Taylors.LifeToday I will be giving my ‘two weeks notices’ at my work. I have been working at a small 95 bed skilled nursing facility/rehab for a year and nine months now, Windsor Garden of S.D. It is located within walking distance from us, just a mile away from our marina. I often would walk or long-board to work. It was my first job as a registered nurse. While I was in school I said I would never-ever work a skilled nursing facility. I thought it would be sad, morbid, smelly etc, etc. But, I was very glad to be wrong about this.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy, and I commend those who have made it their long term career. Think of having to go through 4 DONs in less than 2 years (aka: your boss, director of nursing, all different, all of which difficult to work with), passing medications to 42+ patient’s in a two hour time block because another nurse decided to call-in, patients then refusing those meds, dealing with angry family members and doctors, mounds of paperwork (ALL done by hand), new admissions (a two or more hour process, at 10pm an hour before you are getting off), and more responsibility on your shouldered than you could ever imagine! Most months I would say to myself, “this is it, I am done. I can’t handle it any more.“But, even through all the tough times and craziness God gave me a bright light.
I call them a bright light because that is exactly what they are! Mark, Kris, Myrna, Camilla, Mario, Michelle, and Kelly. Those nurses, that in the mist of a crazy night at work would bring a smile to my face, a joke, feed me (thanks Myrna an Kris!), help me finish paperwork, and just make an other wise terrible situation into a wonderfully fun time. I would not have stayed at this facility as long as I did if it hadn’t been for these lovely people! After working with them for so long it is hard to imagine working anywhere else without them. I know they are all very happy for me and excited for my opportunity to move on, but it’s still going to be hard to leave them.
I really want people to know that although a nursing home may seem a very sad place to work, it is full of beautiful fun resident’s that will brighten your day sometimes in the most obscure and funny ways! The older population have so much knowledge and wisdom that will become lost/extinct if people don’t care to ask questions and find it. If you don’t ask you would never know that they have traveled to more places in the world than you can shake a stick at, or that they had 14 children and have out lived half of them, or that they fought battles in WWII and Vietnam. I want to compare it with the beginning of the movies “Water for Elephants,” “Titanic,” and “The Note Book.” All of which have scenes where there is an older character reminiscing about their beautiful past. It is a bit like that,but you’re not watching it on a screen.
The good news is I will still be working with the elderly populations mainly living in nursing homes on the South Bay of San Diego. I was formally offered a position with San Diego Hospice. I am so excited about this! There are some of you that have already voiced some concerns about working with Hospice. Yes, it is still not an easy field, but no job as a nurse will be “easy”. I will be working Mon- Fri. 8-5pm and have weekends free. I start a month of training on Feb. 13th! I am so excited knowing this could be a very good fit for me and my personality. I also can’t wait to hand over my letter of resignation, it’s going to be bitter-sweet, but a little more sweet than bitter! So my last day of work at Windsor will be Feb.10th, 2012.