Hey smokeyoshi

[huronna]

Now that you got your license, are you working?
Been waiting for an update

[smokeyoshi]

I have orientation for Mountain States Health next week. I'll be working weekends and Mondays at the medical center in the rehab dept. Not the wages I wanted but the work i wanted. I also have been approved for prn hours at a huge nursing home in town. Things are finally working out, and not a dollar too soon. Our savings are about done.

[huronna]

Glad to hear things are starting to finally work out.
Those PM hours help with shift differential, at least there is one here where I work

[dee517]

I tried to post this morning and it would not let me log in. 
I am so happy to hear that you are finally going to be able to get some use out of that college education you worked so hard for.   Yeah!  Thanks so much for sharing that good news.  I needed some today.

[smokeyoshi]

NOt PM Heidi, PRN hours, meaning as needed, like on call. PRN pays better than regular employment but there are no benefits and no guarantee of work. They still haven't called me. I applied there in early Dec. I was supposed to fill in for a week from Dec 28 on but the recruiter tells me it took that long to get a background check. Some places here say it takes 2-3 weeks and some say 3-4 days. That was over a month. The state did an FBI check for my license and that only took 3 days, and it took them 3 months to give me a license. So I don't know. Anyway I lost a week of $30/hr work I desperately needed. Tennessee is strange.

[huronna]

Sorry I misread. We call the pool positions here, those listed as PRN.
I always thought the pay was higher because no beanies, but TGH is weird in that way. PRN pay is lower than regular, that is why I wouldn't switch from part-time to that
Hopefully things will start falling into place, PDQ

[smokeyoshi]

I actually thought the hospital would pay more than the nursing homes here. The health insurance is much cheaper, but even accounting for that, the pay is still less. But I'm thinking I will like the environment, acute care and kick em out, vs. only 1 in 5 go home.

[smokeyoshi]

[dee517]

Wow, badge and all. You are now official! Show them just how great you are.

[smokeyoshi]

I had some orientation yesterday and after I stopped in the therapy dept. The admin said it looked busy out there you want to work? So I did! I spent some time learning the documentation program on the puter and then I saw 3 patients, which I signed off under my name for the first time! Everyone I've dealt with has been really nice. I think I'm gonna love it here!

[huronna]

I am so very happy for you.
Knew you could do it!!
Really proud of you

[dee517]

Your new employer is going to love you! Someone that actually wants to work! You don't just want the job, you want to do the job!

[smokeyoshi]

So far so good. I'm still learning how the system works, but this is my first time out. My mgr has given me some extra hours to get a feel for it so I'm not lost on weekends when there are only a few people working. My patients like me

[huronna]

of course they like you, who wouldn't!
I'd never met you and I liked you and then when I met you I liked you even more
You are just a very nice person....NOW GET TO WORK! lol

[dee517]

Heidi is right. You are a very nice person. I have met both you and Dar and really enjoyed your visit.

[smokeyoshi]

Weee! 6 inches of snow so far and they're talking maybe a foot friday night, in an area that don't know what to do about it. I'm working Sat morning, so not much choice. It's exactly 10 miles and I can avoid the interstate. We just got new tires last month and I tested them out just now. They're good to go in 6 inches of snow, so no worries.

[dee517]

I'm from Michigan so I know snow and I don't miss it at all. Take care driving in that stuff. Watch out for the drivers that think they drive just like they do on dry roads.

[huronna]

Learning to drive in NJ , I was used to snow...but then I moved south in "63 and if I encountered snow on the road I think now I would just pull over and hope that someone saved me HA HA

[smokeyoshi]

So we ended up getting maybe 7 inches total. and some of it actually melted off Friday. My mgr decided that I should work a couple regular weeks to see how things flow and to have more staff around to observe and ask questions. Friday we were expecting freezing rain mixed with snow, but somehow our immediate area stayed dry until almost sunset. Just over the state line, about 15 miles max, they got over 15 inches, not counting today. It was weird. Today I had to go in to do some charting because the system was down all day Thursday, and I don't think I saw 20 cars in the 10 mile drive, at 0830. There were only 2 people there instead of 5-6. It snowed all day today and but we got less than 2 more inches. I had no trouble at all on the roads. The new tires did great. Supposed to be near 40 Mon-Tue so a lot of it may melt.

[huronna]

Aren't you glad your didn't move to NY or NJ?

[smokeyoshi]

I would never consider NY/NJ, lol. Today, the roads were pretty clear and the main roads were even dry. But, every church within 5 miles (quite a lot of them) but 2 were closed. I guess they weren't willing to pay someone to plow the lots. I went to the one I'd been going to since I had today off.
At the hospital, The employees have our own parking garage, which is great. No blazing sun in summer and no snow to clear off in winter. The only drawback is it could not be further from where I work. It has to be a 1000 feet walk. But it’s all covered. There is a bridge between the building and the garage. Nice. The hospital is huge, bigger than Daytona Beach's 2 hospitals. The also have an attached children's hospital. It's bigger than the mall downtown.

[huronna]

out of curiosity how many beds is the hospital. We have a covered garage that holds 5000 vehicles and then there is off-site parking for new employees. There is a waiting list for the garage. I swear, it is a mile from where I park my car in the garage to where the lab is in the hospital. Thankfully all is covered also. But sometimes you are exhausted by the time you get to your station HA HA

I'm just so very glad that things are working out for you

[smokeyoshi]

Well, the Johnson City Med Center has 514 beds, all in single rooms, and I don't know if that includes oncology
and the heart hospital as well. Niswonger Children's Hospital is attached and there is a teaching hospital, McQuillen, down the street. I seriously doubt the garage holds 5000 cars, lol. They got hospitals scattered around. My dept officially falls under a different hospital located a few miles up the road. Today was a lot of fun. Yesterday they dragged me to Moe's for lunch.

[huronna]

Now the next question....have you started mentioning the ferrets to co-workers yet?
That was a real "trip" when I started. And still is when we get new folks. We have our lockers actually in our departments and have photos on the fronts of them. Most people of course have their children, but a few of us have out pets. Usually I hear.....whose funny animals are these? And then we have a "ferret lesson" Most everyone knows my car because of the ferret license plate and stickers. I'll get...hey I parked next to you, I recognized your car.

[smokeyoshi]

I've already shared stories and photos with coworkers and patients. The male OT has asked how much they cost and where to get them. Right now, I don't know where you can get them locally, other than a rescue org which is spread among several homes.