My career 'blip'...

I had been in my current job for a year and was deeply unhappy.  I missed Surgery so much....there is something about a nice wound that needs dressing, or looking after patients pre and post operatively, I loved it all!  Most nurses will agree that you are either a medical or surgical nurse, not many are both.  I was always a surgical nurse through and through!


I had started to hate getting up in the morning, I had a dread of going into work again and knew there would always be some reason I would get upset during my day.  I always came home in a bad mood and I was getting fed up with it.  For me to not enjoy nursing, to not jump out of bed full of enthusiasm for my working day and to be sick to my stomach at walking into my place of work told me something was very, very wrong!  I even considered leaving nursing because this job had dented my self confidence so much.  On F6, I was a very confident, very competent nurse who loved being at work and would get an adrenalin rush from the emergencies everyday.  I was no longer confident in myself or my nursing and felt like a shadow of my former nursing self!  I had lost all my passion in something I had worked so hard for and I was so upset about it, I desperately wanted it back!


One day, I was home and got a phone call.  I had been getting a lot of cold calls for my maiden name and this particular call asked for me by maiden name too.  As Kev passed me the phone, I whispered "10 seconds to prove they're not selling me something!".  Well, it was a nursing agency telling me they had seen my CV and had a surgical job for me.  Erm.....what?!  It couldn't be true...I was very dubious...


As I thought back, it was feasible....I had indeed uploaded my CV to a nursing website when I looking to leave F6 and that would have been in my maiden name.  The job was at the private hospital in Bury doing elective surgery - just one mile from home!  No, surely not?!  He said he would contact the hospital and ask them to phone me the following day.  The phone call ended and that was the last thing I expected to hear about it.


The next day, I was at work and got a voicemail message from the PA to the Matron of the private hospital asking me to ring back to arrange an informal meeting!  I had looked at the hospital website and it looked wonderful but I was still dubious.  It looked and sounded like it would be a perfect job for me so I went along with it.  The informal meeting was arranged for the following week.


I got ready and so hoped it was not a waste of time.  I got shown around the hospital which was beautiful then had a long chat with the Ward Manager....I felt relaxed and excited about the opportunity to work there.  I must have come across well as at the end of the 'chat', I was unofficially offered the job!!!  I couldn't quite believe it.  I hadn't even started looking properly for a new job as I was feeling so down on myself.  This all came so suddenly and so completely out of the blue.  Kev picked me up and as I got in the car, he asked me how it went..."well, I got the job!"  I replied.....we looked at each other and laughed!  Could my career 'blip' be nearly over??


The next day, I returned for a 'formal interview' and it went as well as the day before.  At 1pm, I got a phone call from the Manager officially offering me the job, at 1.15pm I phoned my current Manager and gave my notice over the phone and at 1.30pm, I posted my official resignation!  Posting that letter was great, I felt like a new chapter was beginning :)


That was the end of March 2011 and the following week was my birthday, what a fantastic early birthday present!


I had to give 8 weeks notice but hey, I was so excited!  I had my birthday, Kev's birthday and some annual leave during my notice period so I hoped it wouldn't feel too long!


I couldn't believe this amazing opportunity, this job looked wonderful....and it would be back to Surgical Nursing...my first real love! :D  Eeeekkkkk....!!!