Holiday Cheer

Thankfully I do have reason to *cheer* -- I am finally working again!!  I was truly giving thanks this past weekend :)  So, I'm sure you're all curious what I signed myself up for... and in all honesty, it's quite similar to what I did while I was down in Provo (minus all the office drama and the stress/anxiety that job gave me).  My cousin Rebekah works for a company called Vital Signs Staffing, and she is the "Employment Specialist" there (amongst other things) - aka, I really owe her for getting me this job :)  The company oversees three different "groups" of employees:

1. Vital Signs Staffing
2. Home Option
3. Off-Hours Triage

The first part, Vital Signs Staffing, manages a large group of CNA/RNs looking for PRN shifts at hospitals or home health agencies.  So basically, when a hospital needs a shift filled, they contact Vital Signs and Rebekah will look for a CNA or RN to fill the spot.  It's quite an efficient system.  Unfortunately, I can't get into that pool because you need at least 1 year experience in a hospital to be a staffing nurse (surprise, surprise).  The second part, Home Option, is an expansion of the first but specifically focuses on home health and providing nurses or aides directly for clients that request our services.  I could train to be a home health nurse, but it really isn't a specialty I could see myself doing.  Too emotionally draining.  The last part, Off-Hours Triage, is where I fit in: my official title is "Triage Nurse," which is slightly misleading... I basically work in a call center, managing phone calls all shift.  I've worked three shifts now, and I think I'm slowly getting the hang of things!  It's actually a lot more complicated than it sounds, and I feel like I'm going to be doing a lot more NURSING than I ever would have down at the neurosurgery clinic.  Our company provides nurses who are available 24/7 for patients and their families to call with questions -- and these patients are all over the country.  Right now, we have ~45 clients (home health and hospice agencies) located in various states, from Hawaii to Georgia.  They have their normal business hours, and when they close, the phone calls to their offices are forwarded to our center.  Quite an interesting and progressive system, and I know that our company is growing rapidly -- supposedly we are going to get another 5-6 agencies (equaling another 500+ patients) signed on in the next week.  I'm pretty excited to be getting in on this before it really gets going!  Because we are "off-hours," my shifts are less-than-ideal, but I really can't complain.  I work every Saturday from 8am to 8pm, and 2-3 days during the week (either 5-10pm or 4-12am).  I realized today that I'm quite grateful that I don't have a M-F/8-5 job because it allows me to get all my house chores and errands done throughout the day while Geoff is at work.  The one unfortunate thing: the weekdays that I will work, I'll probably see Geoff for about 20 minutes after he gets home before I head out.  But it could be worse, right?  :)  And hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder.... hehe.  So this past weekend, I worked Friday-Saturday-Sunday, and by Sunday my trainers were quite confident that I would be able to handle the job solo on my next shift!  Scary, yet... definitely a confidence booster :)  I just REALLY need to get studying -- hospice care (the agencies/patients that I've been dealing with mostly) requires a specific set of skills/knowledge that I haven't really had exposure to.  Thankfully the nurses I work with are all (so far) extremely helpful and are happy to answer my questions as I try to get more familiar with this nursing field.  In theory, I'm supposed to be able to "triage" patient calls, which means I need to be able to figure out how to help the patient and/or their family as best as I can.... without actually visiting the patient and seeing what's going on.  These calls can range from simple questions to families upset over status changes during an incident that requires nursing interventions.  So it really will require me to know how to manage these patients -- and I know that with some studying, and time, I'll get there :)  I'm just grateful for this opportunity, and I know it really will offer experience that will better prepare me for my nursing career and jobs I will have in the future. 

Aside from the job, life is pretty calm here in Bountiful - we just enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with our families :)  We spent Thanksgiving day up in Rexburg, and enjoyed a DELICIOUS dinner prepared by the Dyers.  I really do love my new extended family, and I am so grateful that they have welcomed me with open arms.  Saturday afternoon/evening we were able to spend time with my parents preparing for Christmas, and it made me realize how grateful we are for the blessings both of our families are in our lives.  But wait -- CHRISTMAS?! Seriously?? Hard to believe it's already almost December... and that time of year again -- "the most wonderful time of the year" :D hehe.  I'm sure I'll have updates soon, but for now, I've got to finish cleaning and start getting dinner ready!  Much love y'all!