This week, I wanted to talk about failure. Like many people, I think that one of the hardest parts about starting something new or different is that at some point you are going to mess up and get it wrong and have to try again. This happened this week with my work at the clinic. We were having a busier day than normal, with more patients than I had originally had, and the medical technician had to go home early. Until then I hadn’t realized how much I had relied on her for guidance, specifically for patient care. I found myself overwhelmed as more people were coming in, unable to keep up with my normal pace (where I have extra blankets/pads ready, etc). Thankfully, nothing went wrong with regards to our patients, but I was not able to work as quickly or as efficiently as I wanted. This resulted in a backlog, which made things more difficult for the head nurse and the interpreter, who was managing more than one patient at once. After this longer shift, I found myself beating myself up about this. I had been getting good feedback from those in charge of me and I was worried that this would color their perception of me. I liked being known for being proactive, and was worried that this would change that. But at the end of the day, they still thanked me for my hard work. Bad days are apart of any job, especially those under pressure. Today reminded me that I need to go easier on myself in the field, and also the power of taking a breathe.