On Wednesday, my boss asked me if I would work the Carthage clinic this coming Friday – as in today.
I quickly learned I would be working it by myself.
With a doctor I’ve never worked with before.
And did I mention I’ve never even BEEN to this clinic before?? I have no idea how it’s set up or what to expect.
To say I was stressed yesterday would be an understatement. In fact, I worked myself up so much that my heart actually hurt by the end of the day.
I will be wearing business casual attire, not scrubs. And I’m quite certain I will be drenched in nervous sweat before the day is out. So I’m totally taking my fan and I don’t care if the team thinks I’m weird. I know, between my hot flashes and the fact that I profusely sweat when I’m nervous, I’ll need it.
Appearances be damned.
I’m going to get to the clinic early so the IT guy can show me how to set up the laptops for the team to use. Then I will drive the company van to the hospital to pick up the doctor, the PA and the nurse. The PA will then take over the driving part (THANK GOD) and we’ll drive an hour and a half to the clinic where I will frantically set things up (and pray to God it all comes together smoothly and actually works), and then check patients in, complete with scanning their ID’s and insurance cards and taking their pictures, to checking them out when they’ve been seen.
And this is assuming I’m not throwing up from the car trip. (Did I mention I get car sick? As in DEATHLY sick?? Note to self: don’t forget the Dramamine).
There are 15 patients on the schedule for tomorrow.
That’s about half the number of patients our doctors see on a daily basis. (Full clinics run about 30 patients per doctor).
I’m trying hard not to get too stressed about this because I will make myself sick if I do. I’m going to just take a deep breath and do my best, that’s all I can do.
I’ll let you all know how it goes – assuming my head doesn’t explode in the interim.
Write From Karen 