Working in the medical field, it feels like your day never ends. Days become your nights, 8 p.m.'s become your 8 a.m.'s, and eventually you question "Is today really Tuesday, or is just a slow Saturday?" This "zombie-like" feeling only gets worse around the holiday season with picking up extra shifts, being on-call, or even offering to take that night shift so the new girl can be home with her child on Christmas. This letter is to those who fight these battles on a daily basis, and live to tell their own tale.
It's not just about the money.
We may complain about some of the idiotic calls we receive, or overly paranoid parents with their first child, but we know that we're helping to make a difference in their lives. It may get agitating to repeat discharge instructions but you know deep down that you're preventing worse from happening to the patient because you have a passion for this.
EVERY. JOB. IS. IMPORTANT.
I don't believe I can say this enough, the janitors who clean and disinfect the hospital are just as important as the surgeons who scrub into the operating rooms. Do not let someone degrade you or your position because they make a higher wage, teamwork, especially around this time of the year, is key to run a business of this nature.
It will all work out in the end.
I started freshman year of college working and going to school seven days a week, for the first seven weeks I was constantly going, and I was constantly tired, but it helped me develop time and money management skills to live off of Peanut M&M's and Redbull. Everyday I got up was a battle, but you can get through that overnight 8 p.m. -8 a.m. shift, or that weekend on-call. You will face harder obstacles later on, but this is simply prep work for you to hustle harder in the end.
Don't be a Grinch for the holiday season.
Yes it sucks to be stuck at work while everyone is opening presents and enjoying time with their families, but be grateful that you have family to come home to. Some don't have the blessings that you do, but envy the thought of having a family to nuzzle up to by an open fire. Someone will always be better off than you, but you have to remember that there are always ones who are in a worse position too.
Overall, try to make the best out of what you have. You're doing a phenomenal job at handling those calls and/or drawing that blood! Holidays are about care and giving back, and that's what our job is based off of. Keep pushing forward, go that extra step to make someone smile and happy holidays to those hard workers.
