mailed, finally!

A coworker was nice enough to work a few hours for me Thursday morning, so I slept in a little and then went to the police station to be printed.  Ran to Mom's work afterwords and she helped me get it all ready to mail (She kept it at work overnight to let the prints really dry since the IL prints weren't "good enough" and I really don't want to re-do these for CA).  Mom mailed it all out Friday!  Now it's just a waiting game until I get my temporary license and then I can be Cali-bound!

received!

The fingerprint card came in the mail today!!!!!!  Unfortunately, the police department only does fingerprints on Thursdays from 9-11am, and I work on Thursday.  I am toying with the idea of having someone work for me, just 7-11am, so I can go have my prints done and mail all this to California....

waiting... as usual?

All my paperwork is ready to go to mail to California but I am patiently waiting for my fingerprint card so I can be printed and mail it all together.  I am hoping to accept an assignment by the end of October.

going smoothly

Applying for the Cali license looks to be a lot easier.  It requires much of the same as Illinois, but the paperwork process is so much easier.  I requested my finger print card and sent out paperwork to both MI's BON and San Jac.  Ran to Walgreens this AM and got my passport style photo taken and my application is filled out and ready to go.  Unfortunately, Cali's BON is closed today so I am unable to ask them if I can go ahead and send in the application now and send in the fingerprints once they are done, OR if i have to wait and mail it all in at once.  I guess it'll wait til Monday.

Disappointing thing is, David already told me about a job in San Francisco but they need someone within 2 weeks, which I won't have a Cali license for 4-6 weeks.  Oh well, there are tons of Cali jobs.

California

It is my goal, today and tomorrow, to get going on getting my California license.  It appears there are always jobs there, and if I am going to travel, I'll need to travel there.

Nurse Choice

I was so excited last week after talking to my recruiter through NurseChoice, they have awesome pay, shorter assignments and great benefits.  AND, there was a job posting for San Antonio starting in the fall.  Things were looking up.

Today, I emailed my recruiter, and asked him to let me know if anything else comes up or if the SA job changes and starts sooner.  He replied letting me know that that job was already filled up but that he'd keep an eye out for me. 

Another up, another down.

And I am extremely thankful that I have a full time position at The Cove.  If I didn't, I'd be a lot more upset at all these "close calls".  But, it makes me wonder if this is still something I am supposed to be doing or not.  I had 4 days off over the weekend and was only called in yesterday for a few hours, but I still felt a bit deflated going into work.  The clientele lately up there has just been so depressing.  It's not the babies, persay, it's the parents that we deal with.  I was thinking a change of scenery would be nice, would help rejuvenate me.  Hopefully this door to SA closed so that a better one could open.  I really would like a good door to open soon.

postmarked

The receipt for my fingerprints was in my email box yesterday so today I got the rest of my paperwork together and sent it to Illinois for my temporary permit.  I am still waiting for San Jac's paperwork to be returned so I can send out the rest of my paperwork to get my permanent license.

Of course, Chicago no longer has a position listed, but hopefully something will work out.  In the meantime, Dallas does have a position listed, only for 4 weeks, but I already have a Texas license so, why not?

some more waiting...

I am still waiting on the fingerprint place to email me a confirmation that they've received and run my prints.  I mailed them Thursday, so they should have received them by now, but they have to run them.  I had my manager fill out the Verification of Employment form, and I am waiting for San Jac to email me back the Verification of Education form.  Really, all I need right now is the receipt for my fingerprints so I can mail in the application for a temporary permit, and then get the rest of paperwork into place. 

printed!

I called the police station yesterday to verify which department fingerprinted and when so I could make my plans accordingly.  The station I went to last week had an officer available on Thursdays from 9-11am for fingerprinting so I went this morning and got that done.  Afterwards, I went to the post office and mailed the card and money order to Chicago and now I just have to wait for them to email me a receipt which I will then send with my application to IL and will hopefully at least get my temporary permit while I finish up the paperwork for the actual nursing license.

roadblock

I went and had my physical done, so one more thing completed for Cross Country, but then I went to the police station to be fingerprinted and was once again roadblocked.  Apparently they only do it every other Wednesday, and the next time isn't until the 25th!!  She said the City does it (I think that's what she said), but they only do it on Thursday from 11-1 or somthing like that.  I literally cried in the car on the way home. 

Am I not supposed to travel nurse?!

slow process

The application for IL is daunting and I've started and stopped on it a few times.  I have to verify employment/experience with my current job, verify education with my nursing college, verify my Texas and MI licenses, be fingerprinted...  and I'm probably forgetting what else.  You'd think that my having a MI and TX license would be enough to give me one in Illinois, but apparently not. 

Tomorrow I will go get my titres checked and my OK to physically and mentally work as well as stop by the police station to be fingerprinted.  Once that is done, I can mail the prints to a company in Chicago and they'll process them.  I am hoping by Tuesday of next week they will have received and processed them, and emailed me the receipt so I can submit at least the portion of my application that will allow me a temporary license.

I am still trying to get ahold of San Jac to determine exactly how I need to mail my education verification form. 

Meanwhile, there is a night shift posting still for Chicago, but there could still be changes between now and September.  Shelby is working to try to get me in on a dayshift, or rotating schedule, in September.  I looked on their site tonight and saw a posting for Ann Arbor.  It's night shift, but it'd be so much closer and I could skip the housing and take the money as the drive wouldn't be too bad.  If I worked my nights in a row, I could get a hotel to sleep in during the day and maybe pocket some of the housing subsidy... 

didn't wait long...

Actually, my PC called yesterday afternoon.  Her name is Shelby and although sometimes it is hard to keep up with how fast she talks, I can already see that I'll like her better than Andrea. 

Shelby has worked for the company 12 years and I am thrilled to have someone experienced, since I am a first time traveller.  She emailed me a list of documentation I need to gather around for her and helped me navigate Illinois' website so I can start my application for a license.  She is going to keep a look out for jobs in Texas, Michigan and Chicago for me and hopefully all will work out come September.

When I go back to work tomorrow, I need to talk to my Manager and a Charge Nurse to get the OK to be references, as well as talk to the educator who makes the schedule as the one that is for September- when I'll hopefully be traveling- is due August 2nd.

waiting

So, after getting somewhat excited yesterday with my Chicago job find...  I have to patiently wait for my Placement Consultant to contact me for the next step.  I am off from work today and Wednesday, so, I'm guessing the PC will call me Thursday or Friday while I'm at work.  :(

update

Last week, while at work, my Cross Country recruiter called and left a message on my phone.  I finally called her back today and we went over a few more details for my upcoming travel job.  I need to get a nurse manager reference and a charge nurse reference.  Thankfully, I think I do have both at my current job that will work just fine. 

Currently there are 20 positions listed on their website and the one I am most hopeful will still be around in September is a 12hr dayshift position in Chicago for 12 weeks.  Of course, I would love to find a position that didn't last 12 weeks, but Chicago is only 5 hours a way and would be perfect for my first assignment.  The current listing is for dayshift, which is ideal, and 12 hr shifts, which would give me 4 days a week to explore the city.

I think Chicago would be perfect, and I am excited at the possibility of it being my first assignment.  My current recruiter (I will have a new one for the remainder of my employ with them) said that those listings are for now, and so we'll see what will be available in September closer to the end of August, beginning of September.  That makes me extremely nervous- to change my status at Covenant to occasional without an official signed assignment is unsettling.  But, even if I don't get to go to Chicago, there will be an assigment somewhere.

Anyway, Chicago would be ideal:  5 hr drive, dayshift, and even though it'd be for 12 weeks, it is within driving distance for family and friends to visit.  In those 12 weeks, I am certain I would have visitors at least every 2 weeks.  And I could come home as well.

Tomorrow I will apply for an Illinois license and then wait for my new Placement Consultant to contact me.  In the meantime, I need to take advantage of my dental and vision insurance that I am paying for.  My eyes are due for new glasses, probably, as I've had these for 2 years, and I'll need to go in for a dental check up before I lose the insurance.

removed

Just spoke with my Educator at The Cove and told her I didn't want to be on the transport team at this time and to please remove me from the classes this month. She was cool with it. She thinks I could still take the classes for my own educational purposes, but I don't want to catch any crap from coworkers or NNPs for taking the class and not joining the transport team. Work politics are so annoying!

transport vs. traveling

Transport RN- Remain full time at The Cove, most days would be as usual but if a baby needed to come to us from another hospital, the transport RN would go get him/her via helicopter or ambulance. More skills are learned and more money is earned while on the actual transport.

Traveling RN- Become Occasional at The Cove (2days/4wks), be my own boss, choose from hospitals that need RNs, travel to that location for 8-13 weeks (I have to do 2 travel assignments of 13 wks each before I can take shorter assignments), more skills are aquired (working at new facilities with new people) and much, much more money is earned. Plus, I get to see all kinds of places and learn new techniques from different facilities.

first application

While we visited in Cincinnati, Tonya told me about a traveling nurse that was stationed in their NICU and he loved it so much he was extending his assignment to Labor Day. I asked if she could get me any information from him, as I am forever researching from people. A day or two later, Tonya delivered :) He works for Cross Country TravCorps located in Florida, but he actually lives in one of the Carolinas, or Virginia... I can't remember which one.

I looked up their information and even though it is much the same as others, I was still impressed. They even had a spot on their website to show some example housing arangements which looked really nice.

While working this past weekend, I talked to a couple more coworkes about transport vs. traveling and I think I have come to the conclusion that I need to travel now, and transport later (if I still want to at a later date). Looking at the pros and cons, there are a few that are similar, but the cons of transport right now would last longer than the cons of traveling. Besides, I am young, single, without kids.... If I don't do it now, I may never get the chance. And my two coworkers, both married, but both without kids, said they both thought/talked about going, with or without their spouse, and didn't, and both regret it.

I tried calling my Educator yesterday to let her know the change in plans and so far she hasn't returned my call. Hopefully they aren't too mad about my decision, but I have to do what's best for me. Like my awesome coworker said the other day, this job isn't here for me, so I shouldn't be here for it. I need to do what is best for me.

Today I applied online for the CrossCountry travelers agency and I should hear from a recruiter within 24 hours.

transport

A new curveball has been thrown at me. I've been gearing myself up to dothis travel nursing thing, talked to my managers, etc, have even thought through how I could juggle things (While visiting Tonya & Sophia in Cincinnati, I was really impressed with their hospital and the proximity to home, and figured, it'd be nice to travel so close to home, especially if our census ever recovers here)... Anyway, I was approached, again, to sign up to join the transport team. I've been asked by both managers, ate least two NNPs, and several of my fellow coworkers have said I should. I have definitely thought about it, considered it, but the idea of beign out there, completely responsible for the patient, is overwhelming. Obviously I wouldn't ever be completely alone. Respiratory always goes with the RN, and depending on how sick the kiddo is, a NNP sometimes goes too. If the NNP doesn't go, I'd have a phone and contact with my NNP or Doc at all times; but it's still nerve-racking.

I was suckered in. Speaking with a couple of coworkers that are also signed up to take the transport classes, I decided to just jump in. So, I am signed up to take the three 8-hr classes in June and then I'll go through competencies and then I'll get to take a few runs with an NNP until I am comfortable going out on my own.

The benefits of being a Transport Nurse? I'll get paid time and a half while I'm out on transport, I'll get to perform some new skills, and I'll get the experience that I can't get on a regular basis just being at the bedside. Plus, it looks good on the resume.

going occasional

We are losing a lot of employees right now:  a couple quit, one is going occasional.  This made it good timing that I talk to my managers about my plan to travel nurse.  I was really nervous, not sure how much information to tell and how much to hold back.  One of the ladies who is full time and is going to occasional said it was a good time to ask because there were some openings. 

I talked with both of my managers and though they were less than thrilled about losing me to an occasional position, they were understanding of my need to do this now while I am young, single and without kids.  They both understood that we only get one life and we have to make the most of it.

After talking to them, it made me even more scared and nervous that this thing is really going to happen.  It still doesn't seem real and probably won't until it really happens.  Now I need to get on the ball with looking up and researching travel companies so I can be ready for my first assignment come September.

awaiting information

While I was visiting family in Texas, one of my cousins reminded me of their friend, M, who travel nursed before settling down with a husband and son in Houston. They gave me her email address so I could get in touch with her and find out all that I could from her experiences. I emailed her and am waiting for her to respond. All I know from my cousins is that she travelled for a couple years, spent some time in Seattle and earned somewhere between $140-170,000 each year. Each year.

Well, that definitely helps in the decision making. Travels to places all over the United States. Getting to see how other Neonatal ICUs work. And making a ton of money in the process. Sold.

Now if only I could get Covenant to let me go occasional so I will have a place to work when I decide to stop traveling.

life decisions

I am truly thinking about travel nursing. A coworker of mine is waiting until she's been in the NICU for a year (in August) so that she can go travel and I am really thinking/planning to go with her. There are so many details to be worked out, but, I am young, I should do this. It scares me. Traveling to new places, working in new hospitals where I don't know the doctors, RTs and fellow nurses. But if we go together, maybe it won't be so scary. I am also concerned, as I always am, about how it'd affect my chances of finding a husband. But, I can't live my life waiting for that to happen. God will take care of that, I'll take care of babies and experience cities all over the country.

To start with, I'd really like to travel to my old hospital. It'd make for an easier transition into the whole travel thing, without being scared/worried/anxious about a "new" hospital. Although I am sure much has changed in the two years since I've worked there, I know there are a ton of familiar faces to make it less scary.

I will keep this idea in my prayers and see where God wants me to go. I already know I am using the skills He gave me, and I know my purpose in this life is my nursing career with my babies, but besides that, I am waiting for Him to take the lead.

In the meantime, I don't want to stop working towards my BSN so I am going to start looking at completely online RN to BSN programs so I can continue my education regardless of my location. If this all goes through, I'll actually be able to use this blog as I originally intended it to be used for.... Traveling Ashley. :)

primary

It's been a really long time since I've had a primary. Actually, it's been since Ella Christine, back in the summer of 2008, right before I moved back to MI.

I wasn't going to take "I" on as a primary. His parents were a little too much for me. They are young. They are like a lot of parents in that they don't fully grasp the fact that their infant is in an ICU. I=Intensive, but many parents forget that fact. I can understand it to a point- no one ever wants their baby in an ICU. And I understand blocking out the ugly parts of life. Still, we educate parents on good and bad stimulation for their babies and these two just didn't seem to be getting it. After the first two days of having "I", I told my roommate (who was to be in the same nursery as myself for the 3 day stretch) that I loved little "I", and would love to primary him, but I didn't think I could handle the parents.

"I" had had surgery three days prior to this. On my first day of having him, we turned off his IV pain meds and extubated him. He did fantastically, but was obviously in a lot of pain, was hungry, and we couldn't hold him.

On the third day, his parents came him and were getting better at not overstimulating him. I was assessing him and he was laying there calmly while I did so. The parents remarked at how well he did when I was here. They didn't like the other nurses that had had him, they ignored him while he cried (per parents), and he just did so well with me. They told me I was his favorite nurse and they really liked it when I had him. I bonded with them as I assisted them in checking his temperature and changing his diaper for the first time. I signed up, later that day, to be his primary.

A few days later, I had him again. Mom came in and was happy to see I was there. A family member came with and while she was holding, Mom talked to the family member saying that "Ashley is his favorite nurse, he does so well when she's here".

This is why I do my job. This is what makes me happy, gives me a purpose in life. I know why God has put me here, it's to make the worst moments in a new mother's life, easier, better, smoother.