J-O-B

So maybe it's about time I described what it is exactly I do, for work. Yes, I work. A lot, too. And I love it. Don't necessarily love working, 'a lot,' but thoroughly enjoy what I am doing when I am logging in those overtime hours (oh yeah, overtime... can't beat time and a half pay.)

So I am a Nurse (yes, I will capitalize it) and I am the Education Director for Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians, at St. Mark's hospital. It is a weight loss surgery clinic, focusing on bariatric procedures like gastric bypass and gastric banding. "Education Director," you may ask? We debated on the title.. General Coordinator, Bariatric Director, it's all just semantics. However, my current title best describes what my main priorities are within the practice.

To educate.

And education has always been my thing. Favorite part about nursing school? The discharge teaching when patients leave; or the ten minutes spent in a patient's room to go over what they know about diabetes and to educate the person from that starting point.

Yeah it's great and all to place an IV that no one else could start, not even a surgeon; and it's cool to deliver six different medications for morning rounds, and to have the power to do so.... But that's so not why I became a nurse. I became a nurse to truly make an impact- to build relationships and to field question after question to help better educate people about their health.

I run and organize three main support groups- Ogden, SLC, and Orem (I just got this one up and running, woohoo!); and I also coordinate with outlying areas outside of Utah for telephone support, and hopefully, one day, real support groups. I created a 12 month program with speakers, topics to be discussed, or activities for each month. This allows for some creativity- not something nurses get to do everyday. And my attendance at all of the above night support groups allow me to interact with our patient population on a very real and personal basis.

I head the in-clinic education piece, particularly the classes taught for incoming patients. I wrote new outlines and powerpoints for information to be taught. I field herds of e-mails, online chat forums, and telephone calls from inquiring patients. I am a marketing liaison (nursing school...?) and am a contact for all various media entities; constantly looking for ways to market our medical practice and have recently been a part of organizing a field trip to Wyoming as a cool marketing gig. I manage the website and make improvements where I think are needed. I edit (or re-write, really...) my doctor's research papers, as I happen to be a grammar and spelling fiend. I will be trained to do gastric band fills- something that actually requires lidocaine, needles, and band aids. I visit patients on the hospital floor after surgery. And I get to write, all of the time. It's certainly not blog-worthy creativity, but I do have to be quite crafty with my professional lingo.

And I still run Dr. Simper's clinic. So the full time job I had this summer... is still my job, plus an extra three and a half page job description to top it off. Needless to say, I am busy. Barely even have time to check my baby sister's blog once a day. When I have a pause in my day, I always know there is something else I could be doing.

And I find so much pride in hardwork, and in doing a job well, thoroughly and whole heartedly. Give me an general idea of something the doc's would like me to do, and I will run with it.

I find honesty, fastidious follow through and a warm smile are key components to finding workplace success. And I have found that I was trained by parents who taught me well.

I love my job.

And I have several coworkers who share my same passion for leaving something better than when we found it. Without those individuals' Herculean efforts, my work would all be for nought. They make work enjoyable and fun and fresh. They are my friends.

Did I mention, I love my job...?

But something is missing. And I think that piece is 400 miles away.