Tomorrow is supposed to be chilly and rainy, so I won't be able to do anything outdoors.
I think I'll just start decorating inside and maybe that will put me in the mood. Last year I just started putting things up outside, and it evolved into a funeral theme almost by itself. I'm hoping the same thing will happen this year, but it feels really odd not to be knee-deep in Halloween preparations by now.
Work has been really busy lately. Since we are a non-profit organization, relying mostly on Medicare and donations, we are especially budget-conscious. Our computer system is the dollar-store version of the kind we had at the hospital and is dealing us fits. It makes charting longer, not faster, and there are so many Medicare requirements for documentation in order to get reimbursed, it just seems endless. One of our nurses is out with her knee, and another with illness, and they hadn't yet filled my preceptor's position when she went to days. With the census high, and the staffing short, we've all been putting in extra hours. I work with a great group of guys and gals who really pull together with a minimum of complaining. It would be easy to deteriorate into a pool of negativity, but they don't. We're hiring as fast as we can, so this will hopefully ease up by December.
Remember way back in 2008, when I made a little star quilt for M, a blue star mom?
She left the hospital not long after, to work at a long-term rehab facility, and I haven't seen her since then. Well, she's been one of the home hospice nurses here for a while, and I didn't know that until just before I started working here. She is transferring to inpatient hospice nights, with me, and will be on board the first week of November. Another friend from my hospital has applied for a per diem position on nights, too. Funny how so many critical care nurses seem to end up in hospice.
I must say, though, I am most impressed with the leadership in our little organization. Not only does our manager work shifts or partial shifts to help, so does our VP, who is an RN! I have never known a Director of Nursing who truly COULD do our job, much less one who WOULD do it. They truly care about us, our patients and families, and not just the almighty budget. It is such a pleasure to work here.
I don't get a chance to read blogs at this job, so every week there are over 400 posts in my Reader on my offdays. There are about 22 more hours of computer videos I am supposed to watch for my job. Add to that, Windows installed IE 9 and erased all my pictures and bookmarks. I'm trying to get everything back to normal, but I haven't gotten it all figured out yet, and I can't seem to get caught up. If I don't comment as much, please forgive me. I'm trying to get as much read as possible and sometimes I have to choose between reading more posts or commenting.
One of these days I may even get to sew again!
5 comments:
Yes, I do remember last year's decorations. That was fun. I don't recall the details enough to type here but my mind does seem to think… :)
What great stuff you're sharing here about work. What a great, great team. It interesting to read how CCRN's are going to Hospice. Do you have any thoughts on why that's a good fit? (my field was Healthcare in the IT and business office end)
Great idea to just START with the decorating and see what organically happens--I imagine something scary and fun!
Sorry that you are so busy, in a way, but glad that the positive energy and cooperativeness is at the core. I would think that healthcare administrators must hunger for patient contact at times--the reason for their career path must originally lie in helping people, after all!
Having a good group of people that try to pull together makes a job a place that you can be happy in. It doesn't hurt if you like what you do, either!
I hope you hit some ghastly inspiration somewhere, your ideas are always past my imagination. Have fun with the Halloween goodies, I'll be watching ~
:-}pokey
Sometimes the best plans are no plans at all. Just do what you can do and see what happens *s*
I got your boxes in the mail yesterday!! I didn't see the comment you left about them, so they were complete surprises!! Thank you, thank you!! The girls were immediately taken with the paper crimping tool and just about every scrap of paper is now crimped! LOL After reading how busy you are, I appreciate even more that you took the time to pack and ship them to us! Thanks again! I hope you find some time to decorate soon, Happy Halloween! :o)
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