I have taken some good-natured ribbing this week from a couple of people because I tredged into work on Wednesday morning in the middle of the recent winter storm. Believe me, I would have much rather stayed in my nice warm house with a mug of hot chocolate! But I have a responsibility to my job....and felt the need to make the attempt to get to work. I believe this comes from my many years at the hospital when you didn't have a choice; you went to work. It was even worse because I worked in the Dialysis Unit. There was no one else in the hospital who knew how to dialyze; the 7-8 of us were the only ones who could do our job and there were patients counting on us to be there. I remember many years ago when I worked in the ICU at Allentown Hospital being picked up by a member of the 4 Wheeler club. He picked up a few of us in my area, took us to work, and then brought us home the next morning.
It almost was exciting when there was a big snowstorm; we would go prepared to stay for several days if necessary. I recall working 24 hour shifts on a couple of occasions (that was when I was much younger...I could never do that now...LOL!!). I also recall sleeping in a hospital bed a few times in one of the empty rooms in the ICU. The hospital would give us free meals; we'd walk around in our slippers; security would help shovel our cars out.
I realize that now that I am in an office I don't have to worry about relieving someone so they can go home, nor are there patients there to be cared for, but it's still ingrained in me that I have an obligation to get to work.
Just call me old-schooled, I guess....
It almost was exciting when there was a big snowstorm; we would go prepared to stay for several days if necessary. I recall working 24 hour shifts on a couple of occasions (that was when I was much younger...I could never do that now...LOL!!). I also recall sleeping in a hospital bed a few times in one of the empty rooms in the ICU. The hospital would give us free meals; we'd walk around in our slippers; security would help shovel our cars out.
I realize that now that I am in an office I don't have to worry about relieving someone so they can go home, nor are there patients there to be cared for, but it's still ingrained in me that I have an obligation to get to work.
Just call me old-schooled, I guess....
1 comment:
My first thought was that no job is worth your life, but then you explained why. I can see how you would feel that way about a hospital job. I'd never thought about that before, but it is good that people like you are in helping professions. It's also good you had someone with a safe car to pick you up!
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