She retreats into the hallway. I push my seat back and stand up. I grab a new undershirt and dress shirt that I keep in my office for moments like this. Then I head for the staff locker room. I swipe my badge and push the door open.
All I need is a couple of splashes of water on my face, and then I brush my teeth, throw on some deodorant, change my shirts. I grab my coat from my locker.
Before I make my rounds, I stop to get a cup of coffee and a protein bar. That will have to be enough to keep my body moving.
I walk through the halls with my head in my tablet as I check to see which patient I need to see first. The break room is empty when I walk in. I eat the entire protein bar in four bites, then pour myself a cup of coffee.
I’ve decided I need to hold off on talking to Peter and his wife, Emily, until later in the day. If he’s stable and feelingokay, I’ll give them the rest of the day before I break the news.
Until then, I keep my brain focused on my work. Checking off my lists and seeing each patient to go over how their body is responding to treatment.
Chapter Three
Melissa
I’ve walked up to this hospital for a year now but today holds so much more weight. This time, I’m entering as an oncology RN. Pride fills my chest as I step through the rotating door and into the main lobby.
Dressed in my new purple scrubs, I take the elevator up to the sixth floor. My long blonde hair is tied back in a tight ponytail.
I know these halls like the back of my hand. I swipe my badge at the double doors to the oncology department. I walk to the nurses’ station, where Trudy is leaning over the desk, talking to a nurse sitting on the other side.
I was thrilled when Stephanie told me Trudy was going to be my training nurse on my first day. She’s exactly who I would want to help me transition into this new role. After all, she’s the one who inspired me to become a nurse.
Trudy turns her head as I approach, and a bright smile spreads across her face. She extends her arms. “Come here, girl. I’m so damn proud of you.”
I break out into an easy smile—an effect she always has on me—as we embrace in a tight hug.
“You did it,” she whispers in my ear. “I knew you would. I’m so excited to watch you shine.”
I nearly choke on emotion. When I called my parents last week to tell them, their reaction was underwhelming, to say the least. My mom was already three glasses deep into her bottle of wine, and Dad was pretending that he wasn’t annoyed by her slurring and inability to stay focused on the conversation.
Needless to say, I didn’t get off of the phone feeling like they had seen my accomplishment for what it was before congratulating me.
But this hug right here with Trudy? This feels like exactly what I was looking for.
“It’s all thanks to you,” I reply.
We pull apart, and she waves me off like I’m being ridiculous. “Don’t take away from what you did.” She pulls her tablet off of the counter, then swipes through her schedule. “It looks like you’ll take 412 with me today. I’ve got the rest.”
I nod my head in understanding.
“First, let me show you around so you know where everything is.” Her hand taps on the counter in front of us. “This is home base. It’s where we live.”
We walk down the hall where patient doors are on our left and right until we turn the corner. She flashes her badge, and we walk into the supply closet.
“You’ll find IV supplies, dressing kits, gloves, and saline flushes here. If you can’t find anything, just ask.”
I nod my head. Pretty straightforward.
We exit the closet and head across the hall, where she swipes her badge again.
“And here is our medication room. You swipe your badge here and type in your patient. Put in your PIN, and the medication drawer will open.”
“Got it.”
She continues down the hall, where she shows me the break room and then the staff locker room. I quickly shed my winter coat since it’s January, and walking downtown with this wind is painfully cold. I find the locker HR assigned to me, type in my code, and hang up my coat.
“Great.” She smiles. “Now let’s go see our first patient.”
