Where has the time gone?!

So I thought that I would be "smart" and wait to write a blog until I really had something to update you on from a nursing perspective, but let's be honest, HIPPA prevents me from giving you a true "day in the life of a nurse" view point and I've been having so much fun that this might be a long one.

However, I would love to tell you about my experience for the past 10 weeks. I haven't said a whole lot about this hospital, my company, or anything to do with this assignment really because of what happened and I wanted things to settle a bit before I was confident enough to put it on a blog. I have been working for a Kaiser hospital in the South Bay area. For those of you that do travel, or are considering travel nursing I'm sure you have heard mixed reviews about Kaiser, and let me just tell you to not ever judge a book by its cover. Yes, I was skeptical about taking this assignment from what I had heard from others about the Kaiser system, but honestly no one had a real "good" reason as to not like the system. Now don't get me wrong, there are some hospitals in the system that are located in parts of town that you shouldn't work, but do your research on the area before you agree to it. All that being said, I LOVE my hospital and the people that I work with. I originally agreed to working night shift for the first few weeks because they needed more help and I wasn't going to rock the boat just yet. I have met some of the funniest, hard working, and kind hearted people on the night shift. Going back to days has been a transition, not because the people aren't just as great but we all seem to be a bit busier with management around, Doctors on the floor, and patients being awake. My night shifters took me under their wing and taught me that it's okay to not know what you're doing after only one day of orientation and that as long as you're willing to ask for help and help others the ship won't sink. I have had so many different scenarios at this hospital, from shoulder dystocias (the baby is a little large to fit through its' mom's pelvis and one shoulder gets stuck) to babies that look great on the monitor and come out not wanting to take a breath. I have had wonderful deliveries and deliveries that have challenged me as a nurse, but I am thankful for each one of them. I've gotten use to taking care of two patients at once, getting a "happy-dural (epidural) for one of them and going to the next room to deliver the other. There have been days and nights that I don't sit down for lunch until 2am or pm, and sometimes that lunch consists of a couple bites of whatever I can scarf down the quickest so that I can still take a potty break before I have to go deliver. Yes it has been busy, crazy busy, but if it wasn't they wouldn't need me. One night, there were only three of us, me, Carol, and Anna (the "trio"). I will get a picture with these two by the end of my assignment so you can see who has kept me laughing for the past few weeks. These two have tried to convince me to stay anyway possible, even by trying to set me up with a CRNA (RN that gives our epidurals). So, although I can't give you a play by play of my daily life, I can tell you the past 10 weeks have been worth it and these last 3 are going to be hard because that means my assignment is ending. I may be moving on for now, but this hospital will always hold a special place in my heart and I hope to some day return back here even if it is for 13 more weeks. I am continuing on with my journey and will be headed to Phoenix, Arizona next.

One of the typical labor/delivery rooms. Having cabinets of supplies is the best idea ever!

So we might night have patios (Pineville) but we do have palm trees! 

In true blog fashion, a little update on the LA life. Jillian headed back to Charlotte and I am adjusting to living at my brother's place with his roommate, Matt. I was so sad to see her go, the one person out here that I could count on to go grab food or shop with me! We had a blast though and I'm glad that it worked out to travel together. 

Jillian's last night we went to Korea town for BBQ and karaoke

Craig and I have been making the most of this time of course. We took a day trip down to San Diego to visit the zoo and one of Craig's Boilermaker teammates, Erik Wolfe, that lives there. We spent one day exploring downtown LA, a place he hasn't been in all four years that he's been living here! On Easter Sunday, we went with his friends Kim and Dan to Saint Monica church in Santa Monica, some of you may recognize it from your tabloid magazines as the church Reese Witherspoon went to Easter morning or by the church that Tom Brady and Giesele Bundchen were married in. 

My roommate, Lauren, from Charlotte also came to visit and I had a blast getting to show her around LA in 24 hours. I tried to get as many "LA to-dos" in as possible and I think we did a pretty good job! One of my blogs before I leave here will be my list of the "must sees" in case you are planning on coming out here. 

Hopefully I will have another blog up in the next week or two for more fun adventures before I wrap up my time here! I'm so thankful for everyone's love and support on this journey.

Thanks for reading' and love y'all!

Hadley 

Roadtrip of a lifetime

From the moment I decided to do travel nursing and come to California, I knew I  wanted to rent a convertible and take the famous Pacific Coast Highway up the shore to see what the "talk" is about. Anyone and everyone will tell you that it's one of the "must do's" on your California list and thankfully it was checked off of mine.

Craig and I rented a Ford Mustang convertible last Saturday and after I got home from work (12 hour night shift) we took off on our journey. We didn't really have a plan, other than to make it to Big Sur, an area about five hours North of LA and just south of Monterey. We had done minimal research and were unsure of what to expect along the way, not my typical way of doing a road trip but I was up for the adventure. We figured there would be good places to stop for food and probably a hotel that we could rest at if we felt like we needed to (because 10 hours of driving is completely normal after being up for 36 hours, right?). 

We hopped in the car and couldn't wait to get the top rolled back. Trying to be fashionable for pictures and having forgotten my pony tail holder, I let my hair fly in the wind as we rolled down the highway headed up the coast. This was probably the worst idea of the whole trip. First of all, we were going 70 plus miles an hour and it's windy. Needless to say, I'm thankful for the sweater I was able to put around my head when I wasn't using it to keep warm. By the time we got to our destination, I had embraced the dreads look and knew I wouldn't be getting a brush through my hair anytime soon. No worries, half a bottle of conditioner and my hair is back to normal.

From the google search I had done the night before, there were a few places along the way that we had to stop at. As you drive along, blue signs will alert you to "Vista Points", not sure what that really means, but it was usually just a spot to pull off of the highway and get amazing pictures. Most of the places on my list were Vista Points. 

We went through Calabasas and Ventura starting out, most of the scenery here was rolling green hills covered in cows and vineyards. The sky was the most amazing color of blue and the clouds were like cotton balls. We felt like we were in Ireland or some far away place! 

San Simeon is a place well know for Hearst's Castle, the only castle in the United States and the site of Lady Gaga's latest music video (I'm warning you now that it is inappropriate).  We ended up stopping here (Point Piedras Blancas) to see the seals washed up along the beach, there were hundreds of them! 

Next up, Ragged Point. We stopped here to eat and found some amazing views. The Ragged Point Inn had a nice little lunch spot and convenient store with a trail leading to a look out over the ocean. Little did we know this was only the beginning of what this trip had in store for us.

We ventured a little further up the road and stopped at a couple more Vista Points. One was just for the view and the other for the Bixby Bridge. This bridge is famous for being in car commercials and movies so we were lucky that it wasn't shut down for filming (life in Hollywood). 

Last but not least, Big Sur. We stopped at a place called Pfieffer State Park and walked along a trail to the most breath taking view I have ever seen, and the place that made the trip worth it all. 

We stopped at a few more places along the way back as the sun was setting and were able to take in this great adventure for all that it was worth. 

We ended up staying in San Simeon on the way home, after many attempts of trying to stay in Big Sur. We figured after a whole day of driving for Craig and no sleep for me, this would be our best option. The stories to be told at this place are priceless. Maybe we were a little bit slap happy, but one bad thing about Craig and I is that when we start laughing one of us has to leave because we can't stop. Well, at one point of dinner we were both laughing so hard that our eyes were shut and our mouths, full of food, were wide open. Yes, I understand that we are grown adults and this is not mannerly but thankfully it wasn't the fanciest of places and not too many people were there. We woke up the next morning and headed back, with a stop at the zebras we had seen the day before (yes, I said zebras). Some people might tell you that they are wild (hotel concierge), but this is the US, zebras are not wild and they were most definitely in a fence. Either way, the view was spectacular and a great way to wake up and start our journey back home. 

This trip is one that I will remember for a life time and I am so thankful that my brother was able to join me. This is definitely a trip that I would recommend if you are coming out to California and would like to take a day trip (it can be done in a day if there are two drivers), but please rent a convertible, I promise it will be worth every penny. There isn't a whole lot to do along the way other than to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds. There is lots of hiking and camping along the way that we would like to enjoy the next time we make this trip. Craig and I both were happy to get out of LA and enjoy the fresh air and tranquility of what the PCH has to offer. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a road trip with the two of us without music blaring and sing-a-longs! 

Thanks for readin' and love y'all!! 

xoxo

Hadley

'cause I'm happy!

As far as the job, things are great! 
I have three weeks under my belt at my current hospital and I love it! In my last blog I didn't want to be overly confident, but this place is working out to be perfect. Somethings work out just the way they are supposed to. I will have to say that several of my deliveries have been challenging and on some nights (most) I am dealing with two patients in labor (for those of you reading from Pineville, you are spoiled!). This is what I love about nursing (especially traveling), it's a challenge and I am continually learning so much! I already feel like these three short weeks have made me a better nurse and I can't wait to see what the rest of this assignment brings. I have agreed to work night shift for the beginning half of my assignment because they needed help, but will be switching back to days in a couple weeks. The staff have been great and I am really enjoying getting to know them. They are used to travelers and love getting to know us; they're already asking me to extend or come work full time.

I was all packed to stay for the weekend in Long Beach while working four shifts in a row.

As far as life in LA, it's great too! 
My mom was just out here last week to visit Craig and me; we had so much fun! One of Craig's friends, Logan, is from a town that we grew up close to but they didn't meet until they moved out here (our dads went to high school together and our grandparents were neighbors). Our mom's have become friends and decided to come on this trip together, so while the guys were working I got to take the moms shopping and exploring. It was so fun to get to show them around like it was my city since they are both used to being here with guys! On the weekend, my mom, Craig and I got away to Laguna Beach. It's such a fun little town with beautiful beaches and the cutest little stores.  On their last day here, we pampered ourselves with a blow out from Drybar. I love this place and will be frequenting it more often (this is the type of place I would want to open in Charlotte!)! I'm so glad that my mom was able to visit us while I was out here! It was really nice to see family.

The girls shopping at The Grove

Logan and Karen Warner, Craig and my mom

Laguna Beach

After our blow outs at Drybar

While my mom was out here, Addie had her fourth birthday!! I can't believe that she is already four, it seems like just yesterday I was bringing her home. My dad is the best about spoiling her on a daily basis but he always does something extra special for her birthday. This year he made her a hat and got her some ice cream. I hate that I had to miss it but I know she's in good hands! 

A few weeks ago, Jillian had a friend come visit us that wanted to go to a bar called Sur Lounge. I had no idea what the place was, but was soon informed it was owned by Lisa Vanderpump (Beverly Hills housewife) and it had its own reality TV show (Pump Rules) with all of the bartenders. We had such a fun night at the bar and got to meet most all of the people on the show, including Lisa and her dog Giggy. 

I got to spend the past couple of days in Scottsdale, Arizona with a few of my sorority sisters. It was the craziest decision since I had to work Wednesday night and now again Saturday night, but I haven't seen these girls in over a year and knew it would be worth it! I only told my friend Katherine, who lives in AZ, that I would be coming so the others would be surprised since I had originally told them I couldn't make it. We had so much fun and it was great to catch up with them now that we are spread out. For those of you that know me well, it was the eight year anniversary of my best friend from high school passing and I knew there wouldn't be a better way to spend it than with my friends. 

Some of you might have seen my Instagram picture of shoes that my mom painted for me. They are designed to look like a Lilly Pulitzer print which is one of my favorite things. I have been known to wear lots of Lilly so what better way than a bold print on my shoes! If you are interested in a pair similar to mine, another print, or something else on a pair of Tom's my mom is your girl!

I can't believe how fast the time is going!! I only have two more months left out here, and only one of them will be with Jillian! She will be returning to Charlotte at the end of April and I will continue on the journey of travel nursing. I'm looking forward to the rest of the time with her and Craig and all that is left to do out here!! 

}Contracts{

I figured it was about that time to update you, and many of you have been asking... So this is what I've come up with. I'm at a point that I'm a little too nervous to be confident in this assignment, but... I'm confident in this one (if that makes sense).
Have you ever been in a point in life where you think it's right and then the door closes? Then maybe it feels even better when the next door opens, but soon after it closes again. Then another door opens and you're sure that it's never felt this good (third times the charm right?). This is where I'm at. Some of you maybe had to open a fourth or fifth door; I'm hoping to not be in those shoes, but I'll take it how it comes.
So far, my assignment has been great. A few hoops (paperwork) had to jumped through in the beginning, lots of online training, and only two days of orientation on the floor (one labor and one postpartum). This makes me really nervous because I haven't had a delivery yet, not even in orientation, and I'm going to have to rely on the help of others. I'm a control freak and learning to ask for help is one of my downfalls... Obviously going to be getting over that one real quick (a lesson I'm teaching myself that is making this whole experience worth it). I've got the computers down this time and the unit is pretty simple so I'm good there too, it's just learning how they run a delivery. I've got this!! The hospital is a smaller one, nine labor beds and fifteen postpartum beds. It's so similar to how things were at Pineville (Charlotte) that I think it will be the best transition possible for me. I am back to working with certified nurse midwives (one thing I loved most about CMC) and doctors as back up. So things, to me, look great and I couldn't be more excited to start this journey!!

That being said, I've learned a few things along the way that travelers need to know.
1. Always review your contract. If it's not in the contract then it isn't happening. If your recruiter tells you she's giving you a stipen, make sure it's there and double check your pay stubs until you see ALL things paid out. If you want time off or days scheduled a certain way make sure it's in your contract or else the hospital isn't obligated to give it to you.
2. Ask about requirements upfront. Some hospitals require you to have certain certifications or
classes that cost extra. Some of these include a fire safety class or advanced fetal monitoring or
maybe an online training of some sort. Make sure you are allowed time for this and that what your pay upfront is compensated. This also includes lab work, physicals, titers, etc., coming from someone that is TB positive (yes, it still happens in the USA), you will have to get a chest x-ray and it is expensive so make sure you are compensated.
3. Call time. Every hospital will be different but figure out what they do about call time. Can they call you off? Will you be compensated? Are you guaranteed hours? Some contracts will allow you so many call off hours before you are automatically paid for not having enough work, others will call
you off as much as they want and give you an "on call" pay. Figure out how your hospital deals with this! (By on call I mean low census, over staffed, whatever you call it)
4. Housing. Where are they going to put you if you take their housing provided? What's close by? Can you walk to anything? What's the neighborhood like? If you take your own housing always try to negotiate a higher pay ($2200-2500 seems to be max).
5. Hospital. What is your unit like? How many online modules do you have to do? What's the orientation like? How many beds, deliveries, nurses, etc.? Make sure that you are going to a place
that you are use to dealing with. If you are use to 100 deliveries a month you probably shouldn't be going to a place that does 300+ in a month unless you're really ready to roll.
6. Travel nurses are your best friends. When you go through orientation always talk to the other people in your class to see what they think of a hospital or what their experiences have been. You can learn so much from talking to others out there in this field. Each person has a different experience and a different way they've gone about making this experience amazing. The more experienced nurses will have a better idea of what hospital to go to and which to avoid. You will gain so much from talking to experienced travel nurses!

Staying in on a Friday night to complete online training!

Back to LA.. We are still having a blast of course!!
Craig and I attended a birthday party last week that was so much fun!! We had a nice brunch the next morning, including chicken and waffles (I felt back home), followed by the Oscars.It's crazy to believe that all of those celebrities were right down the street from my home!! I wish I would've gone to Hollywood Blvd but the place was a zoo. Speaking of celebrities, I did see Chelsea Handler leaving the coffee shop. I'm kind of getting use to the fact that these people are in "my" city (ha).

I know most of you reading my blog have actually been dealing with a pretty harsh winter, I'm sorry-
but that's exactly why I moved south and for those of you in Charlotte, exactly why I'm in LA. On a more serious note though, it rained for three days straight here and we almost all melted. LA treats rain like the South treats snow, and I'm not kidding. Cars wrecked, people didn't go out, and it was the talk of the town all week! No worries, it's back to sunny and 75!

Thanks for readin y'all! 

Xoxo

Hadley 

..gravity..

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I recently went to see the movie Gravity in 3D this week, if you haven't seen it I highly recommend it! Despite what reviews said about it, I loved it! Sandra Bullock and George Clooney float around in outer space for an hour and a half, but sometimes you have to find the silver lining. I feel the older I get the more I get out of movies, especially ones like this.
We're all at different points in life, with different careers, families, stories to tell, etc. but that's what makes it all so interesting. Yes, the idea of traveling had always crossed my mind but I never imagined that I would actually do it. I was in a city that I loved, surrounded by friends that mean the world to me, with a job that couldn't have been better... life was easy. I took out on this adventure not really knowing what to expect. I want a year to be me, to figure out what I want in life and to have a goal for my future. I want to be able to explore the country and find out what I value most. I wanted time to spend with my brother, who I am so close with and being on opposite coasts makes it hard at times. Most importantly, I want a year to grow as a nurse, a job that I have been passionate about since I was a kid. So, how does this tie into Gravity?
For those of you who have seen the movie, I almost feel like Ryan (Sandra), a medical engineer sent out on a space mission. She has the training she needs but only on land, where she's comfortable. For those who haven't seen it, I won't ruin the movie for you but even the preview will tell you that she gets detached from the space station and is floating around lost, just hoping to finally run into something that can bring her back to whats familiar. So how is that me? I was at a hospital with my closest friends, given the training that I needed to work well on that specific unit. If there was a problem, I had my friends to go to without hesitation. I was in my comfort zone. Travel nursing is much different. Already, I have found that I have the skills I need to deliver a baby but I don't have the computer training down just yet. Learning a new charting system can take a regular nurse weeks, I had three days. Thankfully I am pretty computer savvy, but by the time I am back in my comfort zone it will be on to the next hospital. Despite what one may think, I am a little bit shy around new people so it is taking some time getting to know who I can go to for questions and who my friends are going to be. Like I said before, you either love or hate travelers. Once I am in my comfort zone it will be on to the next hospital. I'm getting use to a unit that is run by residents, different order sets, and a new way of doing things, I'm WAY out of my comfort zone (I've been doing the same thing with the same people for two years!!). Don't get me wrong, this is the thrill of travel nursing.. this is why we do it. Labor and delivery nurses crave an adrenaline rush and that is exactly what this is. This is only my first assignment, so I know each hospital will get a little bit better and that is what I'm looking forward to. By my third or fourth assignment, my new comfort zone will be walking into a hospital not knowing anyone or anything and being able to dive in head first. Despite the battles Ryan was facing, she was able to use her skills the way she needed (putting it the best way to not ruin it for you).
My first day on my own was this past Tuesday, with two deliveries before 11 in the morning (getting out of recovery around 1). To quote the movie...."The way I see it, there are only two possible outcomes. Either I make it down there in one piece and I have one hell of a story to tell! Or I burn up in the next ten minutes. Either way, whichever way... no harm, no foul. "- Ryan.  I had two options, hit the ground running or give up... I hit the ground running, and this is my story to tell! It was the busiest day I've had in a long time (maybe ever). After that I was able to shadow my first c-section at this hospital, just to get how things are run in the operating room. That being said, I didn't get a break to sit down until five o'clock. By that point I was so hungry that I wasn't, and sitting made my feet hurt worse than standing. I am thankful for this day, I have learned so much from just that one day experience, and this is what I'm living for as a travel nurse.

"Either way it's going to be one hell of a ride! I'm ready!"-Ryan

For those of you back "home" in Charlotte, stay safe in the winter storm!! All of your Facebook posts and Instagram pictures have made me want a warm southern meal.. Too bad that doesn't help my bikini body for when I'm at the pool tomorrow! :)
Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks for readin', love y'all!

xoxo

Hadley