Surviving the Holidays

Well, it's my first holiday since moving and somehow I managed to survive. Today was also Melissa's birthday. I talked to her about 3 times today, Michelle too. It was hard to not be with them, but they had their plans also. I guess it's all about moving on. Still, a bit hard. Mike, Michael and I had a nice turkey dinner. Then we played a couple of games of Monopoly. Mike creamed us both times, but it was fun. I'm so thankful for the phone and being able to talk to family today. Michael and I went to a dinner last night with some people from church. It was nice to be with others and getting to know them better. Nothing like a good meal to do that. Guess that's what community is all about. I'm learning.
Don't get to start orientation at my new job until Dec. 15th. It got pushed back because HR was not able to get me processed earlier. I also found out that I'm only going to be working on ICU. They said that they were very impressed with me during my peer interviews. I'm glad. Hope I don't let them down.
Had a weird dream last night, or was it this morning? Anyways, all I remember is that I was at a hospital and was sent to take patients in an area that they were opening up because the hospital was getting full. I remember looking out of a window and seeing a tornado overhead. I knew that I was safe where I was at, but the tornado caused two fires at nearby buildings. I knew that I would be helping to take care of the injured. Then I woke up. Don't know what all this means yet, but I will keep praying about it.

New Job!

So, I was offered a position at both hospitals. I did have formal interviews at both.

Hospital A (St. David's) continued to impress me. I met with the nurse educator, who is also the supervisor for the IMC. (intermediate care unit) She also lives in Hutto, which was cool. They are willing to be flexible and let me take a PRN (as needed) schedule on both ICU and IMC. This would allow me the time for training, and be put on the list for full time day shift. They seem more interested in doing the job right, than the aesthetics of the hospital. Not that the hospital is not appealing, it is, it is just not their main focus.

As suspected, Hospital B (Seton Hospital )is a very new facility. The unit is a combined ICU/IMC unit and you could have assignments in either at any given time. The director of the unit used the word "flexible" several times throughout the interview. This was a red flag for me. My translation of it: "We're very new and not fully staffed, so we need you to do whatever you are able to help us grow." Been there. Done that.

Needless to say, I turned down Seton and chose St. Davids. It is a bit further to travel, and about 0.13 cents less per hour, but I don't care. I think what I will learn and the service I can give to the patients (and not the hospital system) will be much more beneficial in the long run.

Thank you Lord for providing these opportunities. I pray that I can serve you well through this job.

Homesick

So, I guess some of it is getting to me. I woke up yesterday feeling very homesick and missing my girls. I guess it's the realization that I can't just pop over to see them, or that the door won't come flying open with one of them coming inside. So I did what most do, I cried. Through my tears I also prayed. I felt as though God was telling me that He knew how I was feeling. I felt better. He never ceases to suprise me! Out of the blue, I received an e-mail from an old friend. It was nice to catch up! This is the third time since moving that I've heard from someone out of my past. Guess it's a small world after all! Have a job interview today and tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous, but still, I'm excited. Still miss home. Guess I wouldn't appreciate it if I didn't miss it so much!

dilemas

Well, it's been an interesting week for me. I visited a couple of hospitals for possible employment. There are some really good opportunities, but with some dilema.

Hospital A: After some research on the internet, I was in contact with the nurse recruiter and she seemed very nice. She didn't seem to know a whole lot about the facility we were discussing. I did find out that Hospital A has several other hospitals in this area, and she was recently changed from recruiter for their main branch to now include this one. I went there and was able to meet with the director of the ICU there. He is also the director of their step-down unit. (CCU) The hospital itself is about 25-30 years old and has several additions to it. The people were nice, but there seemed to be no dress code, as on of their registers was wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt. The ICU handles a lot more acuity than I am used to, but desire nonetheless. I was very impressed with the teamwork I observed. They were very basic and not a lot of frills with the hospital design. It was pretty raw. I liked that! After a quick unannounced tour of the ICU, he gave me his business card and told me to call next week, where could have a more formal interview and I could have a more inclusive tour of the ICU and CCU. We were able to discuss the process of training and I was very satisfied that employment here would be an awesome learning experience and I would not be pushed in areas out of my expertise, but would also be provided with the training necessary to handle the tough cases. In order to have this next meeting, I would need to fill out the information and job application. I did. Travel time from home 20 minutes.

Hospital B: I visited the website of this facility as well. They are the biggest competitor to Hospital A, as they also have several facilities in the area. I clicked on the link to have a nurse recruitor contact me. This was on Monday. Didn't hear anything. I thought perhaps I may have entered my new phone number incorrectly, so on Thursday, I re-entered my information. Still, no contact. I was going there blindly, but optomistic. As I drove in the parking lot, I realized that this was a fairly new building. As it turns out, they opened last February. The architecture reminded me very much of Kish, my old stomping ground. Walking in the atrium, I felt as if I were walking into a sterile environment. I met with a gal from human resources, who was very kind. In order to talk to anyone or get a tour, I again needed to fill out an application. I did. Trying to keep an open mind. We talked for a bit and I gained some insight to this facility. They seem to be very much into the "healing atmosphere" of the architecture. I have some reservations, as I have learned from past experiences that often those so concerned with the atmosphere, tend to overlook the needs of the staff for their patients that they care for. I have to admit that I do not have "warm fuzzies" about this one, but I will remain open minded until I am able to see the unit for myself. They are supposed to be contacting me next week to set up a day to tour.

I have spent much time in prayer about where God wants me to go. He has taught me that I need to use the talents He has given me for His honor. Being a good nurse honors God if I am a servant for Him and not myself. But what exactly does all this mean? Through my experience, I am a good mentor and charge nurse for Med/Surg. I am an encourager. I am good at helping people believe grow in their giftings. I am also an excellent nurse to my patients. They come first, not all the hype about making the hospital look good, but being there for my patients. I guess that's where my first love in nursing is and I guess that's where I need to be.

It scares me to death. The unknown. Do I have what it takes to take care of open-heart patients? Do I have all the skills needed for quick decisions that can mean life or death for someone? The answer is "no" but I'm willing to learn.

Updates

My story. It's still a work in progress, but I'll get you caught up to the present. It's been a whirlwind for the last several years for us. Around the time that I graduated nursing school in 2004, Mike and I co-owned a new restaurant. We were more the silent partners as we both had full time jobs. At that time, Mike was working for Waste Management as a maintenance supervisor. Needless to say, the restaurant was not able to turn the corner so we closed the doors after a year. Financially, it sucked us dry, and we made lots of mistakes. Don't get me wrong, we made a lot of good decisions too, but financially, it really sunk us. To make matters worse, the following year, Waste Management decided to let Mike go after 27 years of service. No severance, no nothing. A lot of BS along the way. We talked to a lawyer who assured us that we had a good case against them, but the hard part was the cost it would be having it dragged through the court system. We decided to drop it. (you may want to grab a cup of coffee, the story doesn't end here) Three days after Mike was let go, he was pursuing another dream of his that he began the year earlier. He was going for his solo certification in sky diving. (yes, I even went on a tandem jump on our 20th wedding anniversary! It was so fun!) Anyways, as he was completing his landing, he caught an updraft of wind and ended up breaking his ankle in 3 places. He was not able to put any weight on it for 8 weeks. Not to mention, he couldn't even collect unemployment during that time, because he was not physically employable. We began to toy with ideas for businesses and decided that it would be good for him to go into consulting for heavy equipment. So, we launched MK Consulting Associates. (more about that later) Three months after his ankle and as he was able to walk with a cane, we went to a picnic for the 4th of July. I, not remembering that I was not as young as I used to be, decided to play a friendly game of volleyball. That ended up abruptly when my knee decided to give out. I ended up tearing my ACL, but not completely. I did have surgery on it and lots of rehab. I now have 20% of my ACL left, but it functions. Mike and I actually did rehab together. It was actually rather a funny sight! We have both healed since and continued to pursue our consulting business as I still worked as a nurse. We were also distributors for some of the products Mike endorsed through the business. We attended several trade shows and things were starting to pick up. Check out our website:
MK Consulting Associates/Home
During that time in 2006, we faced another emotional hurdle. We had to put down our oldest dog, Butch. He was 15 years old and he was Mike's best friend (dog). It was so hard for him as they had been through so much. This was a huge loss to Mike. Two years ago, we hit another bump in the road as it was discovered that I had thyroid cancer. Another surgery and a treatment of radioactive iodine has taken care of it. I just had my last scan in September and received a clean bill of health. Not something I wish for anyone, but I am grateful that there is a cure for it. In this past year however, with the economy slowing, so did our business. Mike has a real talent for understanding heavy equipment and maintenance, but nobody is looking to spend money, which in the long run could save money. (might want to top off that cup of coffee) Financially, we were sinking between the loss of the restaurant and several bills that still went with it, medical bills and not enough income, we finally decided to file for bankruptcy. We had done all we could for as long as we could. During the time of this process, Mike had been working with a job hunter and he received a call about this company in Texas. At first, Mike didn't want to consider it because of the location. Mike is a northern boy! He loves his snow and the thought of going to a hot climate did not resonate with him. After we looked at their website: Texas Disposal Systems we decided that they deserved a closer look. At first site, they described a company that has all the ideals that we so longed for in a business, and they were doing it. Mike agreed to an interview and they ended up sending both of us here, all expenses paid for two days to see the area and get to know the company. This all took place only 1 week after finalizing our bankruptcy. If you view their website, be sure to watch the video! They truly are everything they say they are. We told them everything I just told you and left nothing out. They couldn't be more excited to offer Mike the position of industrial maintenance supervisor. We accepted. That's how we landed here.
Now, don't think that Mike and I are exceptionally strong people, we aren't. We are strong in our faith and it has guided us and allowed us to walk through these situations.
So what have I learned in all of this?
1. There is a God
2. I'm not Him
3. He answers prayers
4. He never stops caring for us
We truly believe that God has a purpose for us in all of this and who are we to question Him? All we can do is serve Him with the talents and gifts that He has given to us, no matter where He calls us to do it.