January 17, 2015

I think I could do NOCs

NOC #1.  I was on the open units.  Great group of nurses, interesting mix of patients.  Actually got to see the supervisor/charge nurse in action on the units all night instead of them holing up somewhere...I like that.  The routine at this facility is different than what I'm used to at my regular facility, but not drastically.  Still, those little quirks will take some getting used to.

It was peaceful (not always a bad thing in psych), but there was enough to do that I wasn't bored.  In fact, the first four hours flew by--before I knew it, it was 0300 and I was told to go to lunch.  Around 0500, I started struggling in the staying-AOx4 department, but revived by going out for some fresh air.

I was home before 0800, though not in bed until nearly 0900...that was because two little ones were excited to see me when I got home, so they needed some love and attention.  I slept until 1400, then took nap this evening.  I'm feeling pretty good about doing it all again tonight.  I'll be on the locked units, so there promises to be some excitement.

January 16, 2015

Well, I made it to 0300...kinda sorta.  I dozed on and off, in between catching up on music videos on the On Demand service.  I had to get up at 0600 to get the little ones off for the day, so I'm feeling semi-groggy right now.

On an semi-related note, I finally got to hear what Iggy Azalea sounds like.   She's good.

I'm going to go for a run in a bit, then get more sleep later this afternoon.  I'm not too worried about being able to stay awake...I know that once I'm on the job I can do it.  But there is also a difference between being awake and being coherent, and I want to be the latter.

January 15, 2015

Usually, most nurses have to do this during their first year, but I like to do things differently

NOC.  Tomorrow is my first NOC shift ever...well, ever as a nurse.  It only took me several years to get here.

You know that informal interview I had earlier this week?  Well, they liked me enough to decide I'm worth training and are going to spring for the training .  They talked to my manager, who authorized the crisis management course I'll have to take and will pick up that cost.  I'm being invested in...it's a nice feeling.

I train this weekend, and if they're satisfied with my performance, I'll be able to pick up NOCs there whenever I want.  There's a few psych units with a nice mix of populations, including that psych-medical unit that I've been trying to get on for a few years now.   I won't get to choose where I go--I'll be sent wherever I'm needed...which is perfectly fine with me.  It's just nice to have a new location to get work at.

So I need to get myself into the NOC time-mindset...guess I'll be staying up a little later than usual tonight.

January 12, 2015

Wish me luck

I have an informal interview with a nurse manager at the hospital in town.  Informal in that I'm already an employee of the organization, she knows I'm part of our float pool, and she wants to meet me to see if I'm worth training for floating over to the psych units at her facility.   Actually, I think I may have already met her three years ago when I wasn't an employee and first interviewed there...or I was supposed to going to meet her but the hospital was no longer interested in me.  I can't recall.  But let's see what happens.

I treat any encounter such as this very seriously because you never know what may come of it.   So out comes the dress slacks, portfolio and updated resume.  

January 3, 2015

And the famine continues...

Low census means I'm cancelled this entire weekend.  *sigh*

Oh well.  On the brighter side, it's a nice weekend to get outside with the little ones and my nephews.

January 1, 2015

Happy New Year!

Long time no write...it's been pretty darn busy around here.  Not all of it has been work though...in fact, I've been cancelled for most of this past holiday season due to low census.  I wonder if I'll even be cancelled today.  I know, it doesn't seem likely--after all, it is a holiday.  Then again, it wasn't too long ago that I was cancelled on a Sunday.  And it being a holiday does mean time and a half pay, and I'm sure there's lot of permanent staff that would like that.  I'll know by 1300 if I'm working or not.

So let me catch you up on everything since the last post.

November was full of lots of work at my main job.  Job #2...I haven't  been to and I'm not sure if I'll be going back there anytime soon.  They're a good agency and I do like where they send me, but it's a significant pay cut to work for them, so my efforts have been pushed at jobs #1 and 3.

Job #3...picking up a few days here and there.  They're debating about going on strike in a couple of months so I've been a little wary.  I've no intention of being a scab, but at the same time, I'd feel bad if we went on strike on one of the days I was scheduled to work for them, so I've been hesitant to be available for them.  I discussed my concerns with one of the staff nurses, and she said that I should just schedule myself whenever I want, and if it turns out that I'm scheduled on a day we're striking to just not show up to work, especially as they wouldn't let me in to work anyway.  OK.

I finished the first ER nursing class.  I learned a lot.  I got to put some of it into practice as at work, we've had to send a few patients to the ER.  And I got to see it in action from the patient POV as I had to take one of the little ones in.  He turned out to be fine.  The class helped me understand a lot of how the ER works, so I had more patience than I might have had otherwise...but it still was a long night for me.

December's work schedule has been skimpier because the census has begun it's annual holiday drop.  As I mentioned earlier, I got cancelled for a lot of the holiday season.  One of the unit managers felt horrible about having to cancel me--really, it was so sweet.  He wrote this long rambling e-mail about how I was valued and how he was happy to have me working on his unit any time...I told him not to worry, I know how things work d/t census so I don't take it personally.  I also mentioned the family coming in and that the cancellation would be a blessing in disguise.

The littler one and I both caught the stomach bug that has been going around.  Projectile vomiting is not fun at all, neither as the one vomiting nor the one being vomited on.  

I am now one year older.  Happy birthday to me!

Holidays.  Shopping.  Family in from the East.  Prepping for all of this took up most of December.  Then they arrived for two weeks...getting cancelled was indeed a blessing as we ran all around town for those two weeks.

I gained a few pounds despite my best efforts.  All that good food...

Last night, I didn't even make it awake until midnight.  Oh well.  I'm at the age where it's not the big deal it used to be.

So today.  New day, new year.  I generally try not to make "will/won't" resolutions but instead come up with some goals that I'd like to accomplish.  I think resolutions are too narrow and don't allow room for human error, whereas goals are more forgiving and I feel less horrible if I stumble along the way.

Though I did take on one spur-of-the-moment challenge.  I signed up for Dryathalon.  I figure that it's for good causes:  sponsoring cancer research, jump-starting weight loss, and giving my hepatic system some time off.   I'm putting my money where my mouth is to help keep me on track...and if family/friends want to support the cause as well, that'd be great.

The last time I gave up alcohol for something, it was for Lent and I ended up pregnant.  At least this time, pregnancy is an impossibility.