"Jump In"

“It’s time to jump in.” That’s probably the best phrase to describe how my first day at Access Community Health Centers went. For those of you who don’t know (or just are confused), over the summer I was hired at a non-profit health clinic called Access Community Health Center. This organization was created to serve the uninsured or underinsured population in Madison. In order to qualify your income must be two-times below the federal poverty limit, their goal is to improve the health and lives of people who encounter barriers to health care. When in school, I volunteered at free clinics and my eyes were opened to this population and the need that is present. So when this job offer came (which was all God, at first I didn’t even get the job) I decided to take and see what happens!
And today was my first day, which I thought would be a boring “HR” day, but turned into a crash course in how to be a triage nurse. I, myself, didn’t take any calls but the work load was so heavy that Tracy (my charge nurse I will work with) and I had to take calls, walk-ins and put out small fires around the clinic. Then the bombshell dropped.....
“Well, now that you’ve seen kind of how things work, well let you listen in and then you can try taking calls next week.”
What! Next week! I don’t even know where the bathrooms are located! (Okay I’m being dramatic, it’s not that bad!) Nothing in nursing is that easy or simple, but I know that I will be able to ask lots of questions and I will be able to make it through. I know that the best way to learn is to “just jump in” and it will all be okay!