Friday, June 01, 2007

It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City

All things pass with time.

A few (proper) weeks in, and life gets a little easier. I'm starting to figure out how things get done, and feel my way about the Department. My referrals seem to be going down a little better. I still haven't figured out my bosses yet, not they me, but it will come - for better or worse.

The work is hard, much harder than my previous job, but no harder than I've worked before... just takes a little time to get back into the swing of things.

My house is still a mess (which is no great surprise), and I've startled my self by looking beneath the keys on my keyboard - not for the faint hearted...

One thing that always puzzles me when I start a new job is how far away from the enforced formality of years gone by we have swung. My default position is to be overly formal when I'm at work. I call my bosses "Sir", or "Dr. ...", especially in front of the patients. I also call the Sisters 'Sister'. No-one likes it. I'm not sure if it embarrasses them, or if they think I'm being cold, or what. However, that's how I was brought up, and I find it hard to change. I supposes it obviates the need for me to learn anyone's name too...

Maybe it makes me stand-offish, but I'm only trying to be polite. Familiarity breeds contempt? I'm not sure. Interestingly, if people call me 'Doctor', rather than 'Shroom', I too find it awkward. How's that for double standards?

Barn dance this weekend. Should be interesting.

7 comments:

Dr Joey said...

Ah, barn dance, the poor man's ceilidh...hope you enjoy it.

I also call seniors Dr, although I'm never sure what to do about regs - some seem like they should be called Dr and some not, so I just call them Dr until I'm told otherwise! Also can't imagine people calling me Dr though so will be introducing myself as 'Jo, one of the doctors' instead of 'Dr Jo'!!

Appreciate your dilemma, but glad things are improving.

Nurse Sandra May said...

Most of the docs at work introduce themselves at "hi, i'm X, one of the doctors".

Patients just shout "nurse" at me all the time even though I'm not one (yet).

The other nurses call me "A grade".

Lovely.

Filet-o-bitch RPh said...

we want pics of this barn dance

Alex Stoker said...

The pics do exist, in another location... I'm not sure how fit for consumtion they are. Rather disappointingly, it was really a disco in a barn. Still, we owned the floor, and, I expect, blew any chance of another invite.

Filet-o-bitch RPh said...

I am curious what your version of a barn dance is. Our email is on the site.
Maybe we will email you something in return?

Alex Stoker said...

I had expected our version to be in the fashion of a 'traditional' barn dance... but as I say, it wasn't. Just a disco, in a ban, enlivened by a bunch of drunk Londoners with fake 'taches on their fingers...

Filet-o-bitch RPh said...

Why on the finger?