The September start date loomed and my colleagues at the BBC were bemused by my career switch. For me having had some ‘real life’ experience was going to prove useful once I started training. I’d been used to trying to fit in GP and dental appointments, though the flexible working was helpful in that regard. One thing the BBC gave you time for was donating blood, and our office was close to the west end Donor centre.
The last week came round and my last day saw an enormous gift wrapped box on my desk. Post lunch it looked exciting. Opening it revealed a second box, a little smaller than the first, and so on until I got to one small box, containing a nursing fob watch, with my name engraved on the back. It was immensely touching and a treasured souvenir of my time there. Now to abandon the Bakerloo and home via Waterloo, I was going to take up residence it seemed on the Northern line.
Home was at Morden the southern end of the Northern line, and training was to take place in Edgware. Whether via Charing Cross or Bank the trip for days off could takes ages. On starting I took a kettle, mugs and tea bags in the belief milk would be easy to come by. That way the first evening could be social over a cuppa. That first day our set was spread around 3 locations of accommodation, distributed by a minibus. Soon we were in class, and getting familiar with the locality as well as the rhythms of hospital life. Being the new set we were under scrutiny by the other students and tutors. We had fittings for uniforms, recruiting by Unions, and taking up membership of the Social Club. Our nursing adventure had begun.
No comments:
Post a Comment