Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Exit Strategy

I've heard it said that I lady always knows the appropriate time to make her exit. But how do you really know? Its like playing cards... you always risk the hand of a lifetime being dealt after you walk away. Welcome to my dilemma. Things with the flight job have actually gotten worse rather than better. I keep getting calls from all over the state for shifts that I can't work (usually I'm working at the hospital). However my last 2 paychecks have been completely screwed up. The have switched me to an Arizona employee (WTF?), which means I get to pay AZ withholding, my last check was to be 48 hours and instead it was 21. My hourly rate was completely wrong, which amounted to a difference of a couple hundred bucks, PLUS even though I no longer have benefits through said flight company... they continue to deduct them. I have emailed my supervisor several times and have gotten no response. I even asked what was going to become of me after the first of the year... and zilch. This is BULLSHIT. I bet if I sent in an ammended mileage sheet with my travel calculated from AZ to the east coast they would get it straight pretty fast!

My gut is telling me to get the money straight and then go. As much as I want to fly, this is ridiculous. I don't even want to pick up more shifts due to the amount of crap there is to deal with. So, when does the lady make her exit?

Friday, November 14, 2008

The Trauma 'tern





Monday, November 10, 2008

The end??? Or the beginning?

Friday night I went in at 2300. I figured I'd do an easy 8 hour shift, run home, shower and then drive north for ACLS at noon the next day Funny how we nurses see an 8 hour shift as an easy, short day. The rest of the world works 8's and hates it. Hmmm... interesting. So we were busy as hell, I was walking the Green mile with a full zone including a prisoner with necrotic pancreatitis and a former nursing instructor who fell at a basketball game and took a BIG chunk out of her calf. As I got settled the clinical coordinator and attending in charge approached me (I had the code room) to let me know that there had been a balcony collapse downtown, they were calling an internal disaster and I need to clear out everyone I could.

The story goes there was a house party at the college downtown. Over 150 kids at the house and 40-50 out on this old ass balcony. I can do math and 1900's balcony + 40 kids at 120-250lbs each = BAD! Out of all the kids we got 21... 11 trauma alerts and 10 walking wounded. They were all a little drunk but nobody was badly injured. The 3 that I got were very sweet and easy. I felt bad for them. After 8 hours of sheer hell I called my ACLS instructor and told him that there was NO WAY I would be up there. Too damn tired.

I have also emailed my boss with the flight company. He has fucked up my timesheets twice, I am not getting shifts and to be honest, I'm getting pissed at the whole situation. How am I supposed to get better if I'm not flying on a regular basis? My mom made a good point... it may be better for me to make my own decision rather than let them make it for me. If they can't give me a decent answer I can walk away. There are other programs out there. It is not ideal, but I am willing to stick it out to really get what I want versus what they are willing to give me. It is bittersweet to be willing to leave and knowing when the right time to go is!