Betcha thought I had dropped off the face of the earth!!! No such luck for you all!
I've been busy with my "shoulder to the wheel" and "my nose to grindstone". However, I've found it difficult to work in that position!
I begin my new position at work on May 8th. This has been in the works since January, but I was just waiting for the powers-that-be to move me into the position. I will be leaving "bedside nursing" and going over to the Patient Evaluation Center at the same hospital I've worked at now for 19 months. The "PEC" is the dept. that contacts patients before procedures to make sure that all labs, tests, etc., are done, and if they aren't, we have some clinics where the patient can come in and be seen and get them done. It is the job of PEC to make sure that there are no gaps that would cause the procedure to be delayed or cancelled when they come into the hospital for their procedure.
My career started out with 11 years in ICU/CCU and then 23 years in PACU (Surgery Recovery Room). I have loved my PACU years, but my knee and back just can't take that kind of nursing anymore. I loved PACU nursing because, in most cases, I could "fix" my patients problems. They would come to me anxious, sleepy, in pain, and sometimes nauseated. In most cases, I could "fix" those problems and then send the patient on their way. I liked the "short-term" relationship, rather than the "long-term" relationship that we had with patients in ICU/CCU...sometimes they were there for months! And I liked that I could see a difference in the patient from the time I got them to the time, 1-3 hours later, when they left you. Job satisfaction!
But my doctors have been telling me for the last 5 years or so that I need to get into a job where I'm not on my feet on the cement floors all the time, and where I'm not lifting/pulling up patients, or pushing beds. (Cement floors are horrible for arthritis.)
I think my long-term experience in PACU will help me prepare and educate patients for what to expect of their experience.
Now...onto the quilting updates....
The Tuxedo quilt is in the hand-quilting frame and I've started working on it. In fact, I've already turned the quilt in the frame once already! I can reach about 10-12" into the quilt from the edge of the frame, so that means that I'm already that far into the quilt. Well...actually, I'm almost finished with the second 10-12" and will soon be turning once more!!
I've also started on a quilt that will be a gift...so I can't actually show it to you...but I can show you bits and pieces!
Loretta
