Nothing overly Earth Shattering.
I start my new job on January 25th. I am not very excited. I am trying to be. At least 5 day shift nurses are leaving the Hospital I am leaving. The Director really has not spoken to me about this, but he does have to do an exit interview. I do hear he has to somehow answer for why everyone is leaving the department, while thats nice to know, it doesn't help my situation!
I *AM* excited to be leaving East. It has been a great place to make friend and work, but over time, they have allowed the mix of experienced nurses to new nurses to become lopsided, and for some reason they have decided to promote some of the newest nurses to "managing" roles. No one really knows why. Well, someone knows why, but they aren't really telling.
I'm not really excited about going to a unknown length of time for night shift.
Looking at the bright side: I get a huge differential for working nights, so I will be making quite a bit more money. I will be in a new environment, which hopefully will be a little more logical. On occasion, doing the night thing has led to huge weight loss. I've gained a few unintended pounds and have found it hard to work them off....so who knows.
and the brightest thing, I do have a job.
My tendon, ankle thingy. I just finished a prednisone pack on Monday. My ankle is not completely healed up,but it does feel better. I am able to tolerate walking for somewhat longer without major pain. I'm encouraged by this. I'm doing a lot of swimming (40-45 min daily) and am hoping that maybe by February I can start jogging a little. I plan to actually use the Couch to 5K plan as a way to get back into it. It's a great plan for non runners to start running. And by that time I'll be a true non runner!
Not being able to run has been very unusual. I admit it has given me more time to socialize and indulge in my photography, and also to clean my home.
Last weekend, I put up a small sign in the employee bathroom about dinner, then I put up an invite on Facebook, and wildly, 17 people showed up. I had expected about 4. It was really fun.
But I admit, I still rather miss running, so I am hopeful the ankle keeps improving. It would also be nice to be able to walk for an hour with the dog without pain.
The Dog is doing great.
He seems to have received more CHristmas gifts than I did!
Here he is pictured with the peppermint scented Holiday "Lightbulb" from LLBeans. He loves it.
He has continued to become a better behaved dog over the past few weeks. Maybe he knows about Santa. Or maybe he is getting enough exercise. I'm not sure.
I hope he will adjust to me being gone at night. I have a feeling he won't care a bit either way, as long as he gets fed and walked periodically.
Family news: I finally convinced my Mom to agree to come to Florida for a Vacation! I'm taking her to do some birding and photographing. She is more talented than I am and can teach me some cool stuff!
Most importantly, I will get to spend some quality time with her doing something we both enjoy. She isn't that old, but then again, she isn't that young either. I'm trying to convince her to go to the Everglades, but she seems set on some smaller locations. At any rate, I am really looking forward it! We'll be going the week before I start my new job!
I'm starting to think of New Year Resolutions. But I'm not sure what they will be....
Hope you all have a nice Holiday. I will be stuffing my face at work.
This weekend, I spent a very chilly windy day at one small part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. It's about two hours from where I live. I was a little worried that I might get there and find acres of just grass. Not so!
The Refuge is incredible. It is 140,000 acres sharing a boundary with the National Space Center. It was originally set aside as a Buffer Zone for the Space Center in the 1950's.
The terrain is not impressive, but the entire place is massive.
Since that time It has been tinkered with in a variety of ways to make it more habitable for both wildlife and people. I was really really impressed with the entire set up!
Not only are there areas that are attractive to birds,it also contains an area of undeveloped beach which is popular with Loggerhead Turtles during breeding times, and the endangered West Indian Manatee. There are several miles of hiking trails, as well as a Manatee observation area.
In the winter the Wildlife Service allows the area to essentially "flood" the marsh areas. The flooding allows
for the growth of foods attractive to water birds and attracts many many water birds, big and small to the area. During the other months, when birds are not hanging out so predominantly in warm, sunny Florida the waters are allowed to ebb and flow with the tides of the rivers, which I think reduces Mosquitos as well as is a more natural state I suppose for the area.
(Above is a Flock of Pelicans, on their way to Pelican Island another wildlife refuge adjacent to Merritt Island).
What impressed me most is that a great deal of the wildlife is very accessible to people who are not huge hikers. There is a 7 mile "wildlife observation drive" which has been placed so that one actually can observe a ton of activity just from the road. In fact, almost all of my photos were taken from the road. I think sometimes that Wildlife areas are so lovely, but that many people don't even get a chance to get interested because if they cruise through by auto they see nothing, and think Booorrrrring This drive would have gotten anyone excited about seeing more. Not only that, but, access to this area is free! It really is accessible to all who can physically arrive in Florida on the Space Coast.
So without Further Ado, let me show you all what a real Anhinga, snake bird, should look like!
Anhingas are a little unusual. Once they get wet, they really have to dry their wings, so it's pretty easy to get this photo. I think thousands of amateurs like myself have this photo! It's so dramatic, but frankly, unless you really really purposely disturb this bird, it is not going too far until those wings dry up!
I can't help but share two photos, I couldn't decide which I liked better.
It was a very very windy day, making things rather chilly and sometimes blowing me around as I tried to hold the camera steady, you can see the feathers of this Great Blue Heron being upswept by the wind.
By far the most exciting thing I saw all day was the field of Roseate Spoonbills. I knew of the bird, but had never seen it.
A lot of Florida tourists mistake these odd looking birds for Flamingos. But, as Flamingo Dancer will tell you, a Flamingo has longer legs and a dark blackish heavy bill. Like the Flamingo, the Roseate Spoonbill gets it's pink color from the foods it eats. The Spoonbill mostly eats crustaceans. The algae that the crustaceans eat gives the birds their wild pink coloration.
They use their shovel like Bill to sweep from side to side...there are actually odd little sensors in their bills allowing them to sense their dinner.
They are really funny looking birds, who are extra social, and seem to spend most of their time in huge groups, unlike the Great Egret , which can be seen all over Florida, usually alone.
The Spoonbills are so social, they will even hang out with any other wading birds. They aren;t judgemental about others not being quite so pink and pretty!
I caught these Ibises flaying out of a group of Spoonbills.
The White Ibis birds are very common in Florida, and hang out at pretty much every retention pond in my area. I loved seeing them in a more natural atmosphere. They are easily known by the very obvious curved beak.
Most of the birds pictured here (with the exception I think of the Pelicans) were at one time threatened or endangered due to Hat fashions of the Victorian Era.
Thankfully, these hats have gone
rather out of fashion....and the birds have subsequently recovered.
All of the birds pictured here are considered "LC" or of the least concern these days.
And I am quite pleased to not have to wear such hats
to stay in fashion!
So, thanks to changes in fashion and sensibilities, we now have flocks and flocks of these impressive birds to challenge my photography skills.
I love this photo, If you look at it carefully, you will notice the bird, which was flying oddly solo, has the oddest little tilt to it's head. This tilt made me laugh, it gives the image of an aviator trying to navigate.
Most of the time, however, the Roseate Spoonbill in flight appears more graceful than the above photo.
This is the same spoonbill, with its head in a less cocked position. As you can see, they really are very very pink,
but they are clearly not Flamingos!
As I said, I was really really impressed with the area of the Wildlife preserve I visited. I was a bit concerned that I was going to prepare my camera, make a long drive, and find that the wildlife, being wildlife, would have retreated to areas that can't be accessed by humans, either on foot or in a vehicle! Instead, most of the photos were taken right off of the "wildlife viewing drive". The Drive is seven miles of gravel road, with 14 or so stops that are marked. At several of the stops are short 1-2 mile looping trails that allow people to get out deeper into the habitat. At stop nine (where the Spoonbill in flight pics were taken) is a 5 mile loop with an awesome observation deck). I walked the 5 mile loop. While the loop was fun...there were so many mosquitos, I actually eventually wanted to rip off my pants (which were being bitten through) and roll in the scratchy grass.
I would really recommend this to anyone who has even a passing interest in birds and wildlife. It's free, so you won't feel like you wasted a ton of cash on a short visit. I regret that I didn't have binoculars!!!
And on that note.....
I'll share the view I had, as the light started to go.
I hope you enjoyed the photos! (I'm a little overly proud of myself...)
Well, Today marks the day that I begin
pulling my hair out.
This entire day has been so so messed up . In addition to the below time line, I started a multi dose pack of prednisone. One of the side effect is that it can make a person jittery and irritable. Good timing.
09:15 I call FHW and accept position.
10:00 I tell My Directors Secretary that I am resigning, as I can not find director.
10:30 I go and purchase 2 new pairs of scrubs since I can only wear Navy blue at my new job.
12:30 I send my Letter of Resignation email to my Director. It was a nice letter. Date Jan 17.
13:30 I get a phone call from FHW telling me that due to "restructuring" they were pulling the job the offered and
offering me nights.
I proceed to gasp for air. Finally I said that I needed to talk to the actual Manager.
14:10 Actual manager calls back. very nice, states she is not sure how long I may remain on nights. Tells me how
nice she believes the night shift to be.
I remain really angry and in a state of Shock.
14:20 I take the dog for a walk. I think and I try to figure out what I am going to do.
15:30 I come home, and make a few quick phone calls. I call the local hospital, hoping that at the very least they have a nights position open. I mean, if I am going to work nights it would help to have the job be only 2.7 miles away.
15:45: I speak to Health Central. They confirm they do have days available.
16:11 I am drinking Coffee and wondering what I should do.
Nights really isn't that bad for 3-4 months. I feel like I might have my best opportunity to move up at FH-Waterman. On the other hand, If I am going to do nights, the lure of doing a night shift, walking across the parking lot to the gym and swimming, and then going to bed is very appealing...
and then well, there is a day shift at Health Central, still don't know too much about the place, except that Tiger Woods and his MIL were treated there recently....
I'm not going to rescind my resignation. I'm ready for something new, but I am just amazed at how things are turning out. Plus the prednisone is making me so so jittery and emotional it's rather difficult for me to think at all clearly.
At least I really did need new scrubs. I'm looking forward to seeing how they look tomorrow.
This morning, I went to get my camera out of the car, and discovered that my car was locked tight and I had no idea where the Key was.
This happens to me regularly. I even once went through an entire Wal-Mart trash can (eeeeeewwwww) to discover I had left the key in a pocket of a shirt I had considered buying.
My solution is usually, believe it or not, to pray about it. God, or the focus, usually leads me to recalling where my key can be found.
Today I could not find the key in any of the regular places. I looked in the couch (Found 5 ball points) emptied a box, and discovered multiple things I had been wanting (my dresser scarf, some hair items, a matching shoe for a lone shoe...) but no key.
FInally in desperation, I called the dealer. I had only gotten one key when I bought the car and that seemed odd. Turns out a new key for the Toyota Prius costs between 175.00 and 200.00
Well. Not only that, they have to order it, and then program the car again to get it to work. And there is a charge for programming the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All of this would take a few weeks. During which time I would probably have to rent a car.
Back in the day, one could call a locksmith, and get a key cut to open and drive the car for like, oh, 20.00, and the service call would be about 75.00 So around the same, except that the locksmith person usually would come out that day and have you on your way in a few hours. Rather than weeks!!!!
After talking rather irately to the manager of the dealership about why did I have no key....I found my key. In a pile of Christmas cards.
I called him right away and told him I still wanted the second key. He said it had been delivered to me. He suggested I look deeply into the glove box. I said, OK.
Oddly, my second key was deeply deeply embedded in the glove box. I am a little embarrassed, but at least I told the guy Thank you in a fairly nice way.
I am really in LOVE with my Prius. I like it so so much. BUt I have to say I am not sure the electronic key system is that much of a blessing considering how much hassle it is.
(BUT! I now have my second key, safely in my home, in case I ever do get stupid enough to misplace my key again.)
It's a funny thing how technology is supposed to make life easier, but it never really seems to, instead I have more and more complications!
I finally got back in touch with the HR lady who called me. She was very friendly, in a way that I found difficult...Ie: she made small talk that was inquiring about my life. She asked if I had been at work, and I said, no...clearly if I had been at work, I would STILL be at work. But she's not really in touch with the Nurse schedule. She then asked if I was out Christmas Shopping.... And I am now trying to think of something to say. In truth I have been cleaning out my Kitchen and paying some bills.... So I finally just said, "Oh trying to get the house ready for the Holidays. Thank GOD, (really, I do thank God) she said, Oh I did a lot of that over the weekend too...So having identified with me, we moved on to the Job offer.
The bad news:
It's the Mid shift they offered. 11a-11p
The Pay is somewhat Lower than what I am getting now, due to the rural area, they don't pay quite as competitively.
The never checked current references. Very odd. However- they may have pulled off the old references in my file. I don't want to ask. I think people do realize that your chosen references are going to say pretty good stuff about one anyway.
The Good News:
The Recruiter explained that the Manager wanted to let me know that they were "Restructuring their shifts" (What does that mean? Firing people?) and that a Day Shift would open up sooner than expected. Which sounds as if they might offer me the position even before I come on, due to the month's notice I have to give. I also like the fact that it was directly acknowledged that even though I would be hired for that shift, they understand up front that I want another shift.
It could also mean that I am being considered for the Charge Nurse Position that is posted under internal jobs, but conspicuously not being filled....SO...I'll have to look lively. I could be wrong though, and definitely not ready to hatch chickens that haven't become eggs yet.
The differential on the 11-11 shift will make up for the lower pay.
Plus the not having to drive for such a huge distance each day would be super great. I guess I will save on gas.
I said I'd think it over and crunch the numbers.
After talking to my friend on the phone, I realized how lucky we are just to have any job offers...
So I think I'll be taking it, I'll call back on Tuesday and accept. I do hope the lady doesn't want to make small talk again!
Oddly I woke this morning to dense dense fog. The entire town has disappeared. Amazing.
So life's little updates.
I interviewed last thursday. It was a long process and completely unexpected! The firs tthing that happened when I came in is that the HR officer pulled up an internet test for Emergency room Nurses and told me to take it!
I was a little freaked out. But luckily I have been going to the Study group to become a certified Emergency Nurse, so I had reviewed a lot of the questions. Some of the questions were so so basic. "What is a Slit lamp used to examine" (It's eyes and only eyes, and anyone working in an Emergency dept would know that). and others were a little more complicated regarding EKG interpretation, location of heart damage, and medications. So it was a roller coaster test. I got a 92. Apparently I don't know what medicine precipitates in D5W. I usually mix stuff in Saline, sooo, I STILL don't know which medication precipitates in D5W. (Don't be scared folks, I look stuff up before I mix it, thats why we have a reference book!)
After that I had to interview with HR. It became apparent to me that she is not a nurse, and had not any idea of what a regular Emergency Department day is like. She was, however, friendly and I enjoyed meeting her.
They then sent me down to speak with the Manager who was a nice lady. We had a short conversation, discussed uniforms and patient nurse ratios, and what I expected from management. She did not give me a tour of the department which is a bit odd, but having been a traveler, I can work anywhere. I saw a little of it, and it looks very typical. The volume there is really lower than ours. they see about 130 patients daily. We see about 220. of course we have more beds and staff.
On Friday, they called and offered me a job. I was, unfortunately, involved in some horrific traffic, and did not answer the phone. I then went to a variety of MD appointments. When I called back, she was not at her desk. Soooo, I am now awaiting her to return my call.
I will probably take the job. Right before my interview, they had several meetings of the Asst Nurse Managers at my current job. During that time, they used one particular Nurse as a replacement Charge. She is a COMPLETE IDIOT. She has a face like a classic Madonna, very beautiful. She is however, inexperienced as a Nurse, and also very mean. An example of this would be: After meeting a friend who has a physical deformity at a party, she made the comment to my friend, "Dont bring that retarded guy to the Christmas party because he's weird" (This is coming from an Adult....not a 5 yr old).
She's sort of a classic "Mean girl" pretty, not too bright, but skilled at playing the game. She's grasping and she has really sort of irritated me.
Partly because I am a jealous sort. I am just not that pretty and I don't "Play the game" too well....and while I might not have wanted the job, I don't want to be taking direction from someone who has to ask me for help with a variety of procedures, and is spending more time trying to have affairs with our one sleazy MD. If she were smart and well liked by the staff, I think I would still be jealous, but would understand, but as I see it, it's a train headed for disaster.
So just with that in mind.... I think no matter what they offer me, It shall be better.
:)
It's 9:37 ad I haven't heard back, but it's monday so I am going to give the lady at least an hour to get her monday settled and then call back.
Other than that.... My left ankle is totally messed up. Looks like my achilles is/was partially torn and is trying to heal. MD put me on a steroid dose pack and signed me up for PT but told me that he expects that I will need surgery anyway. My goal is to get through the next 4-6 months and then have the surgery. It's 4-6 weeks on crutches, soooo, I would have to figure something out as my job doesn't really have a position for nurse on crutches....
the ankle area does hurt. I'm hoping the steroid and the Iontophoresis (whatever that does I'll find out) helps a lot, but no running for a long time.
Other news:
A friend of mine from South Africa is coming to Florida for the entire Month of February!!!! He is going to a conference, but decided to come early for the Space Shuttle Lauch and maybe to run a Marathon, which I was scheduled to run but clearly can't! I might coerce him into volunteering with me at the Marathon since another of my friends is coming from Utah to run it still...
This is giving me some incentive to finally get my apartment fully unpacked and put up all the art I have on the walls etc.... which is nice.
Woweee, if you read all this I am amazed.
Not a very interesting blog post, but then again, I dont have much to say!
What's the worst book you've ever read?
Well, it may not be the worst book I've ever read, but it popped immediately into my mind as one of the worst:
The First Apostle written by A James Becker. It really really stinks. It follows a Davinci Code type plot (which by the way is not one of the best books ever either). The worst part about the book is that the author feels compelled (Or was he paid?) to place brand names for laptops and cellular phones throughout the book. Me thinks he was paid.
It was trite, banal and just commercialized. I'm learning not to buy books at the supermarket.
Since I returned to Florida, it seems the weather has not cooperated with my photographic aspirations.
While blue skies peek through, but for the most part we have had a lot of rain and gray skies. This is our dry season so it's been a bit odd.
I've been out walking with the dog and hoping for good photos. The most irritating thing is that I've been seeing some new birds, rather than the same old herons and cranes. And all the pictures I have of them are horrific!!!
Grainy and noise filled. Not enough light.
ah well here are some of them.
This is an Anhinga. It's also known as a Snake bird. It does not have the oils on its feathers to help keep feather dry, so it's often photographed drying its wings. It's called a snake bird because when it swims its totally under water except for its head, and it looks like a snake....
It's supposedly a common bird here in Florida, but this was the first time I had seen one. and that photo just isn't that great...
Onwards to the next gray weather travesty.
Turtle. It's totally out of focus, and would have been such a fun shot. This may be less the gray weather and more my learning of the new camera, but I'm blaming it on the weather!!!
and the worst is my Osprey. I drove up to the Hospital where I have an interview at this week, and since it is beside a lake, I took my camera.
I found an Osprey perched on a light pole at the hospital itself.
Just look at how horrid and grainy the photo is. It's like Newsprint....
and then the Osprey did this odd thing....
I think it was thinking of flying away, but it didn't It just eventually tucked the wing up...
Just horrid light.
Well.....today started out raining AGAIN, so I gave up and decided to post these anyway as examples of what not to do......
good gracious. I have a feeling as soon as the skies clear up, the interesting birds will disappear!!!
Whew. What a Week. It was exciting, but not really a good kind of exciting!
I went back to work on Sunday which was rather uneventful. I worked triage which is nice because it's kind of removed from everyone else but the tech with you.
On Tuesday I found out with everyone else that my friend Lynn had been fired on Monday. Admittedly they said the fantastic euphanism "Moved on from the hospital" but they knew we knew and we knew they knew, etc etc. I know it's sort of a sad thing, but frankly she had become very difficult to work with and was not really promoting the mission of the hospital. It's hard to admit that about a friend, but the truth will set you free yes?
I also found out that the job at Celebration Hospital had never been a job. It was one of those myths that are posted. I had to call Human Resources and complain that I had heard nothing to get that news. The Human resource gal was extraordinarily apologetic, stating that the Manager did want to hire me but the job didn't exist. Celebration then offerred me "PRN" as needed employment. This rather stinks because that just then means they get you to work for them when they need it. No Benefits, no paid days off. I refused. I mean, the manager didn't bother to call or email. He clearly didn't care that much about me, so.
So. This week was mostly spent navigating onwards in my career.
I called the local hospital. I had interview there on November 5th. At the time the manager told me she had offered the full time days position to another and was waiting to hear back. She offered me the PRN position. So, I figured it now being a month later, the position would be filled or not filled. HR called me then next day and told me (ANd I QUOTE! "The manager has offered the position to someone and is waiting on a reply, but she really wants you PRN" Well. That hospital pays less than what I am making now, the only reason to work there is the short commute and the Health insurance bennies. PRN workers aren't eligible for those. I told the HR person no thanks. The lady then acted very surprised, stutterred and said, "Well it's just until after the holidays and something might come open" and actually begged me to keep them in mind. Clearly the PRN thing is the preferred way to go for Managers these days. They don't have to pay any benefits or commit to the growth and development of that staff person. It is definitely a sign of the times that things are not really that great with the economy.
I won't lie. I was really disappointed. Even though all the hospitals so far have offered to employ me they didn't offer the golden ticket, the Full time employment.
Oddly, I remembered that there is a 200 bed hospital, owned by my hospital system about 30 minutes from my house.
It's a rather new facility. I checked and they had 4 positions posted. I clicked on the apply for this job button and everything started to roll again.
The above photo is just about what my current job entails every day.
I have an interview on Thursday. I'm sort of hoping against hope that they actually offer me a position that I didn't apply for but I saw posted after I applied. They initially had just the 4 positions. But the next day when I was trolling around, I saw a Charge nurse position posted for Days. I would hope that within their organization they actually are planning on promoting someone and just have to post the position for legal reasons. On the off chance though that they do want to hire someone in from the outside, I am hoping it's me! It would mean a pay raise and also a chance to move up a bit, and have the ability to shape the culture of the place I am working a bit more.
I love nursing, but I am getting a little tired of being Staff Nurse sally all the time. So I am feeling positive again about things.
I really hope that this job offer comes through even for the staff nurse. I would be so so humbled if no one wants to hire me!
Nothing else really going on. Weather is too gray for good photos...I can not run, going back to the MD in 2 weeks.
TIme is just creeping away on me! BUt I gotta say my house is getting spectacularly clean....all that time not runnign translated into cleaning things!!!!
Sorry to blather on. I had to vent out the frustration somewhere. I hope you at least enjoyed the vintage Nurse pictures as much as I did!!!
The holidays are in full effect, so tell us: What's your favorite holiday song? Bonus points if you share it with us!
I Love love love Christmas. So, of course, I love Christmas Music. I think a few years ago I posted my Favorite song as "Oh Holy Night" but I have to admit this year, thinking about it, it's really different. I'm enamored with "Go tell it on the Mountain"
Go, tell it on the mountain,
While shepherds kept their watching
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
o’er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy li--ght
Refrain
The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed our Savior's bi--rth.
Refrain
Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas mo--rn.
RefrainInterestingly this song, considered a "christian Spiritual song" Has had many positions beyond the Holiday season. It was used by Fannie Lou Hamer, during the 1960's Civil Rights Movement in America. Because of the style of the song multple lyrics have been added or subtracted to suit the needs of the singers.SO bonus points, 2 Versions! Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
And Bob Marley and the Wailers.
