HOORAY!!

The blog has finally come..... We're working!!!!!!

Yesterday was our first day at UCLA! As soon as we stepped foot through the door we could already tell a night and day difference. Some of that probably has to do with the fact it's a hospital that's top 5 in the nation. The people were welcoming and with papers in hand they were ready to send us on our way through orientation. It wasn't much of a day, we were sent around campus to get our badge, parking pass, scrubs, and see the unit. The people on our unit were so nice and helpful, which will make a nice transition. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous after our interview. The unit director made it seem like a crazy place with lots of high risk cases (don't get me wrong it still could be), but there are only five labor beds on the unit and four triages which for some reason made me at ease. We have a couple days of computer training towards the end of the week, and our three days of orientation next week, then we're off and running on our own. We couldn't be more excited to start this job!!

In the mean time, we've had a bit of fun! Last Thursday we headed down to Santa Monica and enjoyed the day shopping and by the beach. Probably not the time to go shopping, but retail therapy does a whole lot for my stress level. 

 

On Saturday, Craig, Jillian, and I went with a couple of Craig's friends on a Whale Watch. After watching Blackfish, we've become quite the whale activists (save the whales!).  We didn't see a whole lot, but the five grey whales made the trip interesting and worth it. We also left out of Long Beach, which is beautiful, so it was nice to see a different part of California. 

We are having a great time and of course I will continue to keep you updated. Hopefully there will be more to update you with in the next couple of days!! Sorry for the weather y'all, but I'm off to the pool!!

Thanks for reading, love y'all! 

Hadley 

Sorry for the delay

After all of the fiasco of last week, I've waited to write this post until there was solid evidence we would have a job (OB nurse for ya). Many of you have been asking for an update so I figured it was about time, I just wanted to be sure on our end.

Great news..... We have a job starting Monday at UCLA in Westwood!! (This kind of feels as exciting as a birth announcement).

This was my first choice of hospitals from the beginning but due to the timing of quitting my job and signing a contract there wasn't an open position. With all of the hoops we've had to jump through, the other hospital (Preby Hollywood) needed us to take a class...This was the hold up as to why we couldn't start unbeknown to us or our recruiter. After much debate, we are going with the same company just a different hospital. This past week has been a long waiting game and we just got word yesterday that all of our paperwork is in and we're good to go... We were jumping for joy! It's funny how things fell apart but are coming back together so nicely.

You may wonder what we've been up to. With paychecks running low in the most expensive city in America, we've had to be a little creative. We've spent many days at the pool, hiking, and watching endless episodes on Netflix and Hulu. One of my favorite things I've watched was Blackfish (a documentary on Sea World), if you haven't seen it I strongly suggest it.. Grab some tissues. We've done a lot of window shopping since we are across the street from The Grove (an outdoor shopping center with Nordstrom, Gap, Madewell, J.Crew, Zara, etc.), it's dangerous!! My friend Trent was able to get us tickets to the Craig Ferguson show (he's a comedian on late night tv). We had a lot of fun and were even on the front row. It aired that night or else I would tell you to go watch our big debut!  We've been eating really healthy and making it to the gym almost every day! We've had a blast so far but looking forward to the exciting things to come!!

This is a view from the top on Mt. Lee. We hiked to the top of the Hollywood sign.

We had VIP tickets to the Late Late show with Craig Ferguson. We're on the front row far right. 

This is The Grove at night... You get it. 

Our most exciting news... We have a couch!!!! Yes it inflatable (it can travel to my next place) but it doubles as a bed for all of those wanting to come visit and it's actually not all that bad! 

I can't wait to start this new journey with all of you backing us up. I promise that I will be better about updates, I think you can understand though. I also haven't had a whole lot to update you with.. Our life is pretty simple (so far).
Please keep my Boilers in your thoughts and prayers.. I'm sure you heard about the school shooting. Ever greatful, ever true- hail Purdue!!

Thanks for readin y'all!! Love ya!
Hadley

Is this real life??

Every day I keep hoping that we have a post that will say "EMPLOYED"!  Unfortunately...we don't.

We are still in limbo with our company and the Human Resources department at our hospital, waiting for paperwork to be processed. Although this means no work, which means no income, which means little exploring, we are trying to make the most of things. We aren't letting them off easy; we showed up to the hospital Monday (rejected), and take turns every couple hours making phone calls to the six people on our list. We are pretty sure they see our number pop up on caller ID and ignore it... We aren't afraid to call right back. We are learning a lot about this travel nursing gig, from many aspects, and I'm kind of wondering what I've gotten myself into. We have been well informed that this is a rare, if ever, occurrence... Leave it to me to be the one it happens to.  I have enough friends that have done it to safely say that this year is going to be a blast and the time of our life (once things get going).

Our weather has been perfect, so we are making the most of our days off.. Sorry to you people back home wrapped up in winter parkas with snow shovels in hand. We signed up for the gym last week, and have been there every day since (what else do we have to do with 15 hours in a day). Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to...

Jillian's friend, Andy, has a pup that we took for a walk today. Something about pet therapy! 

Dinner and a movie. We watched "Back in the Day" a guy from home directed it and most of it is filmed at places from my hometown. Pretty funny!!

Just belting Jason Derulo into my spatula... Sorry neighbors!! 

 Disregard my attire and freshly washed hair. 

This may get some hate mail..

Enjoying a few rays of sun... Ahhh!! 

If I didn't already learn enough about myself by driving across the country, I sure have learned a lot in the past couple weeks. Nothing has quite tested my patience as much as these experiences so far. Not only losing my patience but patience with others. I might be calm, cool, and collected on that phone, but poor Jillian sure has had to deal with an earful as soon as I hit "end".  I've also learned what type of work ethic I want to have and person I want to be on the job. It's a little different in he nursing world, but there are always ways to go the extra mile and I hope I do that for those I'm taking care of. For those of you in the business world, you have no idea what an exact deadline (even if it's not tomorrow) or a phone call means to a person on the other end. I'm learning quickly how to live on a budget. I've always wanted to take time and write out a budget for the month but my brain just doesn't think like that, until now when it has to. For me this has been very humbling and probably just the experience I've needed. I sure have had my eyes opened to what's "essential" and what's "fluff".  Regardless of how amazing the hospital is (or terrible, I guess), I can already say that this experience has been worth it and I haven't even stepped foot into my sneakers and scrubs to work... For that I am thankful. 

I'm hoping within 48hours I will be able to share some better news... Work! 

In the words of Bob Marley and our theme song this week.... Don't worry, bout a thing...Every little thing is gonna be alright!! 

Thanks for readin y'all... Love ya!! 

Hadley 

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First day... Bust

Well, some of you may have anticipated a blog coming yesterday after our "first day". We, on the other hand, needed a day to decompress.

The morning started out on a great note. We were both up early enough to get ready (despite our alarms going off four or five times), we had our clothes laid out and were ready for our "picture day", and we even had time to make breakfast and coffee! We got to the hospital about a half hour early to kind of figure out where we were going since our email only said "show up at 8am to the second floor nursing office".  Well, we found the nursing office and signed in our names, they at least had us on a list that said we would be coming. We were sent down to human resources to get our badge, and this is where everything changed. A lady came to the desk and said, "we see you start today but we don't have an any paperwork on you, and it usually takes a couple weeks to process".  The scene was out of a movie, Jillian and I looked at each other with panic on our faces. Stumbling for words, we decided we should make a few phone calls and get back to her. With steam coming out of our ears, we both started dialing everyone from our travel company. As you read before, our paperwork was still being put together the day before we started, so we knew they would have just received it but to not be able to work... What?!?! After a few back and forth phone calls, they decided we wouldn't be able to start and to just go home. We stayed in contact with them through out the day, and the final decision was that our paperwork would be processed within 2-3 days and with an "inconvenience bonus" since they have put us out of two days of work. The contract stays the same- same amount of time, same unit, same hospital, same pay. Yes, it's more than annoying and looking back a lot of things could have been done better on their end, but there's not a whole lot Jillian and I can do about it. We were happy with the bonus amount (about what we would've been paid) and we are staying positive.  Yesterday we lounged around and watched episode after episode of Nashville (we may or may not have finished season two); we needed the time for our heads to clear and have a game plan for what's next.

We are showing up again on Monday with the same attitude and willingness to work. Who would've thought I would be so antsy to get to work?! Believe me, a month of unemployment has done me in... I'm not cut out for staying at home full time (sorry, if that's what my future husband has in mind).

Thanks for readin.. Love y'all
Hadley

 Jillian and I a little nervous before walking in 

Hollywood Presbyterian 

Our "living"room... Making the most if things! 

Things we've learned... So far

I'm sure I will be making this post more than once, but there are several things we are quickly learning about this city and our job!!

Los Angeles... 

1. It's a state law that you recycle. This seems like a great idea and something to help the environment. Don't get me wrong we feel the same way, but living in an apartment it's near impossible. We would have to have four trash cans! Because I'm a rule follower (most of the time) we do have a box next to the trash for things that will be taken down to recycle.

2. Always... I repeat... Always use the crosswalk. They will ticket you for jaywalking, just ask Craig. I have already imprinted it into Jillian's head that this is a fee ($250) that she doesn't want to pay. Yes, it's annoying to have to walk the 18 more steps to not cut the corner, but it would be much more annoying to not be able to enjoy the shopping because you're paying off a ticket. 

3. Always yield to pedestrians. To go along with number 2, pedestrians have the right away and as long as they are in the crosswalk it is their turn first. Yes, this is probably a rule every where but rarely did I have to deal with someone walking in front of me in the middle of the road just because there is a crosswalk (welcome to a city with 18 million people). 

4. Parking on a hill requires more than putting it in park. We haven't quiet figured this one out yet. If you are parked on a hill your tires have to face a certain way according to whether you're parked uphill or downhill. For now we will just follow the person in front or behind us. 

5. No cell phones while driving. Not only can you not text while driving, your phone has to be on speaker (or Bluetooth) for phone calls. It's not that difficult, but sometimes hard to remember when 

you're use to putting a phone up to your ear during your hour commute. 

Travel nursing.. 

1. Paperwork.. Paperwork... Paperwork. If you are even considering taking an assignment and have an idea of which state you might like to go, make sure your licensing paperwork is turned in at least 3 months ahead of time. As y'all read from my last post, the boards of nursing are a huge pain to deal with and put things off with no excuse. They will give you the run around and you will talk to 5 different people that all tell you something different. Stand your ground and continue to make phone calls. The automated voice messages get old but by the second week of calling them you will know at what point of the message you can press 2 to move on to the next step. Somehow things always work out... Just be patient. 

2. You're recruiter makes a difference. Some of them are great, and some of them not so great. You will quickly realize once you start talking to one company many others will call you. It's great to stick with a smaller company, their staff seems to be more personable and really willing to help you out. We decided to go with a bigger company for California because this particular company has monopolized and gets contracts with some of the bigger hospitals, especially in Los Angeles. Our recruiter has been somewhat lax and even today (the day before our assignment starts) we are still filling out paper work. Always make sure they are getting the max benefits for you. If you think something isn't right, bounce it off another recruiter that you've been talking to... They hate competition! 

3. People in charge of the checklists are your friend. This might not be the case every where, but the people in charge of making sure all of your requirements (CPR, fetal monitoring certifications, etc) are on file will be your best friend. The people we have dealt with in this department are on top 

of things and always an email away. They will stay on your case and hound you until they get what they need. Don't get me wrong it can be annoying, but for a person that likes checklists it really helps
me out. If you have a question, shoot them an email. If they can't find out the answer they are the 

ones willing to direct you in the right direction. 

4. Keep a file of everything. Chances are that you will have to send a copy of your CPR card at least three times before they realize they have it. Luckily with our technology, you can take a picture with your smartphone and attach it in an email... Makes life so much easier! That being said, if one company requires it, the next company your work with will require it too. Start a file folder and keep copies of important certifications in it (cert cards, vaccinations, physicals, etc).


That's all I've got for now. I'm sure as our time goes on we will have plenty more to add to this! Tomorrow starts our first day! After being unemployed for a month now, I have to say I'm really looking forward to it!!

Thanks for readin... Love y'all!!
Hadley 

So it begins...

Where do I even begin this?!

First of all, thank you to my loving family who has supported me on this wild journey of travel nursing. It's not always going to be easy to be away from family but the experiences will make it worth it!!

As a traveling nurse I will be doing three month stents in the city I choose. This first assignment, my friend Jillian and I will be at Presby Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA. Why LA? Obviously nothing beats the weather in California (especially in the winter) and my brother (Craig) has lived here for three years so it will be fun spending some time with him.

So, my dad and I set off cross country from Indiana to California on a two and a half day adventure. If I had to see one more day of the desert I thought I might poke my eyes out. Although it was a long journey, it was fun to see parts of the country that I hadn't before (and won't again). Who knew Oklahoma had so many cows, or that Northern Arizona doesn't have tall cactus like you see in movies? On our journey, Route 66 (famous two lane highway) became the running joke. It followed us from St. Louis to somewhere in California. Even going to lunch once we got here, Craig picked the restaurant decorated in Route 66 everything, even though he had no idea of the meaning!!

My dad was here through the weekend and able to spend time with Craig and I. We went on a few hikes and enjoyed the Cali lifestyle. Unfortunately for him, he had to help me unload my carful (literally) of things and put my apartment together. I am so thankful to have had him help me along the way!

Things have all gone pretty smoothly. The trip out was a breeze, we're settling into the apartment, and slowly finding our way around this big city of LA. However, last Friday I got a phone call saying I couldn't start my position due to my California nursing license not being processed. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do at this point considering I couldn't start my job and I was literally three hours from LA. I had sent my paperwork off in October and had been calling every day for three weeks with no response. Long story short, I had a few heated conversations with people at the board of nursing and found out yesterday I am officially licensed in the state of California, the day before I would need to push back my start date.

Now that things are good to go, Jillian and I are really looking forward to this adventure!! I am hoping to keep this updated on our adventures and experiences at the hospital.

Love y'all!!
Hadley