Going PRN
Let’s go back in time for a moment. Before I had my son, before I met my husband, before the words “occupational therapy” ever entered my lexicon. Picture me as a teenager, a college student, an early 20-something. I was obsessed with my career. You wouldn’t call me a workaholic, because I did have a life outside of the television studio, but I had an overwhelming desire to be at the apex of my career before I took any steps to lessen that load. I wanted to run NBC News (more specifically, MSNBC) — I wanted to be the one dictating which stories got the coverage and what that coverage was. My goal was to be at the height of my game before I got married, and definitely before I had any children (if I had any children).
Well, life is what happens when you’re busy making plans, amirite? Long story short, I met Nate at the ripe old age of 26 and we married right before I turned 32, then Baby Baer came along in my 35th year. I had already left the world of television by the time any of those things had happened! Ironically, once I started practicing as an occupational therapist, I never felt any desire to become a director of rehab or work as a mid-level administrator at a hospital. I was always perfectly content in my role as a practicing OT (speaks to how well the career suits me!). Up until Baer was born (literally), I always said I would return to work full time post maternity leave. That changed the moment he entered the world.
PRN is an abbreviation used for the Latin phrase, “pro re nata” or, “as needed.” This is a common phrase used in the medical field. There are PRN therapists and nurses at nearly every hospital, skilled nursing facility, or acute rehab center. Basically, these are the substitute teachers of the medical world. I had worked PRN when I was a new therapist, trying to get my foot in the door at one of the hospitals I did a level II fieldwork at. I had a great experience there, so I was optimistic about making the leap back into the PRN world. However, this time was different: I wasn’t supplementing a full time income — this was going to be my primary job. Nate and I agreed that I would work two weekdays as well as weekend days as required by the hospital, and Baer would go to the daycare affiliated with the hospital. For a woman who has work-a-holism in her genes (my dad retired this summer and is still working in his field), this was a big step back. But it turns out that making this move was the exact right one for me. Monday through Wednesday I got to be a full time mama to Baer: zoo trips, music class, swim lessons, coffee shop dates — all the things that core memories are made of. Thursday and Friday I got to put my professional skills to use and remind myself that I had a Master’s degree and the ability to touch adult lives.
The happy ending is that I found a happy balance in my work and family life. My job as an occupational therapist fulfills me in a different way than my job as a mother does. Plus, a little extra money never hurt nobody.