Year One
It's been one year since I got my first job in respiratory, and what a year it's been. It's also the anniversary of starting my blog here at
ADVANCE.
All throughout school, multiple therapists told me that I will learn more in my first year of actually doing the job than I did in the whole of my schooling. This is 100 percent true. While in school, you still have that label of being a "student" to fall back on; it's almost like a get out of jail free card. You can hide behind it, or discard it and actually try to do the job. Let's face it, once school is done and over with, that "card" is taken away.
Being thrust into patient care is a staggering experience. Unfortunately, I've seen and heard about peers crumbling beneath it, or even worse, never even attempting it. But the dedicated find a way to rise above it, regardless of circumstance. These are the people who change lives. A quick message to new grads and students -- be one of these people.
I've met (and lost) some wonderful people along the way. In the grand scope of things, I'm still in my infancy to this profession. But all the while, my experiences and interactions with patients and staff alike make the "newbieness" a little harder to spot.
I'm happy to be able to say that I love this job even more than I did when I started. It's really a blessing. And although the last few months have separated me from this wonderful thing I worked hard for, it's all building on the inside. These last few months have made me more excited and motivated than ever to pursue this profession and excel in it.
My sincere hope is that this blog finds you with the same kind of happiness and drive to make a change in the lives of your patients. It's been a wild year, and here's to another.
Thank you to all my readers. I appreciate your support and comments through the last year. Respiratory veterans and students alike, take a moment and realize all the opportunities that are standing right in front of you. It's a wonderful thing, ain't it?
-BJ