[J_9]

They possibly been covered by Medicare. That would have taken care of their expenses.

Ugh, gh, I really don't want to get into Canada/US medicine. There are benefits and detriments to both sides. Personally, I'm glad I don't live in Canada with that health system.

[talaniman]

Medicare only covers 80% of costs, and most seniors have supplemental insurance.

[Alty]

Okay, no debate about healthcare peeps! I've never lived in the US so I can't say anything about your healthcare, because I've never had to deal with it. Same goes for Canada. Unless you've lived here, you have no opinion. This sort of back and forth never ends well, and really, who am I to say anything about your healthcare system, and who are you to say anything about mine? Walk a mile in the shoes... :)

So I'm changing the subject.

Spring is trying to spring here. The snow is melting, I can see my brown lawn, and the snow mold on the leaves we didn't have a chance to rake up before the snow hit. Ew!

But spring is springing! I wore my flip flops today, and no jacket, it was 4C (39.2F) here today. By Friday it's supposed to be 11C (51.8F).

Do you know what that means? Camping season is right around the corner!

Boo ya! :)

[J_9]

True Tal. I'm just not a fan of waiting 6 months for a necessary test.

When I was going through cancer I had a friend that moved to the US from Canada. She was a RN. She told me I was lucky to be in the US as I was diagnosed one day and had my surgery two weeks later. She told me I would probably have died in Canada because I would have had to wait for treatment.

[Alty]

I've never waited more than a week for a necessary test.

Canada has a two tier system. In the US you pay or you don't get, in Canada you have the option to use your free healthcare, or pay. Paying means you don't wait for the tests.

I've always waited, because I can't afford to pay. I've never waited more than a week for a necessary test. Ever!

Now back to Spring.

I have mosquito bite!

[J_9]

We got 13 inches of snow here on Thursday. It was gone by Sunday.

I'm so tired. Been up since 3am, had to drive an hour and a half to work, had to work 12 hours, and now I'm cozy in a hotel room.

OH! I might be getting a new job!

In the US you pay or you don't get,

Not true at all!

[Alty]

Hotel room? Where are you?

New job?

Girl, you've been holding out! Talk!

[J_9]

I'm up north a bit, 90 miles or so from where I live. I'm here for this hospital's Go Live. Meaning they are switching from paper charting to electronic charting and I am one of the trainers. Hard to believe you all knew me when I was just a nursing student!

I'm here to make sure the doctors and nurses know how to chart properly. One of the other trainers here is a nurse manager at our biggest facility and she was one of my original trainers a year ago. Our hospital is falling apart, patient safety is not a priority. According to our Director of Nursing... "You all took the same nursing boards, you should be able to work anywhere." Our argument is... "the doctors took the same boards, but you wouldn't want a dermatologist to do a heart bypass on your grandmother?"

So... The nurse manager at our large facility offered me a job doing ONLY labor and delivery!

[Alty]

I'm up north a bit, 90 miles or so from where I live. I'm here for this hospital's Go Live. Meaning they are switching from paper charting to electronic charting and I am one of the trainers. Hard to believe you all knew me when I was just a nursing student!

I'm here to make sure the doctors and nurses know how to chart properly. One of the other trainers here is a nurse manager at our biggest facility and she was one of my original trainers a year ago. Our hospital is falling apart, patient safety is not a priority. According to our Director of Nursing... "You all took the same nursing boards, you should be able to work anywhere." Our argument is... "the doctors took the same boards, but you wouldn't want a dermatologist to do a heart bypass on your grandmother?"

So... The nurse manager at our large facility offered me a job doing ONLY labor and delivery!

That sounds like an amazing opportunity!

Go for it!

Whatever you decide, behind you all the way. :)

[J_9]

It will mean a pay raise, but a long drive. Where I am now we have about 500 births a year with 2 doctors. Where I plan on going does about 1,500 births a year with 54 doctors. Kind of scary, but I will be oriented by a friend who has worked there for 15 years and the nurse manager is a friend. I will be job shadowing next Tuesday with he L&D friend to see if it's a good fit for me. I have the job, I just have to decide if I want it. Right now my drive takes 10 minutes, if I go to the new job, the drive will be 45 minutes on a slow traffic day.

[Alty]

That is a lot of driving, but it sounds like an amazing opportunity, and more money to boot.

Keep us posted on how it goes. :)

[J_9]

I'm excited for the job shadowing next week.

Now, time for bed. I have to be up at 4 am. I knew there was a reason I chose to work night shift!

[Cat1864]

J, that sounds great. I hope the job shadowing goes well. :)

[Alty]

Nini J. Happy shadowing. :)

[Synnen]

J - that sounds great!

I didn't mean to start a debate on health care. I really did mean that you were lucky enough to be able to just go in for help.

I was sick the whole month of February. The hubby has had one thing after another since the start of the year. And now poor Lan has the icky coughing. None of us are getting enough sleep.

And while I love most aspects of my job, I'm really frustrated right now with one of the people I manage--we're behind schedule on a project, and she's been telling me she doesn't have access to stuff all over the place, and now I find out she hasn't followed directions to GET the access---and meanwhile, we're over a week behind on a project that didn't have a lot of wiggle time to begin with. Gah.

[Alty]

Yikes Synn. Doesn't sound like you're having it easy lately. Wish I could help. It sucks when you're sick. Sucks even more when every family member takes their turn but not all at once. All at once is hard, but at least then you can get it out of your systems all at once and hopefully move on to health.

(((hugs)))

[DoulaLC]

J_9, I think you'll enjoy the opportunity. You'll experience a greater breadth of protocols... likely to be both exciting and frustrating at times! It's very interesting how things can vary from one hospital to another, even within the same system.

Synn, I hope everyone starts getting better soon... and stays that way!

[J_9]

Synn, I hope every one starts feeling better. I can't stand procrastinators.

So. On the way home tonight, remember I've been working 5:30am to 5:30pm, (a two hour drive), I get a text saying they need me to work 7pm to 7am in the ER. Really? REALLY?

And yes, they knew my schedule before they texted me.

Thanks Doula, you are right. I would gain more experience. I will be dealing with high risk, we don't do that where I am. I will also have resources available to me that I don't have right now. Heck! I could call the NICU when we have a bad baby. Right now I AM the NICU.

[Alty]

TGIF! According to the weather channel, this weekend is supposed to be gorgeous. I'm going to force the family to help start with spring cleaning. Is it a bit sad that I'm excited about it?

[DoulaLC]

Not at all Alty! "Strike when the mood hits" is my moto... :-)