We have a decision! (just possibly/maybe not the final decision)

Much has been written here about the impending Layoffs 2012 here, largely because that has been dominating my own myopic professional landscape. I have heard from others outside the profession who still believe that nursing is as portable a profession as any and that there is a clamor for our services, but that is simply not true. Not here in Portland anyway. The market has shrunk for the coveted positions inside of hospital systems, primary/specialty care clinics generally hire nurses cheaply or, more frequently, not at all (not when a medical assistant can do 80-90% of the work of an RN in a primary clinic at 40% of the cost). So, what you are generally left with are the crumbs that few truly covet: long term care facilities and psychiatric facilities. Both pay far less than they should and both generally offer pretty poor levels of job satisfaction.

Additional to the dearth of positions, nursing as a whole is not so fluid as one would think, which is compounded by the fact that when your career is in it's nascency you aren't exactly faced with an embarrassment of options. When I accepted a position in my department I looked at it as a foot in the door, but really it might as well have been a foot in some quick drying cement. I am now an IV nurse and, whatever my thoughts are on the subject and however much they may wax and wane over the course of my career, I am not likely to get very far away from this. Had I started on a surgical floor or an oncology unit, I would be saying the same about that. It takes an effort of will and knowing some people in decision making positions to move into another field.

So, as you can see, the thought of losing my position in the hospital was not one that I particularly relished (though I did have brief joyous thoughts of being free of work). Thankfully, the initial wave has finally passed (with a thin possibility of more changes by the mid February deadline). We ended up losing a full position at my home hospital (our newest full time nurse was let go and another one lost a shift a week). Additionally, the wound care nurses whom I share the clinic with, will be moved to the basement in the chronic wound clinic by early March (they are also moving to 7 days a week, alternating weekends). So, what this means to me directly is that I will be losing my second nurse (something I am required to have to administer medications) and I will be needing to use our floor staff for that purpose, a floor staff that is now short one person. I am awaiting the ensuing problems that this will invariably cause.

The other news (well, more or less speculation than anything) is that my boss received a rather ominous phone call requiring a meeting with the head nursing honcho on Monday. She, of course, fears the worst. While I don't think she is an exemplary manager, she is at least pleasant and generally supportive. Of course, maybe it will turn out to be nothing (which I hope for her sake, as she is the sole support for 4 kids). I am sure she will be suffering from an inordinate amount of stress this weekend.

Switching topics, we finally ate at a local place called Frank's noodle house this past weekend where they make their own hand pulled noodles and it was flipping fantastic. I have mostly dismissed the concept thinking that, well, noodles are noodles. They couldn't be more different. Chewy, dense, and delicious. Oh, and pretty cheap to boot. Not much on atmosphere though.

Tia's pregnancy continues well. Some mild nausea (sporadic) and generalized fatigue still plague her, but no severely limiting symptoms of either. However, I think she would argue against the concept of pregnancy being even remotely 'magical'.

still waiting for a decision

As with all corporate decisions, the phrase 'hurry up and wait' seems to pretty much sum things up. They were going to make the decision about the layoffs in mid-January (and enact them by mid-February). Now I hear late January or, possibly, mid-February to make the determinations and who knows when they will be enacted. I think I, along with most others, just wants them to make what announcements they are planning to and just moving along with it. The waiting is far worse than knowing would be.

As for my specific position, at least it remains consistently inconsistent. I have spent the past couple weeks in a relative fugue state, bouncing between not working at all and working more hours than I am schedule to with no seeming rhyme or reason to either course. I don't blame anyone for this of course, I know that those running the show are trying to be equitable and not put an undue financial burden on anyone in particular..........but it is somewhat hard to bear just the same, mostly because it is seemingly so haphazard. I often don't know much in advance if I am working the whole day or part of it or where I will finish the day once it begins.

I spent the past two days at different sites with yesterday being the kind of ultimate in yo-yoing. They asked me to come in early to start on the floor. I did, and then spent the next few hours there until we needed to add someone at the clinic. I added them for 1, but then was told that I needed to go to the Park to help out by 1, so I had to call my 1pm patient and reschedule him for, well, immediately (which thankfully worked for him). So, I ran to the clinic, opened it up and set up the supplies, performed the procedure and then shut it all back down again, ran to lunch and then spent the rest of my day in Tualatin covering for a sick call there. I am trying to be 'flexible' and help out, but it is quite wearying. But, work is work and I guess in this beggar's market, being choosy isn't in the cards. At least, for the most part, I like what I do and I try to remember the good things like when a patient calls me 'their hero' for getting IV access that no one else seemed to be able to find. It is the nice thing about having a specific skill.

From the home front, things are going pretty well. Tia is feeling less tired in general and things are progressing quite well. I have been home more and doing more around the house when she cannot (plus, I genuinely enjoy house work, it is somehow almost zen like, like when I exercise. I can block out pretty much everything else in my head and just accomplish tasks). I don't know if I would want to completely excise out working, but I would certainly be more than content to spend more time on the house and, eventually, the garden and less time roaming around the hospital.

Speaking of hospital, I seemed to have picked up some kind of bug there. Time for my weekend nap and, hopefully, waking up feeling slightly less like a pile of dog crap. More to come as always.

Anything new?

Well, it is 99.9% official, looks like I am going to be a dad. It is, honestly, terrifying, exciting, surprising (some would stay astonishing considering my previous lack of interest in the concept) and terrifying again. The upshot is that we have a long time yet to acclimate to the concept. The truth is I think I will need every month of it. I suppose you can never truly be ready though nor accomplish all the things you hope to prior to having a child (more travel, less debt, etc.), but at least I am more ready than the dads on Tia's 'Teen Mom' show. Aim low.

Work remains mysterious at the moment. I am flexing a lot (about a full week of hours in the past 3 weeks) and there is no solid answer on who or how many will be jobless soon. I am trying to take a glass half full approach though and hope that by being flexible now, I will be employed later. I would gladly give up 100 hours this month if it meant I had a

job the next. I will update as I hear of course.

Went snowshoeing this weekend for the first time since my initial trip out at Mt. Bachelor with a group of 4 other people from Tia's work. Was a

hell of a lot of fun, incredibly sunny and warm too. It was nice to exercise outside for once. Plus, much more fun than running in place on a treadmill. The most bizarre part were the birds. Thinking that there was no way they would fly and take food from my hand, I held up a piece of cracker and one flew and took it from my hand.......then another and another. It was really bizarre and made me feel like I was on some kind of nature show.

Saw the movie Drive this weekend as well. All I can saw is that it was nothing like what I thought it would be. Scant dialogue and languid pacing in the first half, hyper violent the second. It wasn't bad, but I can't recommend it either. An experience for sure.