Benefits of being a student

1. You get to read lots of magazines that have absolutely nothing to do with nursing, but are interesting when studying the US healthcare system.

This FastCompany article on Medicare fraud was very enlightening.

2. You get an international perspective from more than just your classmates on privacy issues, whether it's HIPAA or some other national protocol.

Word to staff: Don't try this one, even if she is cute.

3. Another plus: idiots exist wherever you go, just like the MD and her husband in this article.

Thank you Vince Ciotti for posting these links via HIStalk. You make being a student very interesting, indeed. Keep up the good work!

Off I go to work. More later...

It's nice to know...

We're not alone. Another parent from our daycare pulled their kid from there, for different reasons.

So, so, so happy Bubba's outta there. Now I'm just waiting for the bigwigs there to lose something.

Then it will really be a Merry Christmas in RehabLand. Cross your fingers and pray if you're so inclined, whatever your faith. We'll take it!

Stay tuned, kids. We're in for a wild ride, no matter what.

Just in case...

Dear readers:

Please note: I did go out shopping on Black Friday, and no, I did not need pepper spray/knives/guns. I wait until THOSE people are gone before I shop. (I also take Bubba, and frankly, they are a bad influence to children.)

Since I actually paid attention in economics way back when I was in school, I figured out early, that getting beat up and spending thousands of dollars on a trip to the hospital for a $200 big screen just ain't worth it.

I'll be lurking around my computer bright and early for Cyber Monday, though.

Hoping there are no traffic jams on the internet before I go to work Monday. Happy shopping!

Yours truly,

RehabRN

I am thankful

Despite all of the horrible things that have happened in the past month at work and at home in the RehabRN household, we are so very, very lucky.

No one in our family (or extended family) will be spending the holidays in the hospital. Hooray!

Bubba is much happier now that he is out of the horrible situation he was in, and I am so, so, so thankful for the caring and support he has gotten at school from the teachers and the staff.

Slowly, but surely, I am seeing progress in my work, even though it's only been a short period of time since I started in my new job. The lights are going on...people get it, patients get it. Now all I have to do is get it all together, synched and working.

I have been one lucky human this year.

Happy Thanksgiving all, wherever you are!

The fun continues...

What are you, if as a mandatory child abuse reporter you choose not to report when you "think the whole thing's overblown," and your kid "is just melodramatic"?

Maybe this as noted in this document:

Rationalizing: Another danger is the professional’s acceptance of unrealistic explanations for how an injury occurred. If any doubts exist, no matter how small, assessment should continue, and/or consultation should be sought.

In this state, for not reporting, you are charged with a crime.

Good luck hanging on to that child care license, b&*tch!

Until you see it up close and personal

You never believe the statistics.

I do believe you, Bubba, and so do your teachers. And I hope and pray for all the other kids involved.

Pray for us, if you believe, 'cause I'm sure gonna need it to keep from killing certain "responsible adults". Will be so happy to see my PD friends real soon...

Stay tuned.

Who says Sunday is a day of rest?

Not at the RehabRN household...at least for me.

No cleaning, lots of laundry and plenty of cooking: Endives with ham in bechamel sauce, leek, potato and carrot soup, cheddar beer bread, and stewed apples.

Now I can go back to work for a short week. Thank you relatives for inviting me (and the crew) to Thanksgiving dinner. We (especially me) appreciate it!

More to come...

A little housekeeping

In real life and on this blog. I have gone through the links on the sidebar and removed the ones that don't work anymore or the links to password protected, "members only" sites.

If you'd like to be added or re-added, let me know.

Now back to regularly scheduled laundry...

Another day with the boss...

Yes, Boss #1 was up to his usual tricks, just like when we were travelling recently. He made me do this, do that, just because I was in the right office.

But thankfully, I had "earwitnesses" this time when I told him, "Hey, after all this work, you have to buy me something at X's Happy Hour." (still going to way too many going away parties).Thanks P and Q (my classmates) conferenced in on the other line.

I finally got something good out of him: a nice, fresh local Hefeweizen with lemon.

So glad it's the weekend...

We're halfway there...oh!

Thank goodness the grad class is actually more than that, but this certainly conveys the feeling I often had as a teenager out with my friends on a weekend...or in this class!

The new math

Manglement sure hasn't figured out how to do math, although they are really good at subtraction and negative numbers.

Here's how.

If you say you need to save money and "rightsize", why are you hiring, not one, but two administrative "management team leaders" who cost nearly $200,000?

If you let nurses leave units, don't hire anyone to replace them, then have a couple die, retire, or just plain quit, you will start to have negative staffing patterns.

And finally, if you nitpick every single solitary person who knows how to do their job, and scrutinize every second of extra time they put in when their management says "do it", they can and will subtract themselves from your department.

You have it folks, the new Manglement math.

Only a few can serve...

On certain compliance committees that meet at the Hotel and in our hospital system. What a surprise that I was chosen for this committee that requires I go to a four hour inspection quarterly. My only hope is that I only have to serve the two years they told me, and not anything extra.

It's getting cold outside in RehabLand, so the visitors are coming out of the woodwork even if the holidays aren't here yet. Today, a few sports guys were in the neighborhood visiting the patients. One of our patients has been in so many PR photos that the PR office guy said, "I should have just asked for a blanket release for him." He's really interesting for the PR guys because he's young and friendly, which is not always our typical patient. We're known for old and crotchety characters who would fit in great in a neighborhood bar, like Cheers, if it were accessible.

Ah, it's so much fun working...stay tuned!

Winding down

It really was a crazy day today, not unlike my regular Tuesday schedule.

First, I get to work and try to catch up on the e-mails I meant to send yesterday.
Next, I go to the network admin's PC and mess with some specialty software for my school project. (He is the best, and doesn't care if I use his computer when he's out). I go to the staff meeting, all is good, I work for an hour or so before the next meeting, and our patient ditches us.

What's more fun: a beehive full of bees or a pissed off surgeon who's supposed to evaluate a patient for surgery and the patient doesn't show up? Hmm...

After that fun thing, inhale lunch, then sit in the boss's office for a conference call (because we have to stop using up all those unnecessary lines at lunch when we can eat quietly in peace). Thankfully, it was over much more quickly than they said on the agenda.

As a result of that meeting, I get an assignment. Not just any assignment, but one that requires I finish it before I leave...an hour late.

At least, I have one less thing hanging over my head! Stay tuned...it's never dull at the Hotel.

Countdown

In 14 (or so) days, I'll have another new boss. Lucky me! We can't hire enough nurses, but the Hotel can hire people to be administrators and bosses. So much for a flat management structure!

In 29 days, my latest grad school class will be over for the semester. And in 71 days, I'll be starting the last year of grad school. Hooray!

More to come...

This post courtesy of...

United States Military veterans. Young and old. Tall and short. Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and even a few Merchant Marines thrown in.

Today is the day we remember the end to a horrible, horrible war, and I thank you all, past, present and future.

Without you all, I might not be here today.

With sincerest gratitude,

RehabRN

Please enjoy this video shot for the holiday yesterday (Happy Belated Birthday Marine Corps!) You will be moved. I know I was.

Many thanks to the Marines...they never leave anyone behind!

A lesson in life

The whole Penn State thing has prompted lots of discussion at the RehabRN household with Bubba.

Points to ponder...

Yes, there are no secrets between adults and children. Period. Surprises, yes. Secrets, no.

You have to be responsible. As a kid, being responsible means telling an adult if something doesn't look right.

As an adult, being responsible in a situation like this means either 1) beating the ever-loving c*(p out of someone abusing a kid or 2) getting on your phone and calling the authorities IMMEDIATELY, not later, not after you think about it for years, right away.

No sport is life. Sports are part of life, but in most cases, should not qualify you for life behind bars.
As honorable people, there is a reason why we value protecting children, orphans and widows (and/or anyone in a weakened, general condition).

Because it's the right thing to do.

It was bound to happen

The natives are indeed restless at the Hotel. No one is surprised, really, that people are in such a horrific mood, but I'm getting to the point where I don't want to talk to some people anymore.

They are stressed and upset with the scheduling now that they're full-time again. Full-time on the floor is not like half-time clinic and floor. It is different.

Once the Slug found out from the new manager the way things are, he/she said the Slug will probably look for a new job. There's some news. I expect the Slug to just dig in and see what happens.

Things should be even more exciting once the holidays get here. Oh, the joy that awaits us...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...

My favorite thing about this time of year

 

I love the color. Blazes of red, yellow and orange are amazing. Here in RehabLand, it looks almost exactly like the photo.

We celebrated another departure at the Hotel. Yes, Boss #2 has left the building, but not before yours truly had the Traveling Partner arm wrestle the largest guy in our group to buy him the first drink. Those old paramedics are dangerous! Boss sent me a nice text once she told him, since I could not be at the watering hole for the party/roast/drinking contest. (all true except the last one)

What a wonderful weekend! Hope you all enjoy (at least some of it). 

Stay tuned...more to come!

What doesn't kill you...

Makes you stronger, or so they say.

Grad school is tiring me out! How many more days...37? That date won't come soon enough.

Stay tuned!

If you want peace...

MJ, I don't have to agree with everything, but I do agree that social justice is largely misconstrued in this day and age as socialism.

Why is taking care of people such a radical notion?

In some places...

You have to know a lot more about certain subjects when you graduate from high school than what you do here in the US.

It's pretty obvious really. Even though a city may start with the same letter, having the same letter does not mean it is the same. Omaha, dear friends, is not Oklahoma City.

One of these days, some of the people I work with will figure this out, or nursing education will have to go back to high school again.

We won't be able to hire some corporate communications spokesmen to get the word out, however, because they don't get it, either.

I'm open...

Be open to the amazing changes which are occurring in the field that interest you.~
Leigh Steinberg 

Dear Boss:

I'm also open to having Manglement make those decisions that I cannot. If you continue to tell me to do stuff without much direction, I will figure a way to do it on my own.

And being your micromanaging self, you may not like the results.

Just sayin'...

RehabRN