After taking a brief break from the geriatric facility in Virginia, I agreed to help them out at some of their clinics in Tampa, Florida. Being in Florida during this time fall/winter is especially beautiful because it’s not too hot and not too cold. The drive up here from Miami was about 4 hours.
My first day at the new center was okay. I sort of knew what to expect since I had worked at their centers before. Upon arrival, everyone was gregarious and it was nice to see an LPN that I knew from Virginia. She had transferred to that market a few months prior.
I initially was a bit sad because it felt strange to work in a familiar setting with completely different people. The Medical Director was friendly but he didn’t nurture me the way the previous one did. The center manager was welcoming but wasn’t prepared with my laptop, new ID, and lab coats the way the previous one had been. I think I took for granted that the Virginia clinic treated us for lunch almost every day!
I thought I would jump in and start seeing patients, but I spent the majority of the morning on the phone with IT trying to set up my login and computer etc. I also called a few of my patients from Virginia to check in on them. They were extremely happy to hear from me and mentioned that they felt neglected from the clinic since I left.
Originally, the Tampa clinic wanted me to help out 3 months ago when they were short staffed. It seems like since then they have recruited A LOT of PCPs. So I sort of wondered why I was there and if I was even needed anymore. I felt like I should be at the clinic in Virginia, but knew I couldn’t go back there yet.
By the end of the day, I tried to keep a positive mindset. The clinic was new so it wasn’t nearly as busy as the ones in Virginia. Therefore, at least it was unlikely I would feel overwhelmed some days like I did in Virginia. In addition, I was mostly going to be helping with walk-ins and overflow for the PCPs. This meant I wasn’t going to have my own panel the way I did in Virginia. This was a good thing because I wouldn’t have as much responsibility or have to work overtime as I did before. The only bad thing is that I wouldn’t be able to develop relationships with the patients. But considering I spent a year in Virginia, I am glad it turned out this way because at least I can put in my 2-3 months and move on without feeling guilty.
