DONMATTA

[RustedFox]

Recently on here, we've unofficially attached the word "DOMA" to mean "day on my @ss"; that day-"off" after a night shift and before a morning shift where you're screwed no matter what you try to do with your sleep schedule. I've had more than a few of these this month because of the acute-on-chronic staffing issues at my present shop.


In an attempt at eloquence, I propose that we officially call this a "DONMATTA" (don't matter; because it doesn't matter what you do, the day is a waste."

(D)ay
(ON)
(M)y
(A)ss
(T)o
(T)urn
(A)round

Comments/criticisms/revisions welcome. I'm post night-shift, and I'm going for a favorite sandwich of mine.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Birdstrike]

"TNT"


Toxic Night Turn-around


(First T could be substituted with "Terrible," "Torturous.")

 

[dchristismi]

I hate the DOMA. Which is why I make the schedule, and we don't do them. (ALWAYS 2 days off after a night, and never a deliberate back to mornings. If people trade and end up with it, it's not my fault, but I go out of my way to avoid them.)

I read a brilliant blog once about the DOMA (not called that then), and how the blogger was trying to explain it to a layperson, and it involved lots of caffeine and then lots of margaritas, I think. I wish I could find that blogpost. I think it might have been Shadowfax (at MovinMeat), but I haven't been able to find it. Anyway, it was the most perfect description of this painful experience.

I think that to have a decent schedule in EM, it helps if the scheduler has actually worked the shifts they ask others to.

Fox, go have a drink.
I worked a 5a-1p today, so have already indulged.
But damn, if I don't have to start worrying about the October schedule now...

 

[WilcoWorld]

I'm currently enjoying a different DONMATTA - The first of 2 days off post-overnight. This first day will be spent on my a$$ doing whatever I please. Ironically, just like the aforementioned DOMA, my DONMATTA will also feature lots of caffeine, followed in a couple hours by (Avion) margaritas.

It took some squawking, but I have now trained my scheduler to give me a minimum of 48 hours off after every string of nights. Soooooo essential. While I think Birdstrike can be a bit too dour sometimes, I do believe that it was a string of his posts (a Bill of Rights?) from a couple years back that gave me the confidence to insist on always having my version of the post-overnight DONMATTA. My wife actually likes these days, and calls me "Post-overnight Wilco", because I lack a filter and make lots of off color jokes.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I thought DOMA was Day Off? My Ass!

It doesn't matter if there are two of them before going back to work. The first one is still a DOMA. You know what I've found I kind of like? Rotating backwards back to the day shift. So from day to evening to late evening to overnight to late evening to evening to day rather than overnight back to day. Whoever did all that research into rotating forward is wrong in my opinion.

 

[dchristismi]

I thought DOMA was Day Off? My Ass!

Me too, actually. That's how I've always heard it. Which means I wasn't reading very well... DOH

 

[WilcoWorld]

Me too, actually. That's how I've always heard it. Which means I wasn't reading very well... DOH

Guess I wasn't reading carefully either... of course, it's my DONMATTA.

 

[filhodeinferno]

Doing my first month in the dept as a resident and had my first DOMA on Saturday. It looked good on paper, but I was truly baffled on when I was supposed to sleep. I ended up sleeping 8 hours the morning after the night shift and then trying again to sleep Saturday night before my Sunday morning shift. Ended up waking up wide awake at 3am.

What's the tried and true protocol here on sleep schedule with DOMAs?

 

[daveyjwin]

I sleep from morning when I get home to about noon or 1, like a 4 hour ish nap, gives energy to survive the day, but I'm usually pretty tired again by 8 or 9 pm, and can go to bed for the night.

 

[Birdstrike]

While I think Birdstrike can be a bit too dour sometimes....

Dude....

Groove. Groove, where are you man? I need you. Help me out here. WilcoWorld called me "dour." Could you please compare me to an evil Russian spy again, or something? Or at least some crazy, comic-book villain, terrible dictator or something a little better than "dour"?

Just kidding, Wilco. But seriously, you should see my posts before I revise them multiple times and scrub them for public consumption or before I have DrWhiteCoat (of DrWhiteCoat.com, not White Coat Investor) go over them and reign them in. You'd have me committed, I think. Reading the director's cuts are definitely not for ----ies. You'd think watching sausage-making or laws being made would be fun in comparison after reading some of them.

But in all actuality, remember that time I got trolled and left the forum all butt-hurt for like a couple of months, a few years ago? I actually decided then, when I came back to try to make sure all of my posts, no matter how gloomy or pointlessly dour seeming, had some sort of nugget in there, that someone could take away and use to make lemonade out of the lemons. Otherwise, I decided there was no point just to come on here to rant for the sake of ranting. Although admittedly it's not always obvious, I do always try to at least bury some sort of take home point, that turns the rant into something that could be a little bit useful to those looking for that. There's definitely a difficult balance to trying to find a positive message without losing the edginess that makes a specific piece of writing powerful and something someone can identify with, without making it so politically correct or scrubbed of emotion that it loses its rawness and power to connect with people.

Birdstrike ...I do believe that it was a string of his posts (a Bill of Rights?) from a couple years back that gave me the confidence to insist on always having my version of the post-overnight DONMATTA.

Yes, and unfortunately I deleted that post. It's not on any of the internet-archive cached pages either. It was a rant-thread called, "EM Physician Bill of Rights & Responsibilities & The 'Big Lie' of EM." I wrote that on 1/11/11. That was over 3 years ago, and you still remember that. How crazy is that? That's so weird, because the thread died out after only 4 short comments, but you took something out it that made your life (even if only a tiny bit) better, and still remember it. Wow.

I have to say, I still remember EMRAGEs response post. I don't know why, but it's one of my favorite responses to any posts I've ever written.

My wife actually likes these days, and calls me "Post-overnight Wilco", because I lack a filter and make lots of off color jokes.

She's right. Obviously. Lol

 

[Groove]

LOL... DONMATA and DOMA... It sounds like a greek neologism or something I should be chanting during the opening scene of Prometheus. Isn't that a lyric from that old Enigma song "Sadness" anyway? You know.. the one with all the gregorian chant. hehe

Bird, I mean Anna, you DO look a little dour on occasion. I call it your "pouty" face. Where's this Bill of Rights anyway? I vaguely remember that one. You link it and the evidence is deleted. All very modus operandi for Russian spies I might add.

 

[Birdstrike]

LOL... DONMATA and DOMA... It sounds like a greek neologism or something I should be chanting during the opening scene of Prometheus. Isn't that a lyric from that old Enigma song "Sadness" anyway? You know.. the one with all the gregorian chant. hehe

Bird, I mean Anna, you DO look a little dour on occasion. I call it your "pouty" face. Where's this Bill of Rights anyway? I vaguely remember that one. You link it and the evidence is deleted. All very modus operandi for Russian spies I might add.

Lol. Awesome. Mission accomplished.