Remote training, writing and 14 years

3 things on my mind today:

1. Remote Training

So our new nurse data analyst started on Monday (yay!). I mentioned before she is a nurse I used to work with, so I already knew her. She’s great.

I am the primary person training her, so I’ve spent a lot of time lately getting ready for her. Our department didn’t have a lot of official “resources” previously, for new employees. The transplant data department is pretty small, and there isn’t much turnover.

So, I’ve really not trained many people before in this role! The last person I helped train was also done in person. Now, besides her first day Monday in the office with our manager, this new employee is working 100% remote (as am I). Technology obviously helps a TON. The capability to share my screen over webex and let her see exactly what I’m doing is priceless.

But my role has a ton of very nuanced stuff in it. It’s hard to explain, really. It’s like I’m constantly opening a can of worms….teaching one little thing that then inevitably leads to something else that I haven’t yet explained…and so on and so forth. By the end of the day yesterday my voice literally HURT from talking so much! (I normally talk VERY little in my solo job….).

I’m super happy with some of the resources and training documents I’ve made for her though. I think it’s very helpful and my manager was excited to finally have some official tools (for long term department wide use). I think this first week will really be the most intensive training, and then I think I’ll be able to step back just a little and not have to be quite as constantly hands on. Thank god she has years of prior transplant experience, so that is a MAJOR PERK. She’s never worked in data before, so that’s all new, but at least the medical knowledge part is totally there.

2. Writing

Last night I helped Ethan work on a Language Arts assignment for quite a while. He does not like writing and it really is not a major strength of his. It’s kind of a big source of frustration for both of us.

Writing/ grammar/ language in general is something that has always come easily and naturally to me, so I just cannot relate to him in this. I try to help him, but I struggle with how to help him without basically just telling him what to write!!! I also find myself biting my tongue a lot. Of course, I want to be encouraging. But sometimes certain things just seem so obvious to me that I end up wanting to yell, “COME ON!!!!” 😆

It doesn’t help matters that he doesn’t like writing, so anytime he can avoid it, the better. Which means I’m lucky if I even get him to bring a writing assignment to me in the first place…. He is much more likely to just “give it a go” on his own, turn it in and sort of shrug it off if the paragraphs could have been much better/ more complete/ more detailed/(gotten a higher grade…..),etc.

I will say, he has improved a lot though from a couple years ago. So I’m trying to focus on that. It’s just NOT HIS THING, but it’s soooooo important to me that he be able to write/ communicate well as an adult. You see so many people in emails/ work/ life that just seem so lacking in this area, and it’s kind of a major pet peeve…

3. It’s our 14th Anniversary today!

Happy Anniversary to us. 14 years!! (glass clink). Hard to believe!! It simultaneously feels like a blink of an eye and a long time.

(It’s my parents’ 49th anniversary today, too! We share a date!! Happy Anniversary to the couple that puts all other couples to shame with their long, loving, strong marriage! (high school sweethearts, too….awww…..❤)

Daily Gratitude:

I’m grateful for Ivan, everyday!