7 hours southwest...

First off, I apologize for not updating my blog in some time. As most of you may know, the last few weeks have been a little busy for me, but fun, needless to say. Secondly, I wanted to let you all know that in just a week and a half, I will be moving, AGAIN! Yes, I received an unexpected call from my recruiter last Thursday. She called to tell me some "exciting news," which were her exact words. The second she said that, I instantly thought that maybe they were able to secure the assignment I was looking to take at the end of January in Colorado; however it was the complete opposite! The nursing home that I am working in has been struggling with their budget for sometime; therefore, they needed to make some necessary changes by laying off a few of the staff. That being said, I was given a 14-day notice. So, Joy proceeded to say, "Kristi, you have been having a hard time dealing with this place since the first day you stepped into their doors, I think this is a blessing in disguise." After she made that statement, I paused for a minute and agreed that this was probably for the best. As my family has heard numerous times, I was not happy with the organization of the department and found myself sitting in pools of ethical dilemmas on a daily basis. From other staff violating patient's rights and dignity to the relationships within the interdisciplinary team, I never felt comfortable practicing within that environment. I take pride in my skills and practice and sure as heck respect my patients, unlike several of the staff working there. So, with that said, my last day at the nursing home will be November 6th and will pack up in Mrs. B's cottage on the 7th to drive 7 hours southwest of Pittsburg. I have been doing quite a bit of research on the new town that I will be living in and am rather excited! It's a town of about 20,000 people that draws in tourists from all over the U.S. The Quadalupe River runs through the middle of the town, making it a fantastic spot for floating, kayaking, and sight seeing. In addition, the town has an artistic and "outdoorsy" flair, which makes for an exciting place for creative discoveries! It's a place convienantly situated 50 miles northwest of San Antonio and 1.5 hours from Austin. I will be working at a private, fairly new, 126-bed hospital that has both an acute care and acute rehab floor, which happen to be my two favorite settings to practice. While working at the nursing home for the past 5 weeks, I found myself missing the craziness of acute care and ability to get to know my patients in acute rehab.

I am sad to leave my new friends that I have made here, but know deep down that this probably the best thing that could be happening to me right now. Everything happens for a reason and you meet the peole you meet for several of these reasons. When reflecting back on my arrival and the few friends I instantly met and connected with, I am able to make sense of why we crossed paths. I will take something from each of them, which in the end, has definitely made me a bigger, stronger, and better person.