Thank goodness

It's almost time for vacation again. Surprisingly, I'm partaking of a little office escaping for one week for not one, not two, but THREE months in a row. In the computer, it's not vacation (I'm actually going out on the road for conferences, etc.) but to me, any day outside of the Hotel is freedom. I'll take it! Traveling partner and I get to have a reunion, too, which is even better.  Look out folks, as we shop and eat in interesting places in our off time (plans are underway...)

This week was a full moon. Somehow, I didn't realize this until I was driving home one night from an event. The sky was hazy but relatively cloudless. There it was: the big monster sturgeon moon right up there. It explained the craziness that was this week.

I work with technology that helps patients see their providers from home, so in theory, I shouldn't have people not show up. In a week with a full moon, don't count on it. One patient couldn't make it (we always call to check) because he had last minute visitors, or patients (he/she's also a healthcare professional). This happened last week, too, but that patient is a sweetheart and invited his/her guests to see us and talk to us before he/she completed our assessment. We dispensed with the usual formality, got the visit done post haste and wished them all well until the next visit.

Besides the fun at work, I'm doing plenty of work in advance for a committee that audits nurses' training and continuing education. What does this mean? I look at a lot of CEU certificates. My favorite one this week was a CE class on humor in healthcare. It is worth 20 CEUs. I thought to myself: if I could market a 20 CEU experience here in the Hotel, I'd bet I could make some money too. If that's too expensive for you, however, the author does belong to this group you can check out for free.

Now that Bubba is being a typical teenager, it's driving me nuts. Pray we survive...

Stay tuned...

You live, you learn

I learned quite a lot the past few days. I escaped for a combination of a long weekend, short out-of-town trip and some training.

What did I end up with...plenty.

1. A reusable blue bag with plenty of books to prepare for my next certification exam.
2. Lots of beautiful fall photos I took on the grounds of where I stayed at a conference center in a rural area outside the town. (see previous post to get the general idea of what the rest look like...)
3. Sixteen continuing education hours.
4. One folder
5. One spiral binder of power points.
6. Some fall decorations that were on our group tables. I'm using mine for my Thanksgiving centerpiece.
7. Networking among the participants. I even got a networking contact for my grad school team mate.
8.  Lots and lots of stories from very experienced people, some of whom are pioneers in the industry.
It was fascinating to hear them for the whole time. Our facilitators were professionals who could give you the inside scoop on just about everything.

It was so much fun working the weekend. Going back to work tomorrow won't be nearly as as fun as it is being away from home, but boy, it will be different.

I can't wait.

Stay tuned...

Some nurses...

Like me, hate to leave Manglement out in the cold. Yes, it's terribly fun, to state, in measured terms the following when they come and hold "Town Hall" meetings at the Hotel.

1. If you know that nurses aren't documenting *exactly* what the Evil Insurance Companies want, and the Hotel is losing money, why not teach us what they *do* want, so we can make sure we have bulletproof documentation that gets us the most money?

2. Point out that your best nurses are/can/will leave if you refuse to invest in them, by providing some sort of tuition assistance. Hello..when every bloody hospital in this part of the woods (and my cohort, D., did the research, and they all do) does, what are you going to do? Sit? Wait?

Will the last RN please turn out the light? Whoops...it's going out in another unit next door. Yes, that's why we have to shut down beds.

3. I'd have liked to, but I forgot to mention Mr. Hospital Admin, to some of us who worked in the real world outside the Hotel and its mothership, rightsize really is a bad word. Please stop using it because you're making me nervous.

Feel free to "redesign the system" and "remove silos" all you want. That's not nearly as scary.

That is all for now. Enjoy the rest of your day.

More to come...

Developing a good reputation...

Takes more time and effort than a bad one. Working hard daily with your patients to develop a system that works really is work, even though Manglement may not reward you for it.

So, you have to go out and motivate yourself, even if no one else will.

Per Hotel policy and procedure, I had to fill out extra paperwork for a free CE thing I'm doing, but I figured while I was at it, I may as well let the boss's boss know what I'm up to. Yes, I am getting my master's degree. Yes, I am a certified specialty nurse, and yes, I need to do these CE things (including out-of-town ones that I get scholarships to attend).

Stepping outside of my little box on my little unit at the Hotel helps me to do that...and see the country.

And I take pride in developing a good reputation, even if it's a little inconvenient on occasion. My patients deserve it.

Thanks so much Mr. I. for saying I was your "number one nurse" while you stayed with us when I packed you up ready to go. I work hard to earn that reputation from you, and all my patients.