Revelations

I've been working full-time for 8 years now- prior to that I was home, raising and home-schooling my kids and working part-time for my church. Before THAT I worked full and then part-time as a nurse at various places in Pittsburgh. In my adult life I have worked as an ICU nurse, a critical care float pool nurse, long-term care charge nurse, long-term care nursing supervisor, long-term care assistant director of nursing, director of wellness at a personal care home, vaccine research nurse, clinical documentation specialist, communications director at church (8 hours a week to do the weekly bulletin and prayer list), and an after-school program teacher.

I now find myself in a completely different industry. Talk about culture shock!!!! With the exception of the church jobs, all of my jobs have been in healthcare. I've worked in hospitals large and small, private nursing homes, county nursing homes, non-profits, for-profits, but always healthcare. I became accustomed to being treated a certain way by both supervisors and institutions and I accepted what some would consider abuse at the hands of co-workers and the afore-mentioned institutions. I have worked around people who use swear words as casually as regular, and people who don't respect you for your talent, experience, and/or education. And that applies to supervisors as well as co-workers.

I now work in a place where in the past two weeks, I have not heard a single swear word. I have not had anyone get in my face and tell me off. No one has threatened me in any way (you think that doesn't happen in the workplace? You'd be surprised. I once had a registered nurse threaten my life and job). I don't have to dodge cigarette smoke all day. The work environment is comfortable- good ambient temperature, nice office, lots of equipment. No one is watching and waiting for me to screw up. My brains and degrees are respected. One of the bosses asked if our operational chart could be made "more fun." No one is breathing down my neck and plotting behind my back. There is no gossip mill.

Is this the norm? I wouldn't know, because this is the first time I've worked in the private sector. My only reference point is my husband's office, which also seems like a pleasant place to work. How sad is it, that I had to move into a completely different field in order to feel appreciated by co-workers and supervisors?