Back To Travel Nursing
In fact, it's been over a month since I last updated the blog. First, as I mentioned in the previous entry, my website was banned in mainland China, so I couldn't do anything like write on the blog while I was there. Then, we returned to the US on December 18, and went head-on into the Christmas season. We stayed a few days with my folks in Colorado before flying to South Carolina for Christmas. Then we headed back to Colorado for a few more days before embarking to head down south here to Tucson.
As it turns out, my job situation has been quite interesting, if that is the right way to put it. Two days before we headed off to China, I received a phone call from my recruiter at Cross Country, who informed me that because of "low census" issues in the unit I was to start in when we arrived in January, my contract had been cancelled. This came as quite the shock, of course, as there was not enough time to look for additional work before we left for China. The whole issue of "low census" is ridiculous, as well. There are no shortages of patients in any hospitals. The reality of the situation is that December is the fiscal end of the year for many hospitals, and this year is exacerbated by the rapidly declining economy. Basically, canceling my contract was an easy to cut an expense, despite the poor business practices involved as well as the thrashing of the idea of a signed contract.
At any rate, I wasn't terribly worried about it. Jess still had her contract, and being that jobs are suddenly quite scarce, we decided that it was prudent to go ahead to Tucson. I decided I would try very hard to find a position, or at least pick up per diem work in order to supplement Jess's income. Honestly, while it might seem a little naive, I actually felt pretty certain that I would be able to talk to the manager in the unit that I had originally been contracted to work at, and something would work out so that I could end up working there.
Then, right before we headed south, I received word that my friend Scott had his contract cancelled halfway through, meaning that he'd already started working. We talked, and came to the conclusion that he would probably have a job regardless of the cut as soon as December ended. Sure enough, on January 1st, the manager in his unit approached him about signing on as a "seasonal" worker. This is a new concept to me. Essentially, it means that he was hired in at roughly the same pay rate that he'd been at before, perhaps even a little better. The difference is that as a seasonal worker, he'll be working directly for the hospital instead of through the travel agency. My guess is that this is a much cheaper way to hire staff for the hospitals, which apparently are struggling nationwide with their budgets. Obviously, he jumped at the chance.
As for myself, I did speak with the manager, and after a couple of days of talking with her people, she called me to let me know they didn't have a position available for me. So much for my ideas of working in that unit. I was a little disappointed about that, but it lit a fire under me, and I went to three hospitals here in Tucson to talk about getting a job. As it turns out, I have an interview tomorro with a cardiac unit in that same hospital, for a "seasonal" position.
Isn't it interesting the jargon they use? There has to be a more honest way of putting it. Instead of "low census," they should just tell you that they are out of money and you are a luxury they can't afford. Instead of hiring people for a "seasonal position," they should just tell you that they are too cheap to continue using the travel companies that have provided them with numerous workers, and they are going to screw them by going around them to poach their own staff. For example, if I take a position at this hospital, which I obviously would for financial reasons, I would be poached from Cross Country, because those folks introduced me to this hospital. It's like taking a girl to the dance and watching her make out with someone else.
Good thing Jess is getting the free housing. Hopefully the interview will go well, and I will be back to work within a week at the longest. I'm getting a little itchy about being out of work.
Not to say that I haven't made the best of my week off since we arrived here last Saturday. Besides looking for jobs, which isn't all that time consuming (how many times can you talk to a human resources drone?), I've been concentrating on burning off the ten-to-fifteen pounds I packed on in Madison eating all that cheese and drinking microbrews. I've been lifting weights. I've run three days this week; one day I ran over four miles, although that was an accident as I got a little lost and ended up running longer than I anticipated. Jess and I have taken several hikes so far, including a 15-mile hike that we took today. That too wasn't exactly planned; it was one of those situations where you feel pretty good so you keep going, and then you celebrate reaching that distant 7.5 mile point like you would if you just finished a 7.5 mile hike. Then you realize you are in the middle of nowhere, and it's a 7.5 mile hike back to your car. Yeah, I can't walk tonight.
I actually started a contest with my friend Scott called the Chicken Foot Weight Loss Challenge. Basically, I brought back this nasty chicken foot treat from China, and the person who loses the least percentage of weight between the two of us has to eat that foot. It won't be pretty. We weighed in on Thursday. Sort of ironically, we went out for all-you-can-eat wings the night before and stuffed ourselves sick with wings and beer. I won't tell you what I weighed the next morning, but I anticipate losing at least 20 pounds.
So, wish me luck on my interview. Hopefully the next time I post an entry, I will have a job. Jess will be particularly happy about that. As for myself, it's not that bad being unemployed.
Until next time, be safe.
