Today was my first day back on the hospital consultation-liaison service and I’m a little tired. I put about 2 miles and 22 floors on my step counter, which was a nice pace for starters. It’ll get busier as the COVID-19 surge develops over the next couple of weeks.
Being in phased retirement means I’m away for weeks, sometimes more than that. The pandemic changed many processes and policies while I was gone.
I think the biggest challenge I had this morning was just getting used to donning and doffing the face shield. I passed many people in the halls who are wearing them. My clumsiness was a little embarrassing. It took me a while just to figure out how to adjust the head band. But those who recommend them are right–they keep you from touching your face, which the masks don’t do.
You may have seen my YouTube video and the post on how to trim beards so they don’t interfere with the seal of the N95 masks. I even shaved mine off. Come to find out, I’ll probably never have to wear one given the shortages of masks generally.
I’m learning a lot of things on the fly and that includes how to use electronic gadgets to facilitate remote interviewing in order to cut down on spread of the virus.
I saw a lot more people in the stairwells and elevators were much less crowded.
It’s a different world.
Go Retire Psychiatrist 