A good sort of brain dead
Better start getting used to working 12's. Not to mention being awake around 5AM; it was a good thing I asked when the day/night shifts start. Nope, not the traditional 7a-7p, but I'll be working 6a-6p. Yay. However, my new nurse manager is super cool and gave me a really awesome schedule so that I have a good chunk of time off in between my working days so that way I can commute back home to fulfill my PRN obligations.
Anyway, so yeah. The new job is going really well so far. It's definitely been an interesting learning curve, and I've had to learn a LOT of new different things. For starters, the unit rules are different, and they're a teensy bit more lax in the smaller things. For example, the patients are allowed to have their own money for the pop machine in the cafeteria, they're allowed to have plastic pop or Gatorade bottles (a big no no where I came from), all the patients are required to go to the cafeteria for meals, there's no unit restrictions, and if a patient is on a 1 on 1 intervention, they hire "sitters" (staff members just staffed only to fulfill the obligations required for such intervention, such as being within arm's length of them at all times, maintaining a visual of them at all times, thus not having to pull from the unit staff). It's pretty freaking genius if you ask me. Not to mention how they utilize their PRN employees is different too; they're given the schedule and they fill in what days (or nights) work for them. Easy, and in my opinion that's how it should be done. And everyone is so nice, so so nice, and they seemed genuinely happy to be there. I know not every day will be like that, and I'm not looking at this with rose colored lenses. I'm choosing to remain optimistic, and so far I have not been disappointed.
Prior to becoming a travel nurse, I heard horror stories about some who were with horrible agencies or were given awful assignments. That hasn't been the case so far! I know this is only my first rodeo, but I'm looking forward to where this journey takes me. It may not be very long; my new nurse manager already wants me to stay on full time. I said to wait until the beginning of December when my contract runs out, and then maybe we'll have some more conversations. ;)
Anyway, so yeah. The new job is going really well so far. It's definitely been an interesting learning curve, and I've had to learn a LOT of new different things. For starters, the unit rules are different, and they're a teensy bit more lax in the smaller things. For example, the patients are allowed to have their own money for the pop machine in the cafeteria, they're allowed to have plastic pop or Gatorade bottles (a big no no where I came from), all the patients are required to go to the cafeteria for meals, there's no unit restrictions, and if a patient is on a 1 on 1 intervention, they hire "sitters" (staff members just staffed only to fulfill the obligations required for such intervention, such as being within arm's length of them at all times, maintaining a visual of them at all times, thus not having to pull from the unit staff). It's pretty freaking genius if you ask me. Not to mention how they utilize their PRN employees is different too; they're given the schedule and they fill in what days (or nights) work for them. Easy, and in my opinion that's how it should be done. And everyone is so nice, so so nice, and they seemed genuinely happy to be there. I know not every day will be like that, and I'm not looking at this with rose colored lenses. I'm choosing to remain optimistic, and so far I have not been disappointed.
Prior to becoming a travel nurse, I heard horror stories about some who were with horrible agencies or were given awful assignments. That hasn't been the case so far! I know this is only my first rodeo, but I'm looking forward to where this journey takes me. It may not be very long; my new nurse manager already wants me to stay on full time. I said to wait until the beginning of December when my contract runs out, and then maybe we'll have some more conversations. ;)
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