Getting ready to travel!

Hi to all friends and family! I have decided to start a blog to keep everyone up to date on my adventures that will be starting as my first assignment as a travel nurse begins shortly. I have decided that Florida nursing is just not enjoyable or profitable and due to a fascination with travel nursing, I did some research into this field. After signing up on line, I was promptly BOMBARDED with more phone calls in a week than I think I have gotten in the past year! Becoming quickly overwhelmed with all of the different travel nurse companies out there that wanted to sign me up, I did some on line investigation with around 8 companies. I filled out endless applications with several of them, and as I talked with several recruiters on the phone, I began to separate the "wheat from the chaff." I finally narrowed it down to 2 companies, and was made to feel very comfortable with a recruiter named Michelle from Clinical One. They didn't promise me the moon, and she was very forthcoming with information and pitfalls to be aware of. She called when she said she would, she didn't do anything without my consent, and I decided to work with this company. She put my application in to Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso, Texas, I had a phone interview the next day with 2 of the nurses in the pediatric unit there, and after the weekend, was offered the position for a 13 week assignment. I start work there on November 17th. It is a 500+ bed hospital with a 74 bed Pediatric unit, a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, NICU, and Pediatric Oncology unit. I will be working 3 nights a week, and my housing/utilities are paid for on top of my salary. I get double pay for overtime, travel pay, plus numerous other benefits.

Today, I spent the entire day filling out paperwork, getting things notorized, faxing forms to Clinical One (the paperwork is tedious, but Michelle reassured me that the initial assignment is the only one that I have to do all of this for!), got blood drawn, had a flu shot, get to pee in a cup for the standard drug screen, took a required RN competency test, rescheduled appointments, filled up my car for $2.24/gallon (yeah, I know; it has NOTHING to do with this, but I was so tickled at the price I had to put it in!!), packing groceries, linens, kitchenware, etc. Never did get a chance to vote in the election, though. I turned in my resignations at both places of employment here in Florida. For those who don't know, the Pediatric Health Choice job was not for me!! I was ready to quit the first day. It might be nursing daycare for pediatric patients with a variety of medical needs, but to me, it was glorified babysitting by underpaid RN's. I LOVE the kids; don't get me wrong, but listening to 30 kids from infant to average age of 5 years screaming and yelling, spending most of my day separating them from killing each other as they slap, punch, and bite their way to stealing toys from each other was not something that I felt was worth waking up at the crack of dawn 4 days a week for. The amount of abuse some of these kids deal with on a daily basis is the explanation for why they behave the way they do, plus the neurological damage some of them suffer is also a reason why they can't behave. It is heartwrenching, but also very hard to work with every day. I turned in my notice at the beginning of my second week.

I have not been able to get any hours at St. Pete General Hospital as they are so overstaffed, and they continue to overwhelm the nurses with as many patients as possible so they can cut staff and save money. I did tell my recruiter that I would not ever take an assignment with any hospital owned by HCA; she told me that is the one company she does not like to place nurses with!!

So, to make a long story shorter, I am going back to bedside nursing, but in different states. The experiences of working with different hospitals nationwide is something I am looking forward to as it will increase my skills tremendously. I am also excited about getting to see different areas of the country as well. I have only been to the Houston airport once, so I can't wait to see more of Texas than just an airport terminal. El Paso is located over in the south western corner of the state; sandwiched between New Mexico and Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. The Rio Grande is on the other side of the mountain range that borders the area.

I will be updating my blog with photos of my travels and stories of my adventures both in the hospital and recreational activities. I hope you will check in occassionally to keep up with me!

This is a photo of me feeding my surrogate granddaughter!! She was born just a few hours before my birthday this summer in Michigan. She is also the baby in my arms on my profile photo! I have known her mom since she was a baby, and her grandmother is my best friend for over 28 years!