Change, Change, Change

Travel nursing in BC - Oh Sarah B the places you will go #4- blogged Sarah Hennings

After a month in my cozy corner of the public health office, I, Sarah Hennings, was now on a plane to Prince George. The two hour drive in the morning in the cab back to the city had seemed a little more riskier than I liked. While naive to the roadways, everyone seemed overly confident for that heavy fogged up morning and narrow winding roads. The driver, however, assured me this is mountain driving and simply laughed at my concerns calling me a “flat lander”. He was right, we arrived safely without incident, just as everyone else on the road had that morning. This quickly made me wonder if it was my own anxiety creeping in telling me I couldn’t do it at a new location, or if people were crazy drivers out here?! Thoughts circled my head, making me panic, would they like me, would they accept me, are my skills really good enough enough for outpost nursing??! I am just a nurse, I have no critical care, outstanding emergency skills, i can’t cast arms, I can’t do this.. take me back to my office where I immunize children and coach new moms on breast feeding!!!! Take me back to my comfort zone!!! No wait, I, Sarah Hennings, am in charge of the TB program, that can’t be too hard. Never done it, but I feel more confident doing that than walking into being the only nurse dealing with broken bones and stab wounds. No wait, there are other nurses there and I will have support. And I am doing the clinic… ok… CALM DOWN Sarah Hennings, it will be ok! I tell my self this as I politely whoosh my 100lb luggage from the cab. 

This plane feels smaller than any other one I have been on. In fact, I am sure it is. It also had tighter security than anything I had experienced before where your luggage was completely removed from your bag, every nook of your bag was searched, and any level of loose clothing was removed and you were double searched. I learned then that this was a dry community and they took it very seriously. Luckily, I, Sarah Hennings, wasn’t at risk for any mishaps, but it still felt mildly invasive to have personal toiletries spread everywhere. The security guard, however, had some great humour and said “aren’t you a nurse?” My response was “yes”, he replied “well, then you have seen a lot of bums, and naughty parts, and people at their worst, me finding your tampons shouldn’t be that embarrassing mame. Things don’t much phase me anymore just like they probably don’t phase you.

He was right, very little phases me anymore. Why was I, Sarah Hennings, getting so worked up and feeling this lack of confidence in my nursing skills and ability? Because I was switching location? I, Sarah Hennings, have worked many jobs in my career chasing this wandering curious soul of mine, there was nothing different about this.