The title of this post was given to me by a dear friend, Heather when she described how we are living these days. The governor of my state had declared a state of emergency and has the authority to reassign NYC school nurses to work in city hospitals and nursing homes. Let me preface this to say I have no trouble working. I do have an issue with working in an environment that I’m not prepared to work in. There are many aspects of nursing that you learn in school and you do not forget. There are skills that require recent practice and there are many skills that stay with you for life. You adapt your practice to the responsibilities you face depending on where you work and hone those skills you use on a daily basis. I’ve learned how very different my work environment of caring for medically fragile special needs students is compared to the work of nurses who work in regional/typical population schools. The nurses who work in regional schools with typical students face different challenges and the skills they use are essential to their practice just as the skills I use in my practice are essential to the needs of the students I provide care for.
I began my nursing career working in a hospital. I did not like it. I gained invaluable experience there, but to say I did not like one thing about it is a fair observation. Many nurses love working in various units/areas of the hospital. They thrive in their environment and are skilled and wonderful in that practice. Same goes for those working in home care, nursing homes, office’s, corporate environment, working for an agency, and private duty. Most of us have a niche and we do best in that niche.
As of right now I have been “excessed” from the Enrichment center I was assigned to in Brooklyn. It’s been decided that they only need two nurses for the morning shift and two nurses for the afternoon shift. Right now I have no idea where I will be assigned next. That’s the part that’s freaking me out. The not knowing. I’ve called my malpractice insurance company to ensure that I’m covered no matter where I work. They assured me that the location change is not a problem. I hate that I have to think about these things. It’s funny because one nurse I recently met (she is a hospice nurse) remarked that I am putting my license on the line working at the school I work at. It’s funny because I don’t obsess about things like that when I’m working where I usually work; at my school. In this current climate of the unknown I have no doubt I will worry about putting my license “on the line.” It very unpleasant to not know where you’re going to be working. With which population? What will the nurse to patient ratio be? Those are just a few of my concerns, not to mention the lack of PPE in hospitals. I wait to see where I’m going next .
Menay O; mom to 4, Christian and thrift shopper on the side... 