Every time I take a sabbatical, the first month off is a bit challenging. I miss work, I miss being productive, I wonder if I should be working more. Then by the 3rd month, I’m like – I cannot imagine myself going back to work. I am enjoying my freedom and stress-free life.
Going back to work this time after spending 3 months in Barcelona was difficult. I couldn’t imagine myself seeing 20 patients per day again. My previous job before the sabbatical was chill since it was a new clinic, we were only seeing a few patients per day. Fortunately, I was given a ramp up schedule in MA so I wasn’t just thrown in.
Starting my 2nd month in the assignment, which is when you really know if the assignment is good or bad, is when I started to feel overwhelmed. I dreaded going to work and felt burned out by the end of the day. I think it was because that’s when I started seeing majority of the physician’s patients that is out on FMLA, and there was a lot of catching up to do (patient wise).
I think I was also having imposter syndrome. Normally I am a confident NP, considering I have over 10 years of experience and have worked with so many different populations, and followed so many different providers. But coming back from a sabbatical I felt a bit rusty and not as sharp as usual. After 1-2 weeks, this subsided and once I felt confident in myself again, I no longer felt overwhelmed.
Even though taking 3-6 months off every year is rewarding, it can definitely take a toll on you professionally. I have to remind myself after starting to work each time after a sabbatical, that it is ok for me to be a little rusty in the beginning. But practicing in healthcare is similar to riding a bike, eventually it all comes back to you.
