All by myself

More and more it is looking like, in the words of Eric Carmen, I will be all by myself once the merger happens.  The more details that come forth from our side, the less likely it appears that anyone will be employed by the clinics when it finally happens.  

At this point, it looks like none of the infusion staff from Meridian Park will be around.  KG, as I mentioned before, will be starting her new gig when she returns from Australia at the end of April.  They had asked for a few extra weeks of her time upon return, but her new department declined to allow it.  KV (the current charge) will be moving into the pediatric floor position at EH as soon as the clinic at the Park officially closes.  MT will evidently be taking the evening position vacated by another RN (48 hours per pay period, 6p -230a) once the clinic closes.  MK is apparently also seeking other employment (not sure where though).  That will leave them 0 for 4.   

 

The good news is they 'control' the transitions of MT and KV in that they can hold them in their present spots until a time of their choosing since they are staying within the department.  If MK leaves the department though (a possibility unless she also wants a night position), it is unclear how they will cover all their shifts unless MT (currently part time) wants to go full time for a few months.  They are already reducing their core staffing to just 2 nurses, which will likely cause a lot of headaches for scheduling.  Since they have also told me to 'schedule lightly' and the Creek and the Hood to not schedule beyond their means, the whole situation is seemingly one RN away from crumbling (like, lets say, a surgery or long term illness) or if anyone from the Creek or the Hood seek outside positions as well (a near certainty).  As it is, I picture an awful lot of shuffling.   

 

As for Good Sam, they are also experiencing some attrition, though I am not privy to exactly how much.  While I dont anticipate actually being the last one standing by the time the merger happens, I have a feeling there will be less than half of us remaining.  This was evidently a concern that has been discussed at length in the meetings for a number of months, however, my supervisor Stuart places a large deal of the blame on OHSU, as they have not been forthcoming with information and, with the meeting about a month out yet discussing more specifics and providing offer letters, they don't seem to have any sense of urgency.  If true, perhaps it was part of the 'deal' from their side.  While they explicitly agreed to take everyone on, perhaps implicitly they did not really mean to do so.  It is just a theory of course.

At the same time, they are posting the position for me at EH at 32 hours a week.  So, in effect, that is what I will be committing to long term.  I suppose it will be a good compromise still, but I am sure it will be a hard one to deal with as Q continues to grow and the weather starts to accommodate more entertaining outdoor options.  

As always, more to come as events warrant.  Should be a lot of movement until the merger though.

The first shoe drops

And we have our first notice turned in for clinic staff from the Park.  The solution will be to make it a 'two person baseline staff.'  This will work out poorly at least half the time I presume as they ideally would like to have 3 and sometimes 4 staff.  They are also going to tell the Creek to keep their schedule within the confines of what 2 nurses can handle.  This while I am keeping my schedule 'light' as often as possible and Mt Hood was told to not expect any help.

At this point either a LOT of patients will be sent to Good Sam or there will be a shit-fit thrown by the nurse exec or docs at the Park.  I am betting on the latter.  Plus, there are more staff still looking around.

I see the weeds

I love Top Chef.  It is, by far, my favorite reality based TV show.  I only bring this up because the chefs (or cheftestants if you prefer) use the term 'in the weeds' when they are kind of up to their necks, falling behind, and otherwise in a bit of a mess.  I am not there yet at work, but I can see em.

The last 2 days at work I had 2 different staff members from the Park up to help me out.  In those two days I learned that one of them has already all but signed the paperwork for her new job (at the same hospital, but in a different department) and the other has had at least one interview.  She and another nurse (they have 4 total) also are keenly interesting in a floor position soon to be posted.  They have, at present, exactly one nurse who is fairly competent in the clinic that works on call.  She also places central lines which makes her equally valuable on the floor, if not more so depending on who is out sick on a particular day.  There are zero plans to hire anyone due to the restructuring.

So, pulling the pieces of the aforementioned puzzle together, I would say we are quite likely close to being in the proverbial weeds/shit.  This should not be my problem, but based on past history, I know it will be.  I will be here, there, and everywhere while the clinic I work in is closed, barely covered, and otherwise shat upon.  I know this because it has happened in the past and they have said nearly as much.  I am not looking forward to the next few months.  In the meantime, best to try not to think about it too much until it happens.....and then make sure I keep the car gassed up.

Got away for the weekend.  Went to Edgefield.  Quite the drunken revelry going on throughout.  Was a nice 'break' but I think I am coming down with a cold (our first cold since.......well, probably January).    Probably our last getaway before our vacation.  Seems very far away from now.

Lastly, perhaps the most horrible way to treat your ipad (or best use of potty time): I present the Ipotty

 Dont pretend like you don't want an adult version.

All we get is this.  Not nearly as fun.

Crawling/All by myself

We got our first crawl this weekend.  Evidently the neccessary motivation was iphone and puffs respectively.  To be fair, it is more like dragging as it is probably 90% arms, but he is pretty darned thrilled about it and the whining has abated for now.

Q is also working very hard on a vertical lifestyle.  He now walks/dances/spasms his way forward with hands for balance.  He also holds himself up against the ottoman and the couch for 15 minutes at a stretch.  He will occasionally let go and try to balance himself.  I believe, were it not a balance issue, his legs are more than capable of supporting himself at this point.  One of the benefits of being small.

After visiting 2 centers and interviewing 3 nannies, we finally settled on a nanny.  Some of the differences were purely philosophical.  One center didn't believe in having the kids sit or stand with assistance, preferring they not attempt those skills until they were  ready to do so on their own.  While that is a fine philosophy, it is one I fervently disagree with.  I believe it is our duty as parents/caregivers, to provide supports for the child to learn new skills, so long as it is done safely and within the bounds of their physical capabilities.  Another place that touted itself as very eco-minded and nature oriented, refused to deal with cloth diapers because, and I paraphrase for brevity, "they are icky."  What the hell!  The other center we visited was Joyful Noise and they were very impressive, but it is still a center and, for now, I like the idea of one on one care for Q.  Especially since, at this age, the cost difference is pretty damn negligible.

As for nannies, that has its own drawbacks.  Obviously, the idea of a near stranger, bonafied credentials or no, hanging out in our house with our kiddo and pets without any supervision is a bit unnerving.  But, based on our last experience with a center, it seems a gamble worth taking.  Of the three interviews (a fourth bailed due to back issues), only one was a genuine 'no'.  She came with a 20 month old who was, well, a 20 month old.  This would not have been terribly disconcerting except that she would have been bringing her with every day.  We both thought that the divided attention would not be beneficial.  The other two were both good, but the second of the two just seemed a little too low key.  Almost sedate really.  I think it will take more energy to keep up with Q.  Fingers crossed this works out better than our stopgap nanny (who bailed a few days prior to her start with health concerns).

I am now all alone again in the clinic.  It is odd.  Perhaps I will get used to it in time, as I obviously spent most of the past 2 years that way, but it is strange at present.  I will miss having Lynne around.  She was a really good nurse and really pushed me to be a better one.  I would say the advantage would be that I am less likely to float all over hell and gone, but I still think that is likely to happen.  We had a weekly hydration patient (3 times weekly for the next month) who would have required about 15 hours of clinic care every week, who they turfed over to GS because 'we don't have the manpower' and also because 'we will need you to float to other sites to cover vacations.'  So, we turned away an insured patient and guaranteed work for the EM clinic so that we could close to cover vacations at other sites.  Sigh.  Things will really never change.

Speaking of that, I am still an employee of the Park.  The more that the above shit happens, the less inclined I am to not go to the new company as soon as the opportunity presents itself.  Despite the possible drawbacks, the idea of some (any) regard for the clinic would be nice.  Instead the department continues to treat it like an inconvenience at best.  

Lastly, yay we are going to Hawaii!  Still a few more steps to complete the process (there are always so many steps), but at least the flights, rental car, and lodging are all almost done (just the latter to finish up).  We tried in vain to rent a few places without much in the way of follow up (I understand that it is home owners, not businesses per se, but these are rental properties and as such one would think they would, you know, want to rent them) before finally landing on this place: http://www.vrbo.com/455674   Having never been to Maui, I am not sure which place will prove to be the best to stay, or which locale on the island really, but I am pretty damn sure that it will be a lot nicer there than here when we go.

Speaking of going, I ought to do so before Q wakes up if I have any hope of eating.  More to come as always.

The Meeting

We finally had the meeting I have been waiting for for some time now.  The agreement with OHSU has been signed.  Finally.  Hopefully this will be the end of the wild speculation, but I doubt it.

What is being promised is pretty good.  They will take all the clinic staff on without any undo difficulty. We wont be obligated to reapply, submit to any complicated HR process, nor have any of our hours cut.  We will also get 'comparable' pay, which in my own digging around is likely to be somewhat less, but not very much (potentially a few cents hourly), but with the added benefit of an actual sick bank on top of our vacation pay and 6% contributed to retirement (vs. 2.5%).  We will also get some union credit, which will help in trying for vacations and possibly other jobs in the system down the road.  

In the interim though, I suspect chaos.  The nurse I had trained to replace me is offically done as of today (and she was pretty darn awesome), so it will be me and clinic once again....though 4 days instead of 5 (or 3).  Since I still technically am employed by the Park, the big question is how long will I be working in the clinic.  The plan, or at least the most recent itineration, has the Park and Mt. Hood going over in the summer, Good Sam by the end of the year (or early next) and the Creek and my clinic at some point around summer 2014.  If they dont find a way to transfer me (and I am not sure if I want them to or not depending on the day), they will end up with a 4 day a week hole in the clinic that they will not be able to hire to replace.  Also, if the other clinicians dont opt to move along, they could look to transfer inpatient (or in other departments).  Ripples are already being felt as I was the plug for vacations and sick calls at other sites, a service I will no longer be able to provide.  I was asked to 'schedule light' but already we have more patients on next week than we had this week, including a 3 day/5 hour each day hydration for the next month and at least one daily ABX patient.  Scheduling light will be more or less at the whims of the referring physicians and less my own discretion.  It is going to be a bumpy ride.  

On the flip side, at least I seem to be soaking up kudos.  Even the nurse executive is getting in the act.  Going so far as to say it would 'be a loss to Legacy, and a major boon to OHSU!' if I chose to stay.  I am definitely keeping that email to re-read on my shittier days.

We are starting our interviews tomorrow (3 all told) for a new caregiver.  The gal that was supposed to take care of Quinn in the short term will likely not be able to due to health concerns.  So we are a bit in scramble mode at the moment.  We have two centers to visit next week as well.  Hopefully one of them turns out all right.  The pressure is certainly on.  

More to come as always.  I am a whipped pup today.  Time to shut it down.  

36

I have been meaning to blog about turning 36, but then I realized there isn't a whole lot to say about it.  As far as birthdays go, it is fairly innocuous.  I guess, at this age, I figure the 5s are the biggies (35, 40, 35, 50, etc).  Perhaps the only thing notable is that it is a square number and I won't see another one of those until I am 49 (that was for you fellow math nerds).

But, work remains eventful.  The gal I trained leaves next Friday.  They have offered me the full time gig back, but we are going to try to 'compromise' to me picking up Mondays if we can arrange childcare (see later on this post).  They won't post the gig, because they are still very unclear on when the OHSU deal is going down.  Plus, by the time they got the job posted, went through the interviews, and got someone in and trained, it would be months.  My next 'ask' will probably be to switch me back to EH from the Park (I officially work at the latter, though I have only been there a hand full of times since August when I accepted that position).  This would be purely for negotiating with OHSU down the line as I would be 1 of 1 at EH, but the least tenured with Legacy of the group at the Park.

Plus, the latest rumor mill grist is that all the clinics will flip to OHSU at one time vs. the initial staggered schedule.  How this will work (any of it really) is a mystery, but there is more chatter from the higher ups that the signing is nigh.  It is incredibly frustrating mostly because there are no guarantees going forward.  Hard to plan for down the line without any idea of what that might entail.

I also recently got a call back from KP Hillsboro about an IV gig I applied to.  I am unsure what to do with that, as it could be the same crew that did the panel with me and never contacted me after.  I don't know if I would have been a good fit for that job anyway, but it seems kind of dickish to have someone go through the processes and not bother to send out an email saying they picked someone else.  Of course, the call I got was from their front line of defense, who is supposed to filter me in or out before an actual interview.  I will call her at least and see if I make it any further than that.

Tia has her second interview tomorrow with the company out in Oswego.  It is a simulation of sorts, with them explaining the project and her explaining how she would manage it.  Even if it proves awesome, there is still the matter of pay/benefits.  KP is pretty effing awesome in that regard.

Q officially broke up with his daycare today......or we did anyway.  It was one more day of them doing stuff they ought not.  Today they gave him wheat toast and butter.......two no-nos from an allergy perspective, especially since we had not introduced him to them.  They are always giving him tylenol because he is 'fussy' and they still talk of his yelling fits (though we have not seen them in months).  This on top of the fact that he is often half clothed for their diapering convenience.  It was nothing huge, but enough little things to piss you off.  So, the search for a nanny (or ideally a nanny share) begins.  Tia is already making contacts.

That covers it all for now.  IF you get a chance, rent 'This is 40'.  Pretty funny (and somewhat poignant at this age) stuff if a bit overlong and with a few unnecessary story digressions.