This was the week I landed on the ground with a bump. I’m sure you’ve been there too. You start the new job and everything is so…new. There are lots of different people to meet, places to visit and procedures and systems to get your head around.
The first few weeks all blur into one, you are absolutely shattered when you get home at night. Then, there’s the repeating ‘wow factor’ of trying new stuff out and being proud you can do it, like my experience of working on Leicester General Hospital’s stroke ward.
The bumpy landing came when I realised that I would need to start feeding all this practical experience into my project initiation document (PID).
It hit me that I needed to make sure I understood exactly what it is I am doing and, perhaps just as importantly, what I am not doing. That way I can explain it to all those who keep asking and to those who are trying to help me achieve it.
As I worked my way through my project timeline it became clear just how much I have to do and at what pace to achieve my desired results in the time I have. I thought eight months was plenty of time, but once you start planning and breaking the individual components of the project down into do-able chunks, you quickly realise exactly what you have taken on.
What to do? I got a cup of tea, I sat back and I went back to my reflections on life as a healthcare assistant. I remembered how my time experiencing that role had highlighted the importance of teamwork, information, communication and social interaction. I went back to my plan and had another look. I double-checked the time I have allocated to the various project tasks to make sure I’ve concentrated the right amount of effort in the places where it will have the biggest impact. It took another couple of hours, but I changed the timeline quite a lot. I felt a lot more confident the second time around that the breathing space is where I need it, timescales are still intact and the deliverables will be produced. It’s a little tight in places, but then isn’t that life in the NHS?
All I can say is thank goodness for reflection and project management. I recommend them both to you.