Out with a bang

I'm in the home-stretch now.  Today was my last day of clinical training.  On Monday I take my written test, & then it's back to second shift on Tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I can't even begin to articulate how happy that makes me.  The exclamation points just aren't enough.

We started slow & have worked our way up to 3 residents a day (which is a far cry from the 12-15 we'll have once we're fully trained).  I've had fantastic days & horrible days - but I think that's that same with any job.

Today was a fantastic day, & I couldn't be happier.  I'm definitely moving in the right direction with training, & I am over the moon in love with the elderly residents.  All my apprehesion about the job being depressing is gone.

We talked a lot about dealing with a resident death during training.  One of the teachers made the comment that the resdient we love the most will likely be the first death we deal with.  It's harsh to think about, but it's probably true.  At the end of the day, they're all dying.  It's life's normal progression...but they've taught us that it's ok to be sad & to grieve - both with the resident & after they're gone.

The important lesson is not to focus on the loss, but on the care & companionship we provided when that person needed it the most.  This job has a lot of icky parts, but it's also full of love & smiles - & I wouldn't trade it for anything.