The (not so) Difficult First Day

Is over. And I got out half an hour early, which is a bonus in anybody's book.

How did I find it? Alright. The staff are friendly and seem to know what they're talking about, with a seemingly minimum amount of backbiting kicking around. A few of them love my accent (yes, I have an adorable accent. Observant readers may have worked out where I'm from by now) and I've had a giggle with them early on, prompting one visitor to the ward to presume I'd been there for weeks.

The patients are mostly elderly, generally self-caring, which means less bed bathing (a task that was getting a little boring back on my previous ward) and more medication, observation and perspiration. It's warm out, innit?

My first day was basically shadowing a Staff Nurse, since it takes a bit to get back into the swing of things in a completely new setting. The nurse in question was lovely, so I delivered a present of doing some of the writing later on. Quite amused I can still manage it after five weeks, so congratulations to me.

My mentor is nowhere to be seen, which is hardly a surprise. I might see them tomorrow when they're working a bank shift, but I won't get my hopes up.

I went to my old ward for a few minutes on my - get this! - second break. I put my foot in it for asking about gossip about some very rich person being flown in and given their own bay. Something I'd heard about and my new ward wanted information on, but I did it whilst the Professor looking after this rich so-and-so was around. I quickly made myself scarce. Still, fun to see the old gang, so to speak. They reacted with good humoured chagrin, which is what I'd expect. I'll have to pop back and visit when Professors aren't around to prompt my-foot-in-my-mouth again.

Generally, it flew by as days go. But the first few always do. It'll be when I start to put in some solid graft when they stretch out. Can't wait.