I continue to work night shifts at a pace that I have not done in years. The continuous flip-flop back and forth between days and nights, along with the challenge of a leadership role, and initiating positive change in this environment has got me feeling slightly disoriented. I have moments of unexplained vertigo and full body chills when I work my regular hours in the office. My circadian rhythm has gone awry -I may not be able to achieve homeostasis within these demands. But, I am hanging in there…..
The CNO asked me this past week if I would consider a temp-to-perm position as the director here. I informed her with genuine sincerity and honesty that it is too early to make such a commitment. I made sure that she understood that the answer would surely be “No” if conditions remain the way that they are at present. She covered her ears and told me not to give her an answer yet -she wants me to wait until the answer is “Yes”. She told me that they would love to keep me on at whatever capacity that they can, even if it is through extending my contract. I make no promises at this point, but I do love the area and the facility has the potential to be a pleasant place to achieve work/life balance. They offer the director a 4 day work week with 3 day weekends. This has not been something that I have ever come across throughout my leadership journey and I would love to have a schedule like that. It remains to be seen if we can get the facility appropriately staffed to achieve that fairy tale work week. Until then, I work night shifts repeatedly.
We had a revisit from the state surveyors last week and they were pleased with what we were able to achieve in such a short amount of time. They had no further concerns with the facility and left satisfied. Celebrations for these moments are short-lived, because if you have been in this business for any time at all, you know that they could show up again tomorrow or next week to find new concerns. It requires a constant state of vigilance to maintain compliance with the strict, ever-changing regulations.
I continue to enjoy the arid climate and I feel like I have now fully adjusted. The desert puts on a show every morning and every evening. I took this picture this past week as the weather was changing. The wind was blowing 40 mph, but you would never know it by looking at this peaceful picture. An absolute work of art (no filter needed or applied)-the views here never disappoint.
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