work 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 days in a row. It isn't uncommon to work a long stretch like 9 days then get only 2 days off and come back for 3days of work followed by 6 days at work. Another nasty is getting 4 or 5 days off prior to a long stretch like 10 days with inadequate days off the recover. Days off before and long stint do not equal days off for recovery.
Mighty lists
How am I supposed to:
- have a social life
- sustain relationships
- 'loose myself in Melbourne'
On my few days off I lack the energy and inclination to go and do anything.
Things I have not done (or not done enough of) because I'm just living to work:
- walking tour of Melbourne's historic CBD
- seen art house or junk films at the magnificent art deco Astor Theatre in Windsor
- art exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria (including Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square)
- a tour of Federation Square
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Victorian Museum
- Melbourne Museum
- Immigration Museum
- exhibitions and screenings at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image
- ride more trams to random places
- take a train to Frankston on $2.50 Sunday Saver Metcard to see the bogans and where my 'trauma trash' patients come from
- go for a swim at Middle Brighton Beach (although Port Phillip Bay is rather pathetic and tame for an open body of water)
- go in that glass box thingo on the Eureka Tower
- get properly involved with Rovers and scouting more generally in Victoria
- check out more trendy edgy inner city cafes, bars and pubs
- get a wardrobe of awesome Melbourne clothes
- go on all those self guided walking trails through the Botanical Gardens and other charming places
- slaughtered a possum just kidding :p
- and I'm really pissed off I didn't do anything during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (it's the second largest comedy fest. in the world with the best comedians globally converging on Melbourne and yet I failed to see one gig)
On Thursday evening 7 June 07 I took the beast for a walk in Kings Park. I was ambulating in the direction of the DNA tower surrounded by the Australian bush with bats fluttering about I contemplated most of the above.
- What is the point of living in Melbourne when I'm not enjoying everything she has to offer?
- Anachronistic rostering practices and exhausting work does not a healthy career, body, mind or spirit make
- Air travel is really cheap so I could visit Melbourne just as easily and as frequently as I have been returning to Perth
- the smell of aviation kerosene excites me
- my family is in Perth
- my friends are in Perth
- I have an established Rover Crew in an awesome sea scouts group I belong to at Pelican Point
- I want to get my BA
- these things (including regular excursions to Melbourne) would make life in Dullsville enjoyable
- I have spoken on the phone with the Nurse manager of the ward I want to work on at Charlies. She remembers me from when I was a student there several years ago (I didn't have much to do with her at all) and apparently one of the clinical nurse specialists was 'very impressed with you'. She wants me to email my CV so things look good.
- Nurses get paid more in WA, hospitals are run better & the health care system is better coordinating in WA compared with Victoria (we also were spared havoc wreaked by infamous former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennet)
I'm coming home
- I shall leave Melbourne and return home to Perth (I made up my mind while walking dog as described above)
- Today I will give the acting Nurse Manager my resignation letter (28 days notice blah blah blah)
- organise to end my periodic tenancy
- get books, bike, wine and stuff shipped to Perth (I've already packed my books into archive boxes and got a quote from Pack Send)
- dispose of furniture (table, chairs, queen sized Malm Ikea bed), fridge and heater to charity (if someone takes it off my hands I'm happy and shipping is too expensive so not worth it)
- give all my kitchen stuff to Susan because her college residents keep on ganking her cooking equipment, cutlery and stuff. She'll even take my slow cooker.
- clean apartment and engage services of carpet cleaner
- surrender keys to real estate drones
- lug all my shit to airport
- fly home to Perth on the other side of the continent
- stay with parents and take a well earned fortnight off
- find a new flat
- start work at Charlies
Fig. 3 Gangsters
I'm really happy with my decision to return ASAP to Perth. It's exciting and I can't wait.
Congratulations on reading to the end. If you can answer several questions to prove you read everything I'll buy you a drink.