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'.