I remember the nights...

That is the first line of a song by Lindisfarne. And I do remember the nights - right now I remember the nights when I could sleep in my own bed through the hours of darkness.

Yes I am working night shift. In some ways it is easier than I thought - in others it is harder. There are very few calls, and the other bits and pieces that have to be done are fairly easy. The main part of the shift is done by soon after 1, so then it is a battle with the nodding donkey and Mr Yawnie! We have the radio, and I take in something to read, but even so...

The biggest thing is to be alert if the emergency phone rings. That is the number called if there is an emergency, such as a heart attack. When that phone rings, everything is dropped. it is set to top volume, and when it goes off, your heart leaps into your mouth! You have to find out where the emergency is and what sort, so that the right medical staff can be sent to the right location, so it really is a case of someone's life in your hands.

Ok, time to go and face another shift. Guess what the song is that I am listening to now? Another appropriate one - Daysleeper by REM!!

Work continues

"How is the new job going?" I hear you cry. Well I don't unless you shout it very loudly, but you know what I mean.

I went there for a 3 month trial. I must be doing something right, because after 3 1/2 weeks I was offered a permanent position!! So I must be doing something right. Bear in mind that the offer was made before I had done any shifts except days, so they must have confidence in me. I felt that was a real boost to me.

So now I have (another) application form to complete. I thought my days of completing application forms were over for a while, but here is hoping that this one will be the last. It will be something to do on my night shift.

Oh yes, the night shift. Tonight (Sunday) is the first of 7 that I am doing. I start at midnight and work through until 8. The lady I am working with this week is the same one who introduced me to the evening shifts last week. The evening shifts are when the paperwork is done, so I was being introduced to that. At the same time, I was passing on some basic hints about Excel to her, so it was a 2-way process. She has also been giving me advice about the night shift, like try to get some sleep in the evening and bring a couple of slices of bread in to make toast in the morning. We will see how it goes....