I know I haven't updated in awhile. Honestly, just not much has been going on - whether spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc. - that I've felt has been worth writing about.
Summer classes have started. It's going to be another difficult semester. But, if I can muster through it, I'll only have two more to go. I still haven't heard back from my upcoming internship's HR department to schedule the orientation. I'm giving them until early July to contact me, though(internship starts in August), because I know HR departments are notoriously disorganized and scattered (at least around here), and this is the biggest hospital, and the biggest non-tourism-related employer, in the region. So I'm thinking maybe they're kind of slow.
My place of employment continues to be in the news on a regular basis. There were two more escapes on June 5, although they caught them much quicker. That made headlines. Apparently last week, while I was on vacation, a 1st shift staff was assaulted, resulting in a broken nose and stitches. He filed a police report, and so that made headlines as well. Basically, at this point, ANYTHING that happens there ends up in the news, it seems. I've seriously begun debating trying to get my old job back at Home Depot. I feel like I'm not really making much of a difference there at this point (if I ever was to begin with). The most positive thing I've seen there in months is the fact that I've begun being asked more frequently by the recreational staff to come in early to assist on outings with the kids who have earned time outside of the facility (first it was to a local baseball game, and this Thursday I'm going with them to see Green Lantern). I fear being dragged down with this place the worse things get. DHEC (Department of Health and Environmental Control, the licensing body for group homes, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.) is investigating. Something is going to have to change. They are either going to change policies, or be shut down. If nothing else, they're going to have to do something to get the media off their backs, because everything that happens now ends up in the news. One of my good friends already quit, and another was basically fired for a pre-existing health condition that administrators knew about when they hired her (as soon as she was fired, she filed a complaint with EEOC). Although I'm working more this summer (since I don't have internship) to save up some money, once my internship starts I'm planning on cutting my hours back to two days a week, no matter how poor I get. My concern is whether or not other places of employment would work with my school schedule. I've applied to plenty of other jobs the last three and a half years, with no luck. The most recent definitely wouldn't have cooperated with my school schedule and commitments. That really is the place's only selling point for me staying there at this point - it truly is the ideal place for people who need flexible schedules. I just wonder where the line is, if it's really worth staying there at this point and risk getting pulled into more drama, if that's the only thing keeping me there.
This has gotten long, so consider this "Part 1" of a "catch-up" post. Next time I post (hopefully soon), I'll go more into the vacation I just had, as it was a very eventful week!
Posts
My Very Inspired Museum Idea
2 weeks ago
2 comments:
The health care community is the(I think) roughest field to be in. Whether it's the physical or mental or a combination of both types of health care. It's just plain a terrifying profession to stay in.
A friend of my mother's is an RN in a nursing home. This particular nursing home has been doing some mighty questionable skirting of the law with some of their paperwork. So this woman's boss asks her to "update some dates" on things and to make things "more friendly" in the eyes of inspectors. If she went through with it she'd keep her job. ... supposedly. Because she helped her boss. But my mom's friend is no dummy. She knew that as soon as they investigated those papers her own boss wouldn't be in the frying pan- SHE would because her hand was the last to touch them and there was no way she could hide that fact!
So what'd she do? She quit. It was the only thing she could do to protect herself. If she snitched and went to the Medical Board she'd be blackballed. It's insane, but that's how it is. If you can't handle a situation yourself(even if it's ILLEGAL!!) then you're perceived to be a weak and ineffective employee.
My mother goes weeks on end without being able to take a lunch break and sometimes only one small break at all although this is the type of thing which can immediately prompt an investigation. Why does she continue to deal with it? Because if she doesn't they'll fire her and just find someone else who will put up with it. Nurses float around all the time from one job to the other and it's normal.
I don't think it's normal. I think it's disturbing and a sad sign of the state of our healthcare laws.
Sometimes you are in a position where you can fight and sometimes you just have to just build walls to protect yourself until you can get in a better strategic position.
With your facility in the news and you being employed there, yes, you are automatically tainted. Not much you can do about it now but watch your back and follow your gut.
I pray that better job prospects will open up for you so you can get away from that place. I know it has to be dragging your heart down something fierce.
~Angel
Working at Home Depot until you finish school wouldn't be all that bad. I mean, you've already got all this experience and you can always explain to potential employers that you had to leave this place because of all the negative media attention. As much as you've dealt with, I don't see how you've lasted this long.
Post a Comment