...to be a nurse! All of you out there who influence the lives of young people, tell them to be nurses! Okay, it may not be the best profession in the world, but it's working out for me. I've done my fair share of rough jobs - 1) working as a home health nurse, which involved suctioning mucous out of trachs (hey, this is a nurse's blog, so you gotta expect it to be gross!), and 2) working as a floor nurse at St. Patrick's hospital with crazy docs and geriatric patients. Don't get me wrong, I love old people and think they deserve great healthcare, but when it comes to me changing poopy diapers on an adult - I don't like it! (There are a few people I would sacrifice for and do this if they really needed it.)
But since moving to Utah I've been able to get some pretty stellar nursing jobs. At ARTEC I've been able to work days (no graves, weekends, or holidays), and I even get to make my own hours. I love the people I work with (okay, maybe not all of them, but some of them), and I get to work with kids.
Then I got a position working PRN at Center for Change. Since nursing school I've wanted to work at Center for Change (one of the best eating disorder clinics in the nation, no lie), but when Jack and I moved to Lousiana I thought it wouldn't happen. But it ended up working out when we moved back to Utah, so I've been working weekends there. The staff there really care about these women, and although eating disorders are tough to treat, we do get to see people recover.
Then on top of that, one of the doctors I work with at ARTEC invited me to come pick up some shifts at another facility he works at, where he's the Medical Director. This doctor is one of the best you'll ever work with, so I gladly accepted. I only cover for their regular nurses while they're on vacation, so it's not very often that I work there. But talk about plenty of opportunities to pick up some extra cash when there's a new Charlotte Russe outfit you want! No, seriously though, it has been nice to have some extra spending money, but the extra jobs have also helped cover surgery and medical procedures, pay off flight school, etc. (the more important expenses in life!)
So I'm realizing that I've been pretty blessed when it comes to finding jobs in Utah. Then this week the ADON (assistant director of nursing) at Center for Change called to offer me a full-time job there (which I've been interested in). I told her that I understood nurses have to work every other weekend, but I can't miss church even two times/month. (Yes, mom, you can be proud of me! :)) I worked every other Sunday for a year and felt pretty inactive, so I told myself I'd never do that again (as long as I could help it). So I've been a little stressed trying to figure out what to do. The commute has been aggravating, and gas prices are rising (ARTEC is about 40 min away). But it's nice to make my own hours and have a low-stress job. Then I talked to the ADON again today, and she told me what my schedule would be - no Sundays and every other Saturday, plus all shifts would be during the day. Wow, that's pretty good for nursing. So now we're negotiating wages (which is another plus of being a nurse) - hopefully they'll give me what I'm asking. So if all goes well, I'll be switching jobs soon.
It'll be sad to say goodbye to the folks at ARTEC, but nice to have more time to myself. Here's to trying new recipes, actually using the scrapbooking supplies I buy, and catching up on magazines! Hey, maybe I'll even read a book! And I'm excited to be a more integral part of Center for Change and their mission in helping women recover from eating disorders. I've never had an eating disorder thankfully, but for some reason it's something I can really be passionate about. Plus, I'm a little sick of working with hormonal teenage boys and sex offenders. It's just not a good fit when you're only a few years older than them and look halfway decent. So I'm looking forward to this change and hoping I won't regret it in a few months. But that's the great thing about being a nurse - there's always another job opportunity around the corner!
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1 comment:
congrats on the job offer! I hope it all works out. But, I will miss all the good stories one gets when working with juveniles who've found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Since I switched jobs I find that the f-word doesn't roll off my tongue so easily anymore. :)
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