Major Catch Up Time!

I've not been as awesome as I should be when it comes to blogging.  You wouldn't think it, but working day shift (awesome and incredible as it is) makes me exhausted.  I am walking during the whole 8 hours, and always doing something.  I get up super early (5:10 AM?!) and go to sleep at 9:30 PM (sometimes 8 PM).  I feel like an old person.  But I'm beginning to have some semblance of a routine, which I love.  And I truly love being so busy at work.  I'm a busy natured person - it's just getting used to it!  So hence, my excuse for not blogging.  Get ready for the onslaught.

On March 23rd, Jordan and I attended the boy scout fundraiser dinner at our ward.  It was so fun.  We ate a spaghetti dinner cooked by the scouts (under the supervision of their leaders ;)), hung out with our friends from the ward, and had an auction for awesome items like a fishing trip, hair products, food, etc.

I began working by my self at work on March 26th!  I love it.  It's kindof nerve-wracking, but I enjoy being able to implement all the things I've learned throughout my career as a psych nurse into my practice.  One of my favorite things I'm able to do is groups with the patients.  I gather them all together and we either do an activity or talk about different issues.  I've done groups so far on medication management, "Stamping out the Stigma," their happy memories, how involved they are in their care, etc.  I seriously love psych, and am even considering becoming a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (similar to a doctor) in the future.  Loving what you do is so important!

I've been growing my hair out, and as a result, some funny things have happened to me lately.  Both at the scout dinner and at work, these girls came up to me and out of the blue would say, "You know who you look like??  Alice Cullen!!!!!"  Consequently, one of my patients would call me nothing but Alice, and a young woman in our ward beams at me every time she sees me.  It's hilarious!  What do you think?

March 26th, Jordan and I were able to see The Hunger Games!!  It was awesome.  We tried out a theater in our area that is just 21 years and over, and had a great time.  They had huge semi-reclining seats, dinner, popcorn, dessert, etc.  Loved it!  And the tickets are a bit cheaper than the other theater we usually go to.

On March 30th, I had the best massage I think I've ever had in my life.  When you're so relaxed to the point of drooling, I think that's pretty dang amazing!  I've been seeing my massage therapist, Jennifer, for almost 2 years, and she is incredible.  Her website is here.

Conference was so good, as usual.  Because I worked day shift that weekend, I was only able to see the afternoon sessions, but I hope to be able to watch the morning ones soon.  My favorite quotes from them were:

"Why should you be jealous when I choose to be kind...Demeaning someone else doesn't improve your self image.  Be kind."  Jeffrey R. Holland

"Mothers and fathers - praying with children may be more important than any other example" Quentin L. Cook

Some of my favorite talks were by: Robert D. Hales, about the prodigal son; President Monson's talk Sunday morning; and the talk by Neil L. Andersen.  

Some themes I noticed: revelation, the ability to be forgiven/repentance, and priesthood responsibilities. To see, read, or hear the talks for yourself, go here.

I went out to lunch with Lyanna on April 3rd to one of my favorite restaurants here in Richmond, Can Can Brasserie.  We were able to talk for hours (SO needed with our hubbies both in medical school) and go to Target after.  So fun!

On April 4th we had the missionaries over for dinner again.  I think we feed them pretty dang often!  We had chicken with red pepper sauce and a tropical crisp that was to die for.  Such a great twist on regular apple crisp!  Here's the recipe:

Prep: 20 minutes. Bake: 30 minutes. Yield: 9 servings.

1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed
4 medium bananas, sliced
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Topping:
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons flaked coconut, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

In a large bowl, combine pineapple and bananas.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and flour; toss to coat.  Transfer to a greased 9x9 baking dish.  For topping, in a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut, brown sugar, and nutmeg.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over fruit.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

On April 6th, Jordan had his Women's Health exam.  He is so glad to be done with that class!  It wasn't his favorite. ;)  Also on the 6th, Jordan got his schedule for his third year!  Third year is going to be AWESOME.  This is when what you imagine medical school is like really comes to fruition - rounding with residents and attendings, presenting on patients, assisting with everything and anything.  I'm SO excited for Jordan.  He is going to have so many cool opportunities.  This will also be one of the hardest years so far.  Jordan will be basically living at the hospital some rotations.  He will sleep there, eat there, and work there.  I know this is difficult for people who aren't going through it to understand, but because of the schedule, his time is going to be very limited.  They gave all the students a handbook, and it says...

"You made it!  Say goodbye to the lecture hall and hello to the wards.  The misery is over, and now the fun can begin...right?  Your clerkship experiences will be better than sitting in class day after day, but it has its own set of challenges.  Clerkships are a big change from daily lectures.  You will be expected to take responsibility for your own learning, and you will be expected to figure many things out for yourself.  You will also find that your time is not necessarily your own, and sleep is a valued commodity.  Even on easier clerkships, a minimum of 40 hours/week at the hospital is the norm.  You can no longer "home school" whenever you feel like it.  As an M3, being 5 minutes late can lower your clerkship grade, and days off are sometimes few and far between."

But this is what we've been waiting for.  This is Jordan's chance to really get out there and learn.  One of our friends is just finishing his third year, and he even delivered a baby in one of his rotations!  How cool is that?!  If you want details about what area of the hospital Jordan will have when and when breaks are, ask him.  

Yesterday, we were able to drive up near DC and spend the afternoon with Alan and Lyanna.  We went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly and it was so cool!  I'm obsessed with space.  This museum is where they filmed the Transformers movie!  Loved it.  I'd love to go back.  We had dinner at a place called "Not Your Average Joes" and ate some delicious food and dessert!  I totally recommend the Peanut Butter Thing for dessert...ahh!

Today we had a great Easter.  We just relaxed at home and spent some time together.  In honor of Titanic coming out in 3D, Jordan downloaded it and we watched it...and it was the first time I've ever seen it!  Haha!  I obviously know everything about it, but LOVED watching it.  Such an amazing movie.  

I've been trying to develop a routine as discussed earlier.  I got this awesome app on my phone that stores daily to-do lists.  It's called Cozi and it's free.  I love free apps.  I've put all my Flylady routines on there, as well as my shopping lists and calendar!  And the great thing about it is you can share the information with other people, so Jordan has the same lists and everything on his phone!  Love it!

And last, but not least, we are trying to find a house to rent!  We've loved living in this apartment, but want a bit more space and cheaper rent.  Which is completely feasible in Richmond.  Our lease is over in July, so we'll be moving (hopefully) during Jordan's summer break.  Yay!

Not a Splurge Shopper, Studying, and Work

For those who have been wondering about my shopping, no, I am not going on a shopping spree!  Haha, I am the slowest person when it comes to making decisions about clothes.  I take forever to narrow down my choices.  There is no way that I could spend ALL day at the mall, it drives me crazy just spending a couple hours there!  So no, I'm not going to be buying all these clothes at once - they'll be bought over the space of a year or more.

Jordan has been attending all of his classes and labs for this first class of the year.  So far, so good!  He has recognized that his energy peaks during the morning, so that's the best time for him to study and review.  Last year, he stayed home and watched the lectures when they were posted online in the afternoon, and it seemed more difficult.  So hopefully with attending lectures, he'll pass all his tests with flying colors!  Speaking of which, his first test is on Friday.  Wish him luck!  Also, I've been trying to talk with him more about what he's learning so that it can solidify in his brain.  It's been interesting, as I've learned more than I did in nursing school!  It also helps me to feel like I'm involved with his schooling.

Lastly...work.  I really, really, really need some advice guys.  I know there are people out there who read this blog who don't know me, and I could use your advice too.  I'm very, very frustrated with the people I work with.  The actual patient load is great, and I love this kind of nursing.  But the people...ugh.  Let me tell you.  The unit manager (UM) is supposed to be in charge, and the unit coordinator (UC) does the schedule and other stuff that I don't know about.  The UC was hired a couple years ago, and has basically taken over the UM's job.  The UM constantly defers to the UC's ideas.  That's the first problem.  The UM doesn't do her job.

The UC has some major, deep-set issues.  She seems like she has a chip on her shoulder.  She is friends or family with about 6 or 7 of the staff, and constantly gives them preferential treatment over everyone else.  She lets them work whenever the heck they want, lets them come into work or leave work whenever the heck they want, lies to administration to cover for them (this has been witnessed by several employees), and is a brat to everyone that she's not friends with.  She has a major chip on her shoulder about her position and her dominance over the UM.  Almost all the staff members have made complaints about this woman and her behavior to the UM, but obviously since the UM does whatever the UC wants, the complaints go nowhere.  They have also complained to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), and there have been some investigations, but this woman and the UM have been given chance after chance to shape up and no real action has been taken.

The UC is supposed to make out the unit schedule, and as truly horrifying as it sounds, the schedule is only ever made out a week in advance.  And even then, there are holes in the schedule so that some of the units don't even have enough coverage.  The UC has been offered help with this aspect of her job.  One RN even made out the schedule for this week and had all holes filled, and the UC went back and changed it, making tons of empty spaces.  She doesn't utilize her part-time staff to help fill in the holes, and lets her best friends work whenever they want, so there are obvious issues there.  She doesn't allow people who aren't part of the clique to work any overtime, but lets her friends work 56 hours a week.  Not only is this not fair to staff members, but it's unsafe for patient care as well.  If the unit is not appropriately staffed, and there are multiple psychotic patients, one of the patients or staff members could get hurt, leading to multiple legal issues against the nurses and the hospital.  For example: Every other week I work on the unit with only 8 beds.  The other nurse who usually works with me is the UC's sister, so she comes in almost every day TWO hours late!!!  This makes the nurse from the previous shift have to stay so that the unit is staffed appropriately.  But, if the nurse decides to leave (not right) then it's just me waiting two hours.  If a patient decided to freak out and kill or seriously injure me, no help would be available for two hours.  This is SERIOUS.  We're dealing with people's lives!

There are a couple things I could do.
1. Quit, find another job.
2. Don't say anything, wait for it to get better.
3. Voice my concerns with the CNO and maybe even the CEO to get some action, and consequently get in trouble with the UM and UC.
4. Find another job part-time and stay here full-time.  Transition to full time at the other job if this one doesn't improve.

I really don't know what to do.  Please, please help me.

Preparing for Evacuation

Don't worry, we don't need to evacuate.  I've been thinking about it though in case the need arises, and what I would do in such a situation.  I mean, we have zero food storage and some medical supplies that I've collected over the years, but not a whole lot else.  I really like FlyLady's list of what you need to be prepared for an emergency.  Click here to see it.  Simple and comprehensive!  Of course, I still need to work on a two year food storage - we just don't have the space for it now!  Maybe when we possibly rent a house next year we'll have space.

Much Better List

Ok, I found a WAY better and more comprehensive list for women's clothing basics for year-round and individual seasons.  I completely decluttered ALL my clothes yesterday and got rid of: six coats, two jeans, a pair of heels, 5 scrub bottoms, 1 pair pajamas, 1 skirt, 2 shorts, and 11 tops!  AANNNDDD....(some of you will be amazed) I got Jordan to declutter some things in his closet too!  He got rid of a pair of shorts, seven tops, and two coats!  Wow!  Let the shopping begin!

Random Post!

I've been posting a lot lately because I work nights, and last night and tonight I've only had THREE whole paitents!  Wow!  So needless to say, I've had almost 6 hours every night to do whatever I want, including watching movies, reading my Kindle, and blogging.  I have so much on my mind, and want to get it all out, so you guys get to read a list.

1. I think Lady Gaga has saved my life.  Haha!  I listen to her every morning coming home from work, and if it wasn't for her loud and lovely music, I would fall asleep every drive home.

2. It has been SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hot here in Virginia!  Seriously - like 100 degrees with 70% humidity.  The heat indices have been upwards of 115 degrees!  I want to go to the pool so bad, but I'm worried about getting heat stroke.  Oh, and you know the pictures of the country with colors according to heat?  Virginia was entirely pink.  Pink is hotter than red, FYI.  Haha :)

3. I'm needing to get some new clothes.  I looked up some wardrobe essentials for women and found this site.  With essentials, you can have fewer clothes, but more looks because of the versatility of the clothes.  Love that!  I'll just have a billion accessories to have cute, diverse looks.  Lol.

4. I'm so excited for my SIL, Lindsey and her fiance Matt to get married!  Cannot wait to see everyone - we're coming out August 12th and leaving the afternoon of the 14th.  It'll be quick, but I NEED to see my nephews.  Love them and miss them so much!

5. I've been thinking seriously about someday getting my Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner.  This is an advanced nursing degree that gives you most of the privileges of a doctor, including having patients and prescribing medications.  I'll do that after Jordan is done with residency and fellowship.  I think it would be the most awesome thing for Jordan and I to have a practice together.

6. I seriously love FlyLady.  Her incredible FREE system has literally saved me and my home from CHAOS.  My home is almost completely decluttered, it's organized, and it's clean all the time - I could have unexpected company over!  Check her out.  Just take babysteps!

7. My sleep has been so random this past week.  I slept 6 hours in 2 days last weekend and then 15 hours in one day this week.  Ugh!  Just want my boss to put my schedule on a pattern so I don't have to work different days every week!

Moving In

We moved into our new apartment on July 29, and our stuff arrived on July 30! I still can't believe that we got everything accomplished so quickly. My friend from high school, Sydney, brought us some sleeping bags and pads. So sweet :) We had spaghetti and toast for dinner and then all watched a lame movie that I can't even remember the name of.

We used a Relo-Cube from ABF. Essentially, we fit all our worldly possessions into a 6'x7'x8' cube and hoped that it would come to us in one piece! With my muscular brother, husband, and mom, we got everything into the house in less than an hour. Now for the fun part...unpacking!! Joy! Sarcasm!!

I had labeled almost every box with a number and location in the house and then wrote the number and what items were in the box in a notebook. That was so helpful! Thanks to FLYlady for that tip - if you've never heard of her, check her out! She's amazing.

My dear aunt Jenae and three of her kids, Bryson, Lacie, and Carston came up that evening to help us. It was so nice to have so much help! We had Olive Garden for dinner and it took forever...three hours in a restaurant? Are you kidding me? Anyway, although having eight people sleep in a two bedroom apartment and share one bathroom can be challenging, we did it! We got the majority of the apartment completed by the time everyone, including my mom and brother, left for North Carolina on Sunday. Thanks so much for your help, everyone!