An Update on Unemployment
It's so hard to think of something to blog about when it seems like you're out of the "hospital loop." Where I was once enjoying 16-hour shifts and the chaos of getting STAT pages on opposite sides of the hospital, my life is pretty relaxed right now--and that's not necessarily a good thing.
In lieu of the all the financial problems that plagued my former hospital, I am very much looking for something stable. I enjoyed the unstable elements that came with my last job for a time, but now it's time to buckle down and look out for myself and get some serious experience.
On the job front, I've been hoping to get in at a major university hospital-something along the lines of a Level 1 trauma facility. I was lucky enough to spend quality clinical time as a student in a large, new surgical ICU in one of these university hospitals, and the experience was invaluable.
One therapist at this facility drove two hours to work each way to gain this experience. (He lived right next to a community hospital.) This is the type of dedication and focus I'd like to display at my next job. I'm really looking to prove myself the minute someone gives me the chance.
Things seem to be stretched thin all over. Most facilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania have holds on hiring, and a few hospitals have closed or are on the verge of closing. I'm not sure if this is the case in other states, but such is the economy. People cannot afford health care, so they simply don't come to the hospital. Low patient census across the board is what's ailing this area.
So, that's an update. Still looking. Expecting nothing, hoping for everything. Times are dark. Gotta keep your eyes bright and your heart open.
Oh, one last thing. There's a comment on my last blog that I'd like to address. Life is too short to be spending time at a job that you're not madly in love with. Patient care, saving lives--this stuff makes my life beautiful.
I'm sure some other therapists (or health care workers) can attest to the same thing. Still, at that, it's not for everyone. If the paycheck is the only thing you regard in your chosen profession, it's time for a new job. Life is too important and too quick to settle.
-B.J.