The Situation (no relation to Jersey Shore)

We have finally arrived at moving weekend. Well, yet another moving weekend. After weeks of living amongst half stuffed boxes and miscellaneous debris, we are finally to a point where EVERYTHING needs to be packed. Though daunting, sometimes it is easier than the stage we have been at, namely trying to pick and choose what is essential and what is not. It is frustrating and unfortunate that we aren't able to move in today or tomorrow and have time on the back side of the weekend to unpack everything on the other side, but such is life. Again, all I hope is that we won't be doing this again in 6 months (though that is often subject to change). Cross em with me that these movers are better than the last. Truly it would be hard to be much worse.

My work situation remains maddeningly unresolved. I spoke with JT again on Friday lamenting that my time sheet is still incorrect. Per my time card, I still work as a triage RN, am still getting paid outpatient pay, and am still having an extra 30 minutes deducted every day for lunch. So, at the end of a full month, the tally continues to rise. I try not to fixate on it, because I am told it will be rectified........but then that is by the same person who has been telling me a great many other things, such as the following.

I was told yesterday that nothing has been formalized as yet. The job did pass its time through the department with no one biting, but now it has to be posted internally for anyone in the system to apply to. It was supposed to have been done this week, but someone somewhere neglected to do so (fingers again pointing to HR, but it is hard to know who is at fault), so now it has to wait until next week on Thursday to post (evidently the only day they post new jobs). At that point, I will have to re-apply, which I am being told is a formality. The job will have to stay open the requisite 5 business days. Then, and only then, will the paperwork be put through. So, it will likely be mid to late February before the corrections are made. The upshot is, by that point, I will be owed between $1100-$1500. The downside of course is that I somehow have to trust that that will in fact be fixed correctly............of which I am not holding my breath. To be continued.

On the very good news front: we don't owe anything in taxes this year! We are not getting back very much, but after paying better than $2K last year, it is a huge relief.

Back to packing. Less than 2 days to go.

Big good, little bad

The news is officially good regarding work.......no one applied! Now they have to post it internally, but that is a formality (or at least I am told, we all know that isn't exactly iron clad) and then they will retroactively fix my pay, etc. So, big time good news on the job front! Got the call on my way to HH with some good friends, which made it a wonderful night to celebrate as well.

On the other side of the coin, Tia is sick and I am teetering on the brink of the same. At least that is temporary, whereas the job situation would have been a mess. It is unfortunate because it was actually sunny today. Hopefully better spirits and similar weather tomorrow.

irrelephant

Yep, the title of the post was just so I could put that image up.

Mini-misadventure of the day:

As part of my new (possibly temporary) role, I am supposed to be managing all the supplies in the clinic, from IV start kits to patient foodstuffs. Today we ran out of cups. The adventure is trying to figure out where one would order them. Looked at the food services order sheet, which listed bowls, flatware, napkins, plates, and assorted food and beverage items, though mysteriously no cups. So, I tried to order cups, thinking it an oversight. Alas, those are evidently under the purview of materials services, which supplies us with things like saline bags, needles, and IV tubing. I cannot figure the system out. It is akin to shopping for motor oil in the bread aisle. Whatever.

No news on the job front. Spent a good hour on the phone calling payroll because my paycheck is a mess (they shorted me about $375 between the hours I was not getting paid for and the difference in pay rates that have not been corrected). They referred me to the payroll guru, who of course was not there. She called me back about an hour later and suggested I call HR or contact my manager. I contacted my manager stating that the paperwork did not make it down and asked her to resend it. She did not get back to me, so I called HR to try to get some answers about, well, everything. After some running around there, they told me that another form needed to be filled out, but they could not tell me anything about my job. They suggested I contact my manager. I tried again, no answer. So, in essence, I have a lot of fingers pointing to my manager and my manager pointing fingers back at other people. It is frustrating to say the least and, of course, I am no closer to an answer about anything.

One more day and then..............well, who the hell knows. I just want to kick something!

Terrible Tuesday

Well, terrible is probably skewing a bit on the side of hyperbolic, but I have been under a lot of 'will I have a job or won't I' stress for the past 5 days so any event takes on a certain downbeat cast. So, today just seemed kind of long and dragged out...........so did yesterday really. Lots of patients, little help, and a general feeling of mental fatigue as, being new with little in the way of orientation, everything is more arduous than it should be. Just figuring out how to order file folders entailed 4 separate conversations. And most everything is like that..........me running around trying to find answers to seemingly simple questions and really not having anyone readily available to answer them. Only, I lack the time now to look very hard because I am busy with patients.

Today I encountered a prime example of the double edged sword of autonomy (not to be confused with the sword of Damocles hanging over my head at the moment). I had an elderly patient who could not have weighed more than 80 pounds soaking wet, who was so cold she was wearing 3 lays of clothes under a parka with skiing gloves on (it was 45 today which is cold, but not THAT cold). Suffice to say, she had nary a vein that I could find to draw a lab on. I tried once, called and left a message for assistance and waited. After stalling for 10-15 minutes doing things with some other patients in the clinic, I tried again. 0 for 2. I called again. Another message. I finally decided to just get the blood via a finger stick (which also yielded so little blood I had to milk her finger to get enough to fill the cuvette..........approximately one good drop) and run the test that way, despite the order. I then gave her the medication (which was predicated on the finger stick/lab draw and I heard back from the charge 15 minutes AFTER she left the clinic.........or about 45 minutes from my first call). I was frustrated needless to say (although Tia astutely pointed out that at least I had enough experience and the wherewithal to just make a determination to go another way and get the same result, rather than just sitting on my hands for an hour while the patient waited for something to happen), but that is part of the job. I don't really need a second person all the time, though that would be great, but I do need a second person available most of the time, just in case. Mostly it has worked out well, today it just did not.

Still, way better than doing triage. 2 more days to go until the 5 days my job is posted runs out. So far, no bites (or none that I have heard of). I really need a drink!

Thunderstruck

To borrow a quote from Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation "If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now."

Things seemed to be going pretty well. We found a new place that is nice and cheaper than the place we live in now. We were released, without penalty, from our current lease. We have jobs we like concurrently (a novelty) that come with the added bonus of good incomes. We are, in short, moving in a rather positive direction. Or were anyway.

Yesterday afternoon my supervisor, JT, came to speak to me. She was quite somber and the news was not good. I ran quickly through the preceding 2 weeks in my mind and could not alight upon any indiscretion that would warrant anything disciplinary, unless it was something I had simply neglected to do because of lack of training. Evidently, the news had nothing and everything to do with me, though none of it was within my control.

When I left the IV department, JT and I came to an agreement that I would be an on-call employee and stay active in the department. I was limited to 4 hours a week however, as anything additional would mean OT. So, I only managed to pick up a total of 4 hours on one occasion, though was offered other opportunities that did not work for one reason or another. We stayed in contact and, when the opportunity arose, I applied and was hired back full time just a month ago. It was fairly seamless and, in the interim, I had realized how little I enjoyed doing triage work.

The new job, while sometimes frustrating because of a lack of formalized training and my own desire to have a comprehensive understanding of my responsibilities, has been largely excellent. I really like doing clinic work. I like having autonomy. I like being able to get help when I need it and work alone if I don't. I like the hours and I like the patients. It is exactly the kind of job I imagined when I went through nursing school in the first place. And, it could theoretically evaporate now because of something ridiculously mundane.........paperwork.

Evidently JT communicated with HR when I left that I was to be on call. When I applied back for the position, it was only to be opened to people already within the department, which by virtue of being on-call I was. However, either JT didn't fill out some necessary piece of paperwork of HR did not file something correctly, because as of yesterday they determined that I was not 'within the department' and therefore ineligible for the job. What this means is now the job is to be re-opened in the department and offered back out. I would have no way to apply. If, after the requisite 5 days of posting, no one wants it, then it would open up to anyone, and I could then re-apply and would be given the job (per JT anyway).

However, if someone else wants the job, then I would have 3 options:
1. Go back to triage. They would be obligated to take me back because of the snafu. I could resume my full time gig. I would consider doing a day or 2 a week.........but will not go back full time. I hated how it made me feel at the end of every day and every week. Not worth it.
2. Work on-call in the IV dept. JT promised me pretty much full time hours. I would not have an benefits however and I would also not be working in the clinic much if at all. I would be back to pushing a cart around the hospital. I am not enamored of this idea either, but it is better than option 1.
3. Unemployment/potential litigation. Need to gather more info at this point, but these may be in play. Time will tell.

So, best case scenario right now is that no one, even people with no job currently, want the clinic position. Somehow I am not optimistic. Will be pursuing a meeting with HR next week for further explanation. As always, more to come.

week one and done........er, is done

The week that was, well, was eventful to say the least. At least in my own myopic opinion.

The new job is kind of like a new car........but one they haven't worked all the production kinks out of just yet. It rattles some and the turn signals don't work and every time you turn on the wiper blades the horn blares, but otherwise it drives perfectly fine. Ideally, I would have learned from the woman who left the position, but she already started her new job. In her stead I was supposed to receive tutelage from another tenured employee, but that person's personal life kind of went off the rails, so I was left with a rather hodgepodge and altogether patchy training. Oftentimes I was left with no one at all. Thankfully, by and large, the job is one I had done before. Of course, it has been some time since that was the case. Suffice to say, there were very likely errors with paperwork and a lot of holes that need plugging.

I am hopeful it will be more clear next week and that I will have some training then. If not, I will be much more forceful with ensuring that that in fact happens. I really just want to do an effective job and 'own' the position and it is hard to do that when you don't know where to even start looking for answers. Still, it beats the heck out of wearing a headset and listening to patients talk about their bowel dysfunction and head colds all day. It almost feels like I am stealing money when I have actual honest to god down time during the day.

In more assuredly good news, the housing situation is now largely resolved. We picked the first place and we are good to go for the end of the month. The location is 'up and coming' meaning we get to be actively engaged in gentrification (maybe we will get the above doormat to celebrate). It is ironic that, when we looked up crime statistics on Portland Maps, we found out that where we live now is no better or worse. In all honesty, it is a really nice area with a lot of new restaurants, a Whole Foods just around the bend, and an easy ride pretty much anywhere else we want to be. Plus, the rent will be slightly less than half what we pay here so I can finally buy the two ply toilet paper I have had my eye on. Most amusing to me is that we will be moving from a building erected less than a year ago to one more than a century old and will likely have LESS issues with moisture and mold. Way to go new construction!

Speaking of the above, we did in fact get out of paying a penalty for leaving early, which would have been north of $3K, because of the moisture issues. So, despite our troubles, we actually didn't pay that much for the 6 months we will have resided here. Because of the sign on bonuses and what have you, we only will have paid for 3 of the 6 months (although a pretty penny for the 3 we paid for). I have to say that I could not in good conscience recommend moving to this apartment building, but the management and staff have been nothing less than superb. It is a shame that the product they represent isn't a better one.

Now on to the grim task of packing, ridding, and packing some more. It is a seemingly endless task and I am constantly mystified at how we are able to continue to rid out of boxes we had previously assured ourselves were down to their most vital components the last time we moved. Of course, not having needed to get into them over the last half year is clue enough that they are not all that vital.

Wish us luck. Hopefully we will be done moving for a bit.............but I wouldn't count on it.

Which one?

Tia and I watch a lot of house hunter type shows (they are fairly ubiquitous and, honestly, not a lot of other compelling options present themselves). Anyway, though the locations and budgets vary widely, the end of every episode is exactly the same: 3 options, one of which they have to decide on. The hook is trying to guess which one. In that vein we have chosen three possible rentals, each with pros and cons. Which will we select?

1. A large historic house (built in 1908) that has been divided into 3 properties. 2 townhouse style places and a 'condo' on the lower level. Is only a 1 bedroom vs. 2 at the other locations (although it had 1.5 bathrooms). It 'quirky' but in a usable way with a capacious kitchen and the sole bedroom is an 'L' shape allowing for a sitting area. Also has a huge private deck and a shared backyard (that is cared for by a landscaper) Cons: the place is updated, but definitely not new like the other places, smallest of the 3 @ 950 sq feet, a bit 'quirky' in less usable ways too like the odd angles in the bathroom, no garage. It is the cheapest at $1150/mo and includes internet and w/s/g.

2. A new build townhouse close to my job. All brand spanking new with no prior tenants. The largest of the 3 places at 1300 sq feet with 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Has a garage to boot. Great storage everywhere. No yard to care for. Good location close to work. Cons: run by a management company which isn't ideal, is nondescript looking, nothing whatsoever to see from the windows except a parking lot. Cost is $1450/month.


3. A 2 bedroom/1 bath bungalow in the Hollywood district. It is about 1200 sq feet with a spacious unfinished basement. All new appliances and it has been completely redone inside. Still being worked on actually. And, it is a stand alone house (no shared walls). Owner is the landlord, which seems preferable to a management company in our experience. Cons: further away from our workplaces (and we only have one car), yard work will be our responsibility, and the price, while cheaper than where we live presently, is the highest @ $1600/mo.

Which should we go for? Which will we go for?

New Year (happiness pending)

We all know that the new year means very little in actuality other than a month of writing the wrong year on pretty much everything and that taxes need to be done. It is only a theoretical demarcation, but notable nonetheless as we celebrate it as it were some turning of the page. Whatever bad juju hounded us the year prior can be cast aside. In some ways, this year will be just that. Or like the rest of the world, I can at least hope that anyway.

I am officially no longer a triage nurse. I can put the experience distinctly in the rear view mirror. It was an odd day to say goodbye to be sure, or perhaps more or less what I considered normal for my time there. Just two nurses on triage as it has so often been, then a mad dash to the finish line over the last 90 minutes or so when everyone collectively realized 'hey, I bet they aren't open on Friday' and proceeded to bombard us with requests. It reminded me of what I liked and did not like about the job in one short burst. However, there is a distinctly different flavor to the experience, any experience, when you know you won't be repeating it. A certain Teflon like feeling that allows even the most irritating of situations glide up and over you. The way I wish I could have felt all the time. Of course, that is hard to do when you know that Monday brings much the same as Friday and on and on. So, it was a fitting finale. Unfortunately, there is no real intermission before the next act.

Speaking of the next act, there is still much uncertainty there. The situation is clear enough, but what remains murky is who is training me and for how long (and, the question I have been endeavoring to avoid thinking of, IF someone has been assigned those tasks whatsoever since I have not heard back regarding my inquiries on the matter). Not much to do but wait and see. Fretting about it will change nothing.

Of course fretting does have its place. I am just saving it for moving (again) by the end of January. We put in our notice and are waiting to hear a response from management, but have already opted to take a hard stance about paying a penalty. We now have verified pictures of mold growth and, as anyone who has dealt with mold knows, what you see is merely a fraction of what exists. Unfortunately when we turned our notice in (going down in unison to discuss the matter), no one was there. So we slip the note under the door along with our rent check and now we wait. I am both anxious to hear and fretting a bit. I will post when I hear.

Which leads us directly into the other half of the moving process, finding the destination. We have thus far had rather poor fortunes, though it has not been a sufficient period of time to call it a streak. We have seen three places in person and written inquiries about 2-3x that many more, until to dismiss them for not meshing with our wants. Some are startlingly small, though they don't note that in there ad (a new one bedroom home with no prior occupants that was built to less than 500 sq ft). Others are poorly maintained, though in the nicest of areas (a place we saw in Ladds Addition that was sadly beaten down). And yet others are confusingly laid out like the place we saw by PSU that had no closets whatsoever and was set up like a reverse loft. Or they are just plain confusing like the place we saw in the Overlook neighborhood which had more doors and rooms than a house 3 times its modest 900 size (meaning each room was also much less capacious than one might hope). The one place we did really like ended up going to people who could move in a bit earlier and did not have pets. The most alarming thing is more that each of these places are swarmed upon. So, we not only have to find a place we like, but find it before anyone else. More to come as the search continues.

Happy New Year!