I’m exhausted. I just finished my fourth shift of seven straight and I’m running out of steam. I enjoy my job, but the past several days have been busy. My mind is going numb and my feet are beginning to swell. Every day is blending in to one another. And I still have three days to go! Ugh. Working eight-hour shifts, five days per week, is a significant adjustment. Sometimes, especially during long stretches like this, I feel as though I’m living at the hospital. Right now, I’m really missing the luxury of 12-hour shifts.
When interviewing for this position, I never thought to ask my would-be manager about the shift work. I assumed I would be working nights and 12-hour shifts, as this is the norm back home. But, this ward’s staffing policies are different. (And you know what they say about assumptions…) A few of my coworkers have scored 12-hour shifts, but most of us work 8-10 hour shifts: 7am-3:30pm, 1pm-9:30pm, and 9pm-7:30am. So, here I am, working 5 days a week, all hours of the day.
It’s not all bad, though. Seniority doesn’t dictate scheduling, so everyone rotates through earlies, lates, overnights, and weekends. Keeping track of the different start times can be a headache, but the variety is nice. Early shifts allow me to be home for dinner. Late shifts give me a chance to exercise in the morning. And working weekends isn’t so painful when I’m earning time and a half on Saturdays and time and three-quarters on Sundays.
So, despite my current state of exhaustion, things are going well with the new job. I’m still adjusting, but I’m feeling more settled. Now, if I can just get through the next few days…
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