Things I've Learned from Clinic: Week 1

1. I'm smarter than I thought.
2. Hand rub/wash is my new OCD/BFF.
3. Little old men love me.
4. I'm stronger than I knew (both mentally and physically).
5. I could not have picked a better profession.
6. My joy is instantly amplified 50x by working with real patients.
7. Hospitals aren't as scary as you think.
8. I still know at least half of Rome, GA.
9. I work best when a new challenge is sprung on my suddenly (when I don't have time to "stress out" about it)
10. There is no time to STRESS about this job when you have people's lives/well being in your direct control.
11. I love to read patient's charts.
12. I love to read patient's charts and actually understand most of what it says.
13. I love to ask questions, look up answers, and consult with collegues.
14. Its cheaper to eat in the hospital than it is to bring it from home, and the food isn't half bad.(so long as you stick to the salad bar ;))
15. I'm a pretty observant clinician.
16. Lines and wires are alot easier to be cognizant of when they are actually stuck into someone.
17. I am VERY good at reading people and accommodating myself to their individual needs.
18. I LOVE THIS JOB.
19. My life is pretty much going to consist of waking up, going to work, going to work out, eating, & sleeping...and I'm kind of okay with that.
20. I am a fast typer, a quick learner, & I write a pretty darn good eval.
21. On that note, I can recall a startling number of abbreviations considering what that class was like....
22. I dread returning to the class room, but I'm kind of excited to put this new confidence to work.
23. I am more confident in the real world then I am in the classroom, alls I need is someone who believes in me. :)
24. I can hoist alot of LBS, even with this gimp ol' knee.
25. The elderly say the darndest things, and I love every minute of it.
26. You never know who you'll meet or the stories they'll tell.
27. Listen to every word the patient's family tells you, even if it sounds like nonsense, there's bound to be some tid bit that's important or if not they'll atleast know that someone cares
28. Hold a hand if you need to.
29. Baby dolls = instant calm.
30. I am a witty little lady.
31. I hope to be half as spritely as these individuals in my 90's.
32. I am so thankful to have a loving husband and the future promise of many loving children.
33. My loud voice is one of my best assets.
34. I'll never bite my nails again.
35. Scrubs are also my new BFF.
36. I have never felt so sure of anything in my life as I am of this.
37. Pulling charts is like playing a game of hide and seek.
38. Patient's is a virtue.
39. Physical therapist treat EVERY sort of patient, and when we get an order to come see you, that's a GOOD SIGN.
40. Even incoherent patient's will let ya know when they're in pain.
41. Any hospital that has pellet ice and an espresso machine is alright with me.
42. I am more capable than I thought I was, can handle way more than I imagined, and am always a few steps ahead of each of my patients.

Yep, I am cautiously optimistic that this just might be what God put me on this Earth to do (this and being a mother of course :)).