Letting go

I can now fully appreciate the challenges my preceptor had to go through as she prepares me for my role as a staff nurse 18 months ago. With a nursing student training under me, I experience the same joy, dilemma and frustration that my mentor faced then. To help her along so that we can go home on time together? Or let go partially and help her a little but be prepared to go home later than usual? Or let go totally and just provide guidance when necessary so she'll have an idea what it is like to be an independent nurse? It's a difficult decision which I have to make every day.

For now, I guess I'll continue with the first option until such time she's ready to break free from me. I hope I don't have to wait too long for that day to come. Anyway, I don't have 'forever' to guide her. 9 more weeks and her internship will come to an end. Dear God, please help me and teach me how to let go! I am still 'work in progress' as a preceptor and I am learning too. Grant me the wisdom to know the difference between guiding with supervision, and completing work on her behalf without learning taking place. *Yawn* And there's more to come tomorrow. Be there with me, dear Lord. It's all yours... Goodnight!

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." - Herman Hesse (1877-1962).

Missy gathering

I had a fabulous brunch gathering with a few of the nurses in my ward yesterday (as well as Calene, who had been recently transferred to multi-disciplinary ward).  Thank God for this unplanned occasion where we happened to be off duty on the same day!  I'm sure it was part of your plan, though, for us to get together, Lord.  And thank You, too, for these ladies who had been a source of encouragement as well as an avenue for ventilation at times.  They may be a lot younger than me, but they do share my joy and woes at work.  Love them all!!!

Preceptorship

The last 3 days had been great. It was tremendous joy to work with a student nurse who is also my mentee (or what we call a preceptee in the healthcare industry), as well as a newly recruited nurse who is currently on probation (or rather, on-the-job training).

It was great joy because I get to share my knowledge with someone, and I thank God they are both very 'teachable' which makes sharing with them a delightful experience. For a rather impatient (yes, I admit I'm one) person like me, I am quite resistant to the idea of having to mentor new nurses. Because teaching takes up precious time which translates into delay in completing my tasks at work. This sounds extremely selfish, I know, but there is really no time to waste in an acute setting where work has to be completed and handed over to the in-coming shift on time. Nonetheless, I was 'forced' to take up the 'challenge' of preceptorship and the journey began last week, 4 June 2011. A week gone by and I thank God for His provision of a good student and the opportunity for me to learn.

Thank you God for your reassurance. I know that I am an instrument of your hands, so please continue to use me in ways you deem fit, even though I may beg to differ, because You are always right!

So count down with me on my journey as a preceptor for the next 11 weeks...

A reason to blog

I used to blog frequently about my parenting journey until last year, when my do-list got longer and the time I had with my family seemed little.  I reckoned its because I embarked on my nursing career in a local government hospital, working 3 rotating shifts with only 3 days off every 2 weeks.

Then less than a week ago, when I completed a year of service with the hospital, I did a little reflection on what I had done and how far I've come.  Well, I am thankful to God, and I must say I'm a little proud of myself, yet very disappointed at how the quality of life (for my family, myself and my patients) had been compromised.  I read through my parenting blog a few nights ago, and I found myself reading them over and over again.  They were such a wonderful source of encouragement to myself!  I found strength when I went through those posts I wrote during difficult times, and realised how much I had depended on God on those occasions and how God answered my prayers timely and graciously.  Hence, I decided to start a blog to document my journey as a working mother.  And not just any working mother.  I am a mother at home, a mother (to all my young colleagues) at work, as well as a mother to some of my patients at times.

So journey with me, read my stories, share my joy, my laughter, frustrations and occasional disappointments.  And drop me a words of encouragement if you wish.  I'd greatly appreciate it!