On Tuesday I went to my job shadow, I shadowed my Aunt who is a Registered Nurse at St. Luke’s West Allentown Primary Care. I spent 8 long hours in a doctors office. Now maybe it's just me but that alone makes me yawn. I started off my day watching my Aunt take phone calls and call back patients with their results. This lasted 3 hours.
Finally I was able to go with the Medical Assistants and talk to some patients, most of the time they were coming in to get their flu shot or it was the occasional elderly lady who complained of “pain” just pain, couldn't point it out to any specific area or describe it. She was just in pain. So after about 15 flu shots and the occasional urine culture i decided to take lunch.
Granted it was like 5:30 at night, so let's just say it was a late lunch. I really couldn't wait to get out of there. Honestly I have never really been interested in the medical field. Until I started watching Grey's Anatomy. But let me just tell you. Real life it nothing like Grey's Anatomy. My parents wanted me to be a nurse for the longest time. But I have always wanted to be a teacher. So we have always bumped heads about it. So I just went on this shadow to make them happy.
It was around 7 at night when I left, and I couldn't wait to go home. Yes it was a very insightful experience and I did learn a lot from it. But it made me realize that I need to do what I know will make me happy, regardless of what my parents want in this case.
I think it's interesting that you learned how much of a nurse's job is simply paperwork and phone calls! You're right that TV makes it look so dramatic but it's actually quite mundane most of the time. However... I'm wondering if you might find the same thing shadowing a teacher for a day... :)
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see how being a nurse is probably not best for a lot of people. I don't think I'd be able to fit in that area either. Even though it might not have been a great day, at least it was a confirmation of some of the things you'd want in a job. I think it's really important that you live your life and do something that makes you happy and not something for anyone else.
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