So, the good news is I finally accepted a job offer, and start work on Aug
- Should be a good experience - working in a very modern, multi-disciplinary medical practice. Medical group, with an attached Urgent care facility, as well as a spa, fitness, naturepaths, acupuncturists, etc. I'm happy that the staff gets a discount taking classes at the fitness center - woohoo - I can do Pilates or yoga after work. And, since it's a nursing staff job - scheduling is good for me - I'm hoping to do 3 8hr days, and 1 12 hour, have to do one closing a week, and 1 weekend day a month - not too bad. Good thing is I get to use all my skills - like bloodletting - just kidding - so I'm looking forward to this.
Best part - only 5 miles from the house, no toll roads. I think we figured out I could save about $200 a month between gas and tolls. I'm pretty excited. Pay is ok - not being an engineer, but it'll really make a difference for us as we've been pretty stretched. The cool thing, all the RNs, LPNs and Mas (like me) do pretty much the same stuff - though I have some advanced certs from my medic training. They also have NPs that are of course treated more like docs, not as assistants.
So, here's my mini-gripe. I had a really good interview with another group, surgical group. With the clinical nursing director and practice administrator. A medical head-hunter type had put me there. We all got along, they were concerned I might be overqualified, or bored. But, they asked if I would do a half-day (3 hours) shadowing in the office where I would be to see how I liked it, etc. Which they scheduled for over a week post the interview. In the meantime I got job offer from the first place, and let the recruiter know. But, he felt they were really interested in me, really liked me, and this place had fabulous benefits - so could I just hang on, do the shadowing, and then make a choice. The office I went to isn't their main office, and the clinical assistant had left, so they have 2 folks floating in from the main office to cover when the docs are there to see patients. There's a permanent admin person, and also a part-timer - who wasn't there. This was close to the weirdest job thing. First, I had to get scrubs of a similar color to their uniform (so have to spend $30) so that I'll blend in. Then I get there, on time, and the gal working thinks I'm a patient. I explain, and she's kind of "okay - well this is the office" .She was nice enough. Then the admin lady came - more like a mom person - she was nice - I think friendlier than the clinical assist - who is only filling in. then the doc on call. It was quite strange - no one really had anything much to say - I kind of followed around, voluntarily prepped rooms, tried to help. Went in to some exams with the doc - the other assist didn't do this which he didn't like. Very odd. Then when I had to go - I asked if they had any questions, anything to say, etc. The doc just said "I really prefer when you attend the exams so you know what's going on" . OK. I left. Go to my own medical appt (which I'd pushed back to accommodate this which caused a whole different set of issues). Get checked in to outpatient. Call recruiter guy - tell him it was nice, very pleasant office space - kind of odd experience. He says I'm sure they're going to offer you - so think about both jobs so you can make a decision.
Cut to Monday - follow up with recruiter. He sends me e-mail in the afternoon that he just heard from them that "they're going another way" - but they really like you and would really be interested when you finish your PA! No feedback. Nothing. So, I was a bit cranky that since no one at the shadowing seemed to have a clue why I was there, or had been at my interview, why the heck did these people drag me through this - as I suspect I was the back-up if someone else didn't accept. Plus, this kind of screwed me, as I would have started at the other place yesterday - and now have 2 extra weeks of no salary. So, there's my gripe. I hate when prospective employers, recruiters are just not polite. It doesn't take that long to send a 1 line e-mail saying thank you for your time but....
Anyhow - now I have the time to get the house completely cleaned and straightened up before starting on the real job! Also - to finish the 30 CEUs I still have to get done so that I can renew my EMT and only have to take the written. Having just realized that all my many semester hours of Advanced EMS stuff don't count. Woo hoo. Now, both of the available test dates in the state - one's been postponed til Sept, the other (which is 4.5 hours away anyhow) moved to a date I can't do. So, I'm hoping that I'll keep cranking CEUs (web training, and some DVDs), and get my dept which forgot to forward my practicals - on my transcript so the state EMS training director will approve my variance and let me test in Sept. Why do I care - because if I expire then instead of the only written exam (which I usually do really well on) I'll have to go through the hateful skills tests - yet again. Which I already had to do for the county (cause I ride in a county that if you certed elsewher - you have to challenge a full test to be sure that you can do their protocols). Sheesh.
Well, back to boring CEU stuff!
Ellice