I always thought that was the smartest saying. I tend to live my life by this motto, which has both helped and hindered me throughout the years.
I tend to be the "worst case scenario" type of person, the one who always has to say, "yeah but what if....". I tend to think through every step of a process, imagining all the angles and possibilities so that I can be prepared for whatever is thrown my way.
This worked in my favor when I was helping to construct a new cardiac intensive care unit. I was able to think through every possible scenario, so that in the end the staff at the bedside could care for the patient as effectively and efficiently as possible. I chose exactly where I wanted the lights (as well as what kind of lights to install), the outlets, the light switches, sink, needle dispensers, etc. We moved around the printer, medication dispenser, utility rooms, and other core areas of the unit several times, just to make sure it was perfect. I made the architect do mock-ups of the room, letting us figure out it the heart monitors were at the right height and if we had enough room to get a bed through the doors when 10 other pieces of equipment are in the room. In the end, I think the end product is awesome- a tribute to my OCD and "what if" personality.
On the personal side of this motto, I tend to over pack whenever we go anywhere. Extra pair of underwear, medications, nail file and clippers, rain jacket, band-aids...you get the picture. My family makes fun of me, but all the jokes go away when someone needs a Band-aid...
Recently at work, one of the nurses made a comment as to how she would love to wash her patient's hair really well and get all the tangles out. I promptly went into my office and came back with a bottle of hair detangler.
"You keep hair detangler in your office?"
Yes, I do. Patients with mussy hair is a pet peeve of mine, so I tend to keep a bottle just in case I need to do an emergency hair treatment. That's not wierd, right?
Right?
When I was a new manager, I learned the secret to success as someone who oversees a large group of females. I always kept a base of three things in my office- chocolate, Advil, and tampons. I would even bundle the three items together in a little baggie, making it easier to hand out. The staff knew they could come get a "care package" any time, whether they needed one or all three of the items within.
I have continued that tradition of sorts in my new role, keeping a small "just in case' bucket. It has an assortment of things- napkins, Tums, cough drops, and yes- hair detangler. Every time I pull the bucket down from it's shelf I get a little smirk from the staff member who is there to receive whatever they may need (I have a bit of a reputation for "being prepared" at work. OK I have a reputation for OCD...). But the smirk quickly fades as I raise an eyebrow at them and hand over the item from my bucket. Yeah, that's right. Make fun of me all you want, but I will be the one with the Tums every time administration buys us pizza for lunch.
Today's picture represents being prepared. So forgive me if you are ever in a situation with me and I ask, "yeah but what if...". But I'm definitely your girl if you ever need a Band-aid on the fly.
No comments:
Post a Comment