Laser Theatre

I scrubbed in the Laser Theatre for the 1st time this week. Most of the cases are what most people will be familiar with: Lasik. Though it includes other treatments requiring the use of laser. I've always wanted to see how Lasik is done & I finally got my chance. I also got to know the staff working in Laser coz although our theatres are side by side, we're often too busy to chat. My ex-manager who've retired didn't want me to be trained in Laser, fearing that I'll be poached away. My current manager feels the same way but she didn't have a choice. The surgeon added a case last minute & all the Laser staff are away save for 1. So yesterday morning, I was working with them to sort of orientate myself to that environment. This morning surgeon is a different 1 with a different procedure. But it certainly helped for me to get used to the drapes & instruments.

So this Laser staff working with me today is from Sg as well. We got to talking while getting the theatre ready & waiting for patient to turn up. She was 1 of the lucky ones as 1 of the hospitals here went to Sg to recruit nurses 10 years ago. She went for the interview & 6 months later, she came here. So she was guaranteed a job from the get go. We talked about the reasons why we left. She shared with me that when she was resigning, her DON tried to dissuade her. She didn't want to end up like her DON, with a failing marriage & kids are not close to her due to long hours at work. Since coming here, she managed to be there for her kids & she enjoys a much closer relationship with her family now.

Something she said struck a cord in me. We should enjoy the good things about Australia but at the same time, retain what's good in our heritage, that we shouldn't lose who we are. A polymate who migrated to the US many years back said something to the same effect. She refused to pick up their accent becoz she's an Asian & "so I should speak like 1." Our children may be Ozzified but we'll always remember our roots.