First Day Off Orientation

First day off orientation.

New shift: 3–11 PM.

I wasn't feeling great that day.

Exhausted. Starting to feel like I was getting sick.

But it was my first day on my own and I wanted to prove I was dependable.

So I showed up.

I walked up to the desk and the charge nurse looked at me and asked one question:

"Have you ever scrubbed a transplant?"

I said:

"No."

She smiled and said:

"Great opportunity to learn."

And just like that...

I was scrubbed into a kidney transplant on my first day off orientation.

Halfway through the case I was sweating through my mask and feeling absolutely terrible.

But once you're scrubbed into a transplant...

you're not exactly stepping out for a break.

That day felt endless.

And I remember thinking:

"What did I sign up for?"

Looking back though...

that day taught me something early:

Healthcare workers are conditioned to push through everything.

Sometimes that's necessary.

But sometimes the smarter move is knowing when your body is telling you to slow down.

Because once you walk into the OR...

the day rarely slows down for you.