Feedback at the new job

Things have been going alright at my new job. It is unnerving feeling like I am being watched so closely. And there were some tasks that I had difficulty with, to be honest. For one, I've never used an adding machine, or balanced a cash drawer. I'm talking an old-fashioned with the paper tape type adding machine. My grandpa had one. It's fine now, but I just didn't get it at first.

Then there's the phone. I've always been a little anxious around phones. And this one has a bunch of lines and impatient people (both callers and callees) and special bells and whistles, not to mention very, very specific language that has to be used per company policy (I switched in a "can" for a "may" a few times one day and heard about it later).

But overall, I'd say I'm ding alright. It's, as my counselor says, "a peon job", and it really shouldn't be a huge source of stress for someone my age with a master's degree. The last year has really shot my confidence to hell though, and the combination of low confidence and feeling so *watched* probably made me come across in not the *best* of lights.

Anyway, at the end of last week, Thursday actually, my immediate supervisor started giving me all sorts of praise. Said that I really seemed to be picking up on things, that I had done so well today, that I seemed to be much more confident on the telephone. Really, really laid it on thick. I was feeling good. Whew, I thought, I can relax a bit. And then she says, "because we were worried for a while there".

Back down to a zero again. Thanks, boss.

She apologized the next morning when I came in. Said that it was a rude thing to say, and that she wishes she could take it back. Really seemed genuine about it. But it's already out there, and it bothered me.

I'm trying to just let it go. It's not a career move type job, it's just a way to try to support myself while I retrain. I may even be switching to a different place that is more likely to give me health benefits in a couple of months. But I want people to like me and think well of me.

My counselor told me to focus on the praise that preceded the remark, and remind myself that she said "we WERE worried", not "we ARE worried". Past tense. Let it be in the past and move on.

So that's what I'm working on.

Volunteer shift at the Hospital yesterday

Yesterday was my 3rd time volunteering at the hospital. It felt a lot more relaxed than usual. I had someone there working with me again, and almost all of the calls were to ferry lab specimens around form various departments, with very few other situations to take care of.

I started feeling like I could even bring some studying to do with me some days. And now that Jenny is back from vacation (the woman who usually does Saturdays), we can switch off weekends, so I'll have the option of having some Saturdays to myself.

That feels good. Especially going into Fall semester where things could get crazy! I'm sure I'll be thankful for an extra Saturday here and there.

Classes Update (for Fall 2011)

I decided that even if the 2nd job doesn't work out, I will probably be doing the CNA on the job training at a place in town this fall, so I went ahead and dropped the medical assisting class that I had on the back burner for fall semester at the community college.

In its place, again as a sort of back up, what-if scenario, I signed up for maternal/child nutrition, gerontological nutrition, and community health. These are all 3 unit, online classes. So now as my options for fall semester (in addition to whatever work I'm doing) I've got:

-Phlebotomy (2 nights per week driving about 50 minutes to get to class plus to do externship hours later on in the semester). Could get me a good job but it might take a while.
-EKG monitor technician (1 day per week for 6 weeks, driving 50 minutes to get to the other campus for a 3 hour training before I go to retirement home job). There's a possibility I could get this training at a local hospital instead, starting in October, which I would prefer. However, none of the details about schedule are out yet.

And the 3 online classes to chose between, main purpose of which would be to (a) keep my tutoring job, (b) fluff up my healthcare resume:

-Maternal/Child Nutrition (has a textbook that's over $100 dollars, unfortunately)
-Gerontological Nutrition (has a cheap textbook, only 20 bucks or so, but less appealing to me than the mom/baby class)
-Community Health (seems like a great idea to take, but again $100 dollar textbook)

Maybe, given that I'm going to have pretty much full time hours at the nursing home job for the next few months, and I'm going to feel tight on time, especially if I keep phlebotomy, I should quit the tutoring job. I don't want to. I enjoy working with the students and I feel like I am doing a good job there. And it gets me priority registration at the community college (which, in fairness, I probably won't need anymore if I go ahead and take phlebotomy this semester). Maybe if I cut my hours way, way back? :-/ Also seems like a cop-out.

I'm going to have 6 weeks to accomplish 40.5 hours of clinical externship, and the website says I need to have weekday availability to work with their externship sites. If I had all day Wednesday (assuming I stop tutoring at that point of the semester), I would be doing it 8 hours at a time, meaning I would barely get it done in the 6 weeks.

It looks like, assuming my coworker who's on maternity leave comes back on time, I could also do Friday afternoons if they could take me then. I would need time to change, plus time to travel to North County...if all the externship sites are there. So realistically I could probably start at 2pm? Another 4 hours per week (I'm guessing here). If I did that I could get the hours done in (4x12=48 hours) four weeks.

Phlebotomy is a really, really hard class to get into. So I feel like I should keep it if I can. Hmmm.

Hopefully it will all fall into place!!

Too many balls in the air!

My head is kind of swimming at the moment. Too many things to juggle and arrange and prioritize for this Fall.

(1) My boss at the tutorial center asked me to teach the supplemental instruction group for physiology this fall. The hours I would need to work for that directly conflict with the hours at my new job. It felt too soon (only 2 weeks in) to start asking for special shift considerations at the new place, so I turned my tutoring boss down.

(2) At my new job at the retirement home, one of my coworkers is going to be out for maternity leave for the next 3 months, so they are raising my hours to full time while she's gone, as well as having me put through paperwork (fingerprinting and physical) for one of their other facilities so that I can substitute there. This means (a) I will be working or volunteering *every* day of the week, including weekends (b) It's still more information to take in

(3) Various educational opportunities abound:

(a) Phlebotomy: I'm signed up for a class that would require me driving 50 minutes two nights per week and finding time in my schedule to accomplish externship hours on week days, also 50 minutes away, and well-rested and ready to be professional.

(b) Basic cardiac arrhythmia: A course necessary to apply for jobs as a monitor tech in a local hospital, which pays more than either of my current jobs and would probably let me have more flexible hours around my nursing school time about a year from now. I am signed up for a version of this class at the community college 50 minutes from here on Tuesday mornings (would require cutting back on tutoring hours and cost some money for tuition, textbook), and there is a possibility I could take it at the local hospital instead (would require approval of the hospital, probably free, might give me a better in for getting a job later, on Wednesdays but don't know what time yet.

(c) I have to stay in at least one class if I want to keep my tutoring job...maybe even 6 units worth? Not sure. Eeeek.

(d) I am also signed up for medical assisting at the local community college but that was just an "in case I don't have work" option, because it would require 3 or 4 days per week basically all day during Fall. However, I'm reluctant to drop it yet because I still have anxiety about being out of work and not being able to get the class back.

(e) the pre-nursing advisor suggested I sign up for the first in the series of nursing program classes, which they will let someone take if they have completed all the pre-reqs. There is an online option for this class, and I think there are still spots available, but should I take it now? Should I wait and take it in person when I start the program because most everyone else will be? Should it be my 1 class that I am taking this Fall if I need it to remain a tutor?

(f) I will probably hear from the 2nd in-nursing-home CNA program I applied to in August or September, and I will have to make a decision if I feel okay leaving my new job (at a time that would be difficult for them), and if it is worth it to get full time benefits/less pay/work nights/perhaps more flexibility/etc....(my health insurance from my last job runs out in 4 months)

Blahh....it's hard to keep track of everything.

I think.... I think at this point, I probably should be feeling more stable at my new retirement home job, and I should go ahead and drop the medical assisting course. And maybe I should sign up for the online version of the "nursing 101" class (that's not its actual title, I just can't remember right now).

Phew. I feel a little better just having laid it all out there. But I'm still kind of stressed.

Awesome Volunteer Shift at the Hospital Today!

Today was supposed to be my second volunteer shift training at the hospital, but as it turned out, no one was able to train me, so after calling to see if anyone was coming in, I went ahead and did it on my own!

I spent the whole day running and answering questions and helping people. Two different emergency patients accidentally came into the main lobby instead of the ER, and one of them was a pregnant, Spanish-speaking lady and her husband. I struggled, but I was able to communicate enough with them to verify that she was pregnant, 2 months along, and that they suspected a problem with the baby, and that they weren't sure where to go. I called the necessary folks and then brought them to the ER.

I also got to talk briefly with a monitor tech, who told me that the hospital I volunteer at has just started offering basic cardiac arrhythmia classes -- the one for summer has already started, but there should be another one coming up starting in September. I was thinking about doing that course online for about 100 bucks, but wasn't sure if the hospitals would consider it legitimate. I also signed up for the class at a community college campus about 50 miles from here but I would rather not take the time off work and drive there once a week. If I could do it at the local hospital that would be great!

Lots to think about. Hmm.... I just thought that maybe I should have written those 2 ER patients in a log somewhere, other than just bringing them there.... will have to ask next week.

First Volunteer Shift at the Hospital

I finally got my volunteer uniform jacket, paperwork, immunizations, training, and all the little details checked off and finished, so yesterday was my first "shadowing" shift at the hospital as part of the volunteer auxiliary. The lady who usually works Saturdays is out of town for a couple of weeks, so she has a couple different subs lined up to train me over the next two weeks.

Note to self--- this gig requires a lot of walking, so bring a water bottle. At the volunteer desk I'll be working at, we have coffee available (for ourselves and waiting families), and I ended up drinking more coffee than I should have because I was thirsty and it was there. Didn't get much sleep last night.

2nd note to self --- Keep tissues nearby. Nosebleeds on white scrubs in a healthcare setting don't look great (this actually didn't happen, but it was near miss in the morning on the way out the door).

Some of my duties included:

(1) Various units around the hospital would call the volunteer desk and ask us to transport a urine/blood/whatever sample to the lab, sometimes on a STAT basis. I'd go pick it up, take it to the lab, time-stamp it, put it in their inbox, and let whoever was handy know if it was a stat.

(2) Deliver newspapers to patients and nurse stations. We had a cart full of newspapers and walked around the entire building offering newspapers to patients one at a time and leaving copies on nursing units that I suppose had requested them. The hospital was unusually full yesterday, so we ran out of papers before we ran out of patients, and there weren't any left for the front lobby. My hands were black by the end.

(3) Deliver gifts from the gift shop to patients. This was probably my favorite part, because the patients were so happy to see the balloons and things coming in the door. Plus, I got to deliver things to the labor and delivery section, where brand new infants were being gazed adoringly at by their proud mamas and papas.

(4) Handle questions and comments of all types at the front desk. Most commonly, can you tell me which room my family member or friend is in. Some patients are inmates or have chosen not to make their room number public to maintain privacy. Some people who come in are upset because they have an issue that is urgent to them that the hospital can't deal with on the weekend (I'm thinking of a lady that needed a check stamped before she could cash it and none of the departments that could help her were there on the weekend).

(5) Try to be a helpful, comforting presence to anyone who needs it. When I went to the cardiovascular ICU, there was a woman in the waiting room who was looking out the window and sobbing. I think her dad was in with a heart attack or something. I asked her if I could bring her anything, and she said some water would be great, and wanted to know when she could go inside and find out what was going on. I got her a glass of water, and checked with the nurses station for an update. That's a rough spot to be in and I could really empathize with what she was going through.

I think it's going to be a really good experience, overall. Six hour shifts on a Saturday might be a little brutal, but I probably won't have to do every Saturday...and it will all work out.

More updates in a few days.

First Week of Receptionist Work at Retirement Village

This past week I was doing training at my new job. I think it went well. I felt like I was being watched ultra-closely (probably not my imagination) but I kept getting good feedback from the lead receptionist and the organization assistant director; they kept telling me I was doing a good job.

There was a lot to take in. So many details and forms and binders and cards and policies to keep track of. And finding something appropriate to wear each day was kind of a struggle but I think I'm getting in the swing of things better than I was.

They keep telling me "please don't leave", "I hope you stay", etc...they recently lost their last new hire after only a month because she had some family issue she had to go take care of. I have that other CNA training opportunity in the wings that they don't know about, and I don't know yet what I will do if the opportunity presents itself.

I think the part of the job that is most scary for me is dealing with the phone, and transferring calls around, and saying the right thing. It's a lot to remember, and I've never been super comfortable even with simple telephone calls. It makes me uncomfortable not being able to see the other person's face. But I think I'm getting better. I also know that the management doesn't really approve of my acquaintance/friend that is working in the same office, which is a little awkward. She knows it, but I don't think she realizes the extent of it (or at least my perception of the situation, from little things here and there).

Because the section I work in is "independent living", none of us are medically trained, and in an emergency situation the only thing I am allowed to do is the heimlich maneuver. My hands are tied...no CPR, or anything like that. Really basic first aid also might be okay. But for the most part I'm just supposed to call for help and try to comfort the person until it gets there. Another lady who works in the office is a retired nurse, and she said this bothers her too, not being able to jump in and do more.

Last week felt very full, I think partly because I had a different schedule than I'd counted on due to training. Next week is my last week of doing both jobs at once (tutoring and receptionist) for a while, until the fall semester begins. We will see. Plus I've started my volunteer work at the hospital, which is a 6 hour shift on Saturday. So I'm feeling busy, busy. I will write about the volunteer experience in my next post.

Well that was sh*t timing.

One of the assisted living places I put in an application for a month ago, to do their paid CNA training program, called me for an interview just now. They said they had finally gotten around to checking my references and everything, and that they'd like to schedule an interview with their head nurse, CEO and someone else.

It would be for full time work, 4 hours training and 4 hours on the floor per day until training was over. Agh! Such a better opportunity than the one I just accepted, I think. But I felt responsible to the people that just hired me. So told the guy on the phone that I had just accepted another position last week. He said they'd keep my application on file, in the inactive section, and to please keep them in mind for the future.

Shoot!!! So frustrating. I found out I'm going to be making $10.50 an hour at the place I just accepted work, the receptionist position, while I'm pretty sure the CNA training program would have been minimum wage of 8. But full time work comes with health benefits. Geez.

All I could do was make the best decision I could at the time.

Then there's the other issue of the 2nd nursing home I applied for a CNA training position at -- that one said their summer class was full, but they were interested in me and would definitely call this fall when another class was starting. By then I will have worked at the receptionist job for what, 2 months maybe? Would I feel comfortable leaving then? Probably not.

I will just have to wait and see how it goes, I guess. But I am frustrated, can you tell?!

Happy Realization

Even though I got my second job and don't really have time for a third one, I still browse the hospital job boards around here for interest's sake and to see if I can learn anything. I forgot to mention that last month I saw several (maybe 6?) RN1 jobs with posts that specified that they were only available to local graduates, meaning in this case, the community college I'm going to attend.

I had been worried a little bit in the back of my mind since my dad made a comment about it being hard for anyone to get a job here because it is such a sought after place to live. But if I do well in school, and stay in the top of my class, and many of my classmates want to move to the big city or somewhere else for higher salaries, I might have a decent shot at one of the two major local hospitals right out of school.

I did a little poking around online today trying to find any blogs by people who have attended or are attending the nursing school I am applying to, and I didn't find any (probably because they are too busy, or anonymous), but I did come across the graduation video from this year's outgoing class. It was the first glimpse I'd gotten of what nursing school might look like from the inside; when I went to see a school counselor last fall and asked about observing a class or two to see if I thought it would be a good fit, she told me that it wouldn't be allowed for legal reasons. But in the video, I got to see students practicing IV's on each other and stuff.

There was also a second video, a music video that the class had made at some point during their second year. It looked like the students involved were having a lot of fun and de-stressing together.

My new personal theme song of the moment is Joshua Radin's "It's a Brand New Day"



I feel like I'm finally moving on from the life I left behind with graduate school and am starting a new chapter. It only took a year!

Study Plan for the TEAS test

Since I took the TEAS pre-test over a week ago, I haven't done anything else to prepare. The nursing school I am applying to will assign me a test date this fall. It looks like all of the possible test dates are on Saturdays, and the first possible date I could be assigned is September 10th. So I have about 2 months to do any review and study that I feel I need to do.

There are 4 major subject areas to cover (Reading, Math, Science, and English Language Usage) and I am looking at the table of contents in my study manual to further break it down.

So here is my rough plan:
Week of 7/04/11: English Language Usage (Grammar)
Week of 7/11/11: English Language Usage (Structure, Spelling and Punctuation)
Week of 7/18/11: Science (Scientific Reasoning & Human Body Science)
Week of 7/25/11: Science (Life Science)
Week of 8/01/11: Science (Earth and Physical Science)
Week of 8/08/11: Math (Numbers and Operations, Measurement)
Week of 8/15/11: Math (Data interpretation, Algebraic Applications)
Week of 8/22/11: Reading (Paragraph and Passage Comprehension)
Week of 8/29/11: Reading (Informational Source Comprehension)
Week of 9/05/11: Take 2nd practice test and Review any Problem Areas
(repeat review until assigned test date)

I keep track of everything I need to get done as well as my work schedules on a google calendar, so I am going to put in the broad subject areas for each week as well as the specific subtopic to cover at certain times.

I hope that by making an appointment with myself it will be easier to get it done rather than just letting the time slip by.

I got the job!

So, my new supervisor called me yesterday and told me they want to hire me. I don't know what my hourly rate will be yet, but I've got their weekly schedule of hours they want me to cover (it's about 24 I think) and next week I'm going to start working my tutoring appointments around fitting the new schedule.

It sounds like they called my current supervisor, and someone I put down from my last position (in graduate school) before that. I heard from both that they had gotten a call. And it turns out I didn't have anything to worry about.

Not the ideal, full time, with benefits job that I'd hoped for, but this should help a lot with the financial situation being able to have more hours, and more dependable hours.

Celebrating by going to an outdoor music concert tonight. Cheers!