Tag: traveling nurse blog
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Reflections
I planned to provide an update since leaving travel nursing, but realized when I logged in today that I really left a cliff hanger for everyone. Did I really only post two articles relating to the last assignment? I will admit that it was an assignment that was less than optimal (reading the last post…
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New England (Chapter 6)
It…..is…..so…..HOT here! When I found this apartment, I knew that it did not have air conditioning. My thoughts were that it would be just fine. I mean, I grew up in Texas. As a child, we rarely used the air conditioner. We had an attic fan, which at night cooled the house, but during the…
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New England (Chapter 1)
We arrived safely to our destination and we have spent the last week learning our new environment and adjusting. We do not have a washer/dryer in our furnished apartment -this I will miss immensely (I have mentioned the obsession that I have with my washer in a previous post). The sun rises here at 0430…
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The Long, Long, Very Long Roadtrip
It didn’t take long to find another travel role. I am excited to announce that we will be going to New England! We have visited there once, but now we will have the opportunity to live there and fully explore the area. It is a long, long, very long drive (36 hours to be exact).…
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On The Road Again?
I took the time that was needed to assess my current situation. I was able to determine that there is a disconnect between words and actions in this organization and a desperate need for them to maintain control and engage in micromanagement. Clinical decisions have continued to be made by operational leaders without clinical input,…
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Seeking Clarity
To say that being home has been a struggle is an understatement. Adjusting has been difficult financially, physically, and emotionally. Financially because I took a pretty big cut in pay to find a job at home and because all of my income is now taxable instead of being supplemented by stipends; Physically because I had…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 7)
I should probably provide a warning that the contents in this chapter could be labeled as a “rant”. We survived the blizzard conditions from last week. I can say that a tiny part of it was magical. We took the dogs out for a walk at night while it was actively snowing. They loved it!…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 6)
Meet Wilson -he is a cord chewer, a wachutu, and a self-proclaimed lap dog. We had to have our big dog (Boobie) put down recently, and it was traumatic (blogged about in a previous post). We were so involved in the emotional trauma of losing him, that we didn’t fully realize how important he was…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 5)
It has been a hard push to continue to work towards our facility goals and get ready for the holidays while being away from home. So much so, that I have found myself worn completely down, and sick. I have a tendency to delay seeking care for illness. I come by that naturally. With my…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 1)
We arrived to our new destination last week. We had a few days of warm weather to allow us time to make adjustments for winter. It isn’t easy to keep a camper maintained in cold weather. It can be a challenge to keep the interior warm when the walls and floors are so thin, and…
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Leaving the Islands
We made it back to the islands with just a few weeks left on my assignment. We spent that time revisiting the places that we enjoyed the most, knowing that we may never be back. We have the best of intentions to return one day, but you never know what life has in store. It…
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The Islands (Week 6)
When we first arrived, I remember losing sleep and being slightly annoyed by the footsteps above me and the loud birds in the jungle surrounding us. Now I find it comforting (more evidence that perspective is relative). It is the first time in my existence that I have been alone. My husband went back home…
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The Islands (Week 3)
I just finished a stretch of 4 shifts in a row that have left me exhausted. When I chose the condo that I am currently in, I knew that it was 54 miles from the facility. To some people that may sound like a long commute, but I made that decision based on travel conditions…
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The Islands (Week 2)
We have been our own tour guides here. Every day, we utilize the internet to find our next adventure. Every place/beach/hike has at least two names here, so it requires some digging to piece it all together, but we always find something to do. I think that is my favorite thing about this place. I…
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The Islands (Week 1)
This past week has been full of “firsts” for me. Let me tell you about it: I flew in an airplane for the first time! It is something that I have spent most of my adult life avoiding for sake of fear. I have been able to justify driving my car every time we have…
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The Midwest (Week 9)
Isn’t this a beautiful car? I LOVE it. I love the rumble of the engine when it starts up, I love shifting through the gears, I love driving with the sun roof open. So many things…. Rant Warning——I can’t drive it right now. It has been almost a month of phone calls and begging for…
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The Midwest (Week 7 & 8)
This assignment is flying by! I seriously don’t know where the time is going. I have found myself in uncharted territory. The car trouble that I recently encountered has become compounded by the fact that there are no parts available to fix it. I purchased this car in January to ensure that I would not…
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The Midwest (Week 6)
What a wonderful weekend we just had! As I travel nurse, my husband team ropes, and the kids are grown and in different places -It becomes increasingly difficult for us to all be together. Our son came home to visit from the military (Army MP) and I was able to manage a trip home from…
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The Gulf Coast (Week 12)
It has been a very busy past two weeks. I find myself getting close to the end of this assignment, which is always bittersweet. I have extended here twice. What started out as an 8 week assignment has turned into over 3 months so far. For the first time since I have been in this…
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The Gulf Coast (Week 6)
My husband frequently tells me that I have great “fortitude”, and that it is a rare quality. I ponder this sometimes wondering what he means by it. By definition, fortitude means a strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage. I can tell you that I do…