If you are not retired, you may not understand what I am about to tell you. Nevertheless, please read on.
I am running down one of the halls of my junior high school, hand in hand with my previous charge nurse. We are looking for the surgeon, whom I have never met, trying to find the operating room in which I was supposed to be thirty minutes ago, to assist an unknown surgeon, in a procedure of which I have never heard, in a field, in a meadow, that is completely unknown to me. IT NOT STERILE!!! WHAT? Wake up!!!
This is only one example of the bad dreams that I have; and I have them waaay too frequently for my liking.
I am always late for a surgical procedure, in a setting that is completely outdated, in which I am unfamiliar, with staff I usually do not know, and, in a VERY unsterile environment. Then, I frequently need some type of narcotic to administer to my patient, whom I have never met, and know nothing about, but, alas, I cannot find the cabinet where said narcotics are stored, and I have no idea where the key is to said cabinet, because I have never been to this outdated facility before now. It is critical, however, that I administer said narcotic before the surgery because this particular surgeon wants to perform the surgery in a dirty field, and the patient is on a ventilator, with multiple medications infusing, on multiple different machines, and they all need to be moved TO THE DIRTY FIELD. AAAGGGGHHHH.
The surgeon wants to perform, usually, ophthalmic surgery, out in a field of dirt? Really?
Someone, please, wake me up. I cannot understand why, A) I am still working, and B) well, any of the rest of it.
I have to try to fix all of the above problems before I discover that I am actually at the grocery store, about to buy a buffalo.
Ok. Enough. When I finally awaken, I am confused, and exhausted, to say the least. If anyone can interpret these dreams, please, let me know what the heck is going on.
Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
Diana, I am glad that you addressed this “Work Related Nightmare”!!!
I have been retired since March of 2013 and I too still “Go to work”!
It is usually that I am late for a case, can’t find the correct room, forgot to put on a mask or any number of other “goofs”. It is exhausting and troubling! At least now I know that others are experiencing the same ordeals!!!
Thanks for still being on board here, with us, Lynn. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I am very sympathetic about your dreams as well. It is hard to work in unfamiliar places, in unsterile conditions with people you don’t know. 🤪🤪🤪😂😂😂 Then I wake up to my new life. Yay!!!
Omg I have similar dreams. I am assigned a case in OR with a critical patient. It is an OR I am not familiar with so I don’t know where anything is. There is new equipment that I don’t know how to use. Everyone expects me to know everything because “ you are the educator”. I am frantic about my patient. I have no help. aaaaahhhhhh!!! Must be retirement brain.