I have now been here for a week, and I have already had to work two night shifts on the floor as a charge nurse (there are 4 more night shifts and a day shift that are not covered this coming week). I accepted this position as the Interim Director of Nursing, but can see that it will be a challenge to fulfill that role while also working on the floor. This is the reason that there is an incredibly high attrition rate for this level of leadership. It is not sustainable to be on call 24/7, work all uncovered shifts, and successfully lead and oversee a clinical team. It does not allow for any work/life balance, either. I had a meeting with the CNO and CEO to discuss possible solutions. Both of my proposals were approved, but it will take time to implement them. The facility is on the back end of an unsuccessful state survey, so time is of the essence. We have much work to do. We have written and submitted the plan of correction, now the implementation and monitoring begins.
I am starting to adjust to the arid climate. When I first got here, the dryness of the air made life uncomfortable. My nasal passages were so dry that they were micro-bleeding, my lips were cracked and peeling, and my eyes were burning. I have noticed my body is now gradually adjusting.
The dogs are happy to all be back together. They are enjoying the hikes that include chasing lizards, chipmunks, and rabbits. They run along the trails with their noses to the ground, sniffing all the new scents. I read somewhere that dog sniffing is a form of mental exercise that can be just as tiring as a long walk. I can speak to the truth of this theory. They are happy, exhausted, and ready for naps when we get back to the camper.
Wookie began going to work at the facility. He continues to amaze me and everyone around him. His comfort level and confidence with people, pets, and social situations continues to develop. He has always been incredibly strong in these areas, but there would be some hesitancy that was apparent when we would enter a new facility with new residents and staff. That is no longer present. I thought it was situational when he entered the last facility with complete comfort, but he did the same here, so it must be another milestone on his developmental journey. He worked his first night shift this past week. I didn’t expect him to take it so poorly, but he was miserable. I had his bed under my desk, like usual, and he seemed to sleep most of the night. But the next day he crashed. He would randomly wake up, look around in a delirious manner, try to stand up, and then stiffly fall over back to sleep. I felt terrible for him!
The little town that we are in has a population of 3,100 and they take pride in the fact that there are no stop lights in the entire town; They speak of locations by referencing the name of the valley that they are located in. For instance, they will say “I grew up two valleys over from here” or “I live in such-and-such valley” (the valley names may or may not coincide with the name of the towns); They are a large producer of onions and alfalfa. We have arrived on the cusp of the harvest and I have never seen so many onions in my life. Bus loads of workers show up at the fields each day and you can see them picking onions by hand.
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