March 16, 2011

Pseudosenioritis

Now that I know I'm withdrawing from school at the end of the semester, I have a really bad case of senioritis. Zero motivation whatsoever.

I decided to spend the next several months brushing up on my Spanish. First of all, where we're going has a high population of Spanish-speakers and some knowledge of Spanish would probably help me personally as well as professionally. Second, I can get back into those soap operas that I got hooked on when we lived on the Gulf Coast. Funny though...when I was watching those soaps, even though I only knew every fifth or sixth word I could tell you exactly what was going on. It'd be nice to move up to knowing every other word.

March 13, 2011

2736

2736 is the precise number of miles from our front door to the city limits of our new location.

I looked at the BON site for 2736. They are a lot more demanding than my current BON. It'll take a few months to get the endorsement, which is why I have to get the ball rolling now. But then there's a CEU requirement...not a problem this time as I have a whole bunch already from the pursuit of my RN-BC. But I'll have to stay on top of my CEUs for renewal time.

Lots of job listings come in from my indeed.com and CareerBuilder searches, and not just in psych nursing. IN fact, there are a lot of opportunities out there for nurses. Granted, I can go to the state forum for 2736 and read all the horror stories of how even experienced nurses can't find employment...and at the same time I also see a lot of success stories too. I'm not a new grad--I'm lightly seasoned, so I can apply for a lot more.

This raises the question: do I want to take this opportunity to scratch the med-surg itch?

The itch has been pretty quiet lately. Our unit is undergoing some changes and increasing in acuity, and we've had more than enough medical issues in the last few weeks to keep my interest up. But now I'm going to a place where there are lots of non-psych jobs abounding, and as a nurse with nearly 2 years' experience, I will be more competitive for them than the new grads are. And I could use a good year or two of med-surg to help with my psych nursing.

Decisions.

The other question is: do I apply for jobs now, or do I wait until I get out there, get settled and I can find childcare? We do have savings set aside, so it's not critical for me to have a job the minute I land there. Worst comes to worst, we'll go back to the budget tightening we did when I was in school so I could attend class and not need to work. But the cost of living in 2736 is much higher than where we are now. And the little one is in school, so it's not as though he would be home with me all day. So it'd be me at home alone...I could find things to fill my day, and not all of them would be good things. Such as drinking the day away, a not uncommon epidemic in the military community.

Decisions, decisions.

I did find that I already have one friend in 2736. She's been there for a while, so at least I'll have someone I know and can hang out with while I get my feet wet. And she is also a nurse, though not in psych. In fact, she was very excited when I became a nurse...so perhaps she can help me find something. I should drop her a note and let her know we're coming out there.

March 12, 2011

2800

Long time, no write. Work and school are busy. I gave up on Weight Watchers for now...not that I'm embracing my weight. A lot has been going on in the last two months that I decided my weight was the least of my concerns. I had some mental health issues that are now under control. Then we'll discuss the 2800.

I decided it was time to see a shrink to deal with stuff. Fortunately in my line of work, I knew when I needed to seek help, what I need to do to tackle the problem and what medications I need--and didn't need. I also knew which doctor was the best for me to go to: I know enough about them from work but I don't see them that much at work that it could lead to awkwardness at work.

2800 is the rough number of miles I will be moving in the next several months. That's about the width of this country...so yes, I'm switching coasts for at least 3 years. It's not my idea. In fact, I was outright depressed upon hearing the news because that meant I'd have to leave my friends, my career, my school...and I'd be leaving right as I'm about to test for RN-BC. Our families aren't going to like it either. They just got one grandchild back within driving distance and now we're about to take the other one a country away. But when your better half is in the military, home is wherever they send you.

I have always had a bit of wanderlust in my soul and even with friends, family, etc., I always used to jump at the chance of moving to a new locale. But for some reason this time I'm not as enthusiastic. Maybe I'm getting older, more settled? Oh well. I passed through the five stages of grief pretty fast--one evening--so I'm starting to accept it. I don't like it yet, but I accept it's what I have to do. The Serenity Prayer is in my mind a lot lately and I'm not even an alcoholic yet.

I don't have anything official yet but the better half tells me it's a done deal, so I'm starting to prepare. I haven't told my job yet...I figure I have about 4-6 months before we go so there's no rush. I'm hoping it's closer to 6 because if I can make it to September I'm eligible to test for RN-BC. Otherwise I'll get the job first and then test. I did start looking at jobs out there and was delighted to find several psych facilities. And since I have to drop out of school, I started looking for other RN-BSN programs and found a couple that might work. I also need to get my license endorsed over, which will take several months. We do plan to return here so I'm not letting my current license lapse; I'll make it inactive if I have to.

I am finishing my current semester for two reasons. One, I'll need Public Speaking for any RN-BSN program I apply to so let me finish this puppy and get it over with. Second, the other class I'm taking is full of helpful information that I can use as a practicing RN, and there's also no tests or papers involved--the grade is strictly participation based. So let me finish it out and learn from it.