group therapy

I finally had the pleasure of spending an evening with my fellow triage nurses on Monday at Melt (which has an all night happy hour most of the week) as a kind of goodbye/group bitch session. The evening was both enlightening and comforting, but in no manner does it bode well for the longevity of the staff.

One of my biggest problems with my job (of which there are many) is that there is little actual interaction with my peers. I spend, on the whole of the course of the day, less than 5 minutes of face time with either of them en total. It creates a rather odd work environment, where your colleagues are largely strangers to you. I am not stating that 'work' isn't the dominant priority of time spent in employ, but there has to be some socialization as well. I know a lot of rather arcane information about my pod mates, but did not know until I planned this evening that my co-worker/functional supervisor was a vegetarian. I, in point of fact, could not tell you she has any siblings, her likes in any form of entertainment, where she heralds from, nor her age.

So, it came as somewhat of a major surprise that she is also unhappy with working triage. This is something I only found out after putting in my notice and, instead of a 'sorry to see you go' she responded instead with something to the effect of 'Good for you! I am happy you made it out!' The newest triage nurse (we can call her S and the other one C) said much the same. In our HH meeting I found out that C isnt even sure she wants to be in health care much longer, let alone in triage. She does not sleep well at night. She hates the phone work and finds it as relentless as I do. She wants nothing more than to work part time. S is new to triage and came from a rather haphazard clinic, but she too is already wearing down and also wants to just do the job part time. All mirrored the same complaints I have detailed over the past few months. As enlightening, is that they too were promised something more with the position and were likewise duped by the beguiling story of multiple job duties and working closely with the doctors. Now both are struck with the same disappointment when the job failed to provide any differentiation is task. The term 'groundhog's day' was used by all involved to describe the unerring uniformity of each and every day.

So, while not a heartening overall picture of the profession of triage nurse, it is also nice to know that it isn't 'me' per se, but rather the job itself. Maybe they say misery loves company for that reason alone. It is nice to not think of yourself as a failure. Its the job that is a failure. And that, at least, is something to hang your hat upon.

I wish them the best and everyone in the clinic. I don't think many will last very long.

Tomorrow is my last day!