A Locum’s ScrapBook: Back in the Saddle

Yes- this was me 🙂

Editor’s Note:

To view the entire “Locum’s ScrapBook” series- click here

My life is Family First and then Perfusion.  I switched from staff perfusionist to becoming a Locum’s traveler to make sure my kids and family would have a solid place to call home.  I travel because it puts me in charge of my life, it is challenging, and I enjoy learning new techniques, other ways of doing things, as well as getting exposure to alternate approaches and paradigms.

So I took my show on the road.  As such, every once in awhile I will be dropping a few notes and pictures of places visited, and observations made.  In a sense, the beginning of a scrap book on Heart Surgery in America (and other places if possible).”

Enjoy 🙂

Frank

Back in the Saddle

This picture kinda reflects how I feel after a tuff 1st week back 🙂  65 hours- 5 hearts- 2 OH standbys- 7 Cell Savers- a few PRP’s…  Pant pant pant…

Took a month off- for my family as well as my sense of well-being.

A few things to consider about doing Locums for a long period of time:

• The stress of integrating into new accounts is pretty high-
• Stereotypes need to be overcome:
  • Questions of reliability
  • Questions regarding “WHY” are you a Locums?
  • Questions of your competence
  • Questions of skill set
  • Questions regarding your ability to work well with others-

• Leading a seperate life away from your family
  • Requires a lot of faith
  • Represents a lot of down-time- ALONE
  • Can stretch your perspective of what is REAL and meaningful in your life?
  • Can be incredibly lonely
  • Requires a brief period of you getting used to being home in your “real world” and your Spouse and children getting used to you being intheir lives again.
    • It requires a lot of faith in yourself- your family- and a strong conviction that the END GOAL is worth it

That being said and done- it was a wonderful month back in Michigan- 3 of my girls had birthdays, 1 baby shower (yep- I’m gonna be that “grandpa guy), our 13th wedding Anniversary, many field trips, winterizing the property, and so on and so forth.

I love my life- but it is hard at times.  Not nearly as hard though- as what our patients encounter when they need our professional services 🙂

“Pump Strong!”

(Brian Forsberg)