Sunday, May 25, 2008

Searching for Bobby Fischer

There's an old movie called Searching for Bobby Fischer about a chess champ. Honestly, I don't know if I've ever watched the movie, but I've been told about it. In one scene, Bobby tells his opponent that he's going to lose and offers to let him concede the match very early in the game. Apparently, Bobby could "see" enough logical moves ahead in the game to know the outcome before even his opponent did. I'm finding that being a CNA requires this kind of mind.

The ability to anticipate the next move and be prepared with a response is a great thing. How many times have I gone into a resident's room, only to find that I don't have the supplies I need to get the job done? I'll bet it's been a thousand just since February. How many times have I found myself rushing around trying to accomplish a task by a certain time? At least five-hundred. Last night, I was thinking that if I could anticipate the next "logical move" then I could be prepared and therefore, efficient and timely.

This morning, of course, I realized that I'm not dealing with chess, which has order and method. I'm dealing with people who sometimes think it makes perfect sense to dance down the hall with no pants on. On the other hand, I could (and should) take a moment to gather my supplies before I start a task, if it's not an emergency situation. I should also take time to plan my day as far as I can, so I'm not rushing around at the end of a deadline. If doing this makes even one task go smoother, it would be worth the minute it would take to think it through.

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