Day 23: Why General Practice?

If you have reading my blogs daily you have notice there's been a void of couple of days. It's because Mondays and Tuesdays are my clinic days and if I'm lucky enough to having boxed off and ticked I can leave on time. Like most clinicians I have referrals to sort, letters to do and documents to chase. In combination of this clinical workload I also have to balance out my home life. Being a mummy is challenging and my children like to effortlessly push me to my limits. Noel obviously could not wait until the end of term to destroy his school shoes and school t-shirts. School shoes were replaced a couple of weeks ago but it's his t-shirts that need sorting this week. My commute to work takes me up and down the M5 corridor, so I have the luxury of mega supermarkets to pop into on the way home. I had stopped off at two different supermarkets yesterday looking for these new blue polo t-shirts. NONE available.

When you're desperate for blue polos... life be like...

Thought I'd try my luck again tonight after work. So after another exhausting day in General Practice I find myself at another edge of town retail complex looking for the elusive blue polo t-shirt for a child aged 7-8 years. Hence two very late finishes in a row, after full on clinic days. Therefore for the past two night I've missed "quiet time" and cuddles before bed with my Mini K's. Mr K allows them an extra 10 minutes tonight so I get a chance to see them before bed. Thanks M&S for being the ever dependable shop that you are. M&S came through strong on the school polo front, so much so I brought a triple pack. I tell you I struggle. Now all I'm thinking about is 'I must get the iron-on labels for bad boys before they are unleashed into school wilderness'.

So I'm knackered physically and mentally. Would I change working in General Practice for anything else right now? No. Have there been times where I couldn't face going into clinic? Totally. So what is it that keeps General Practice, an attractive place to work in? I honestly not sure there's a simple answer. But I know this, in all my 14 years of being a practicing pharmacist I have ever felt so valued as a highly skilled clinician and member of the healthcare team. The rewarding feel I get from engaged patients and their families is uniquely special. Ultimately it is the people that make it, patients, carers, the surgery team and the wider network that we engage. There's always an opportunity to be had to leave good impression, be positive and be better humans.

Emergency Galaxy broken into...