Monday, December 04, 2017

From SAHM to Working Mom

Since the kids all started school (several years ago now as Asher is in the 4th grade!), I have progressively been working more and more. This summer, Chris had a little comment that caught me off guard, something about me not working. In all fairness, I do not work much in the summer. I work my requirement of 24 hours a month then ride off to the Lake to enjoy summer with the kids. In the winter, I was working part time, or 2 12.5 hour shifts a week.

Well, this year, having taken a new job working directly with CHI (BIG mistake), I have been working closer to 3 12hr shifts per week. YIKES! Initially, I liked my job working at one CHI facility. I was just working in ONE building, so I always knew where I was going but just did not know what unit until an hour before my shift started. Then, out of the blue, they decided to have me float all over the city and into Iowa like I was doing before with Noll. Funny, they totally lied to get me hired (actually, not funny at all!). I would have never taken the job to do the same exact thing as I was doing elsewhere. I have not worked in the building I was hired to work in since before Thanksgiving. That, I hate.

I liked my job when I was just floating in one building. I kinda felt like I knew what the hay I was doing. So, since I liked it, I signed up for more shifts. I started doing one week a month pulling 3 shifts. Then I increased it to 2-3 a month. Now, I am scheduled for 4 weeks in a row full time.

I am not entirely sure what I was thinking. Now that I am floating all over the place, I no longer like my job. For example, tonight I am working. It is 4 pm. I have no idea where I will be working. I do not know what hospital, what state, or what unit. Nice, right? Nope. Not nice. I am constantly trying to rush out the door, calling to see where I am rushing to. I arrive to the unit, usually dumped with an admission waiting (because float staff get dumped on often), do my job knowing that it is different in every unit I work in. Management keeps saying, "It is the same everywhere." But that is not the case. Some units use one set of admit forms while other places do not use them. Some units chart some things while other units do not. Keeping it all straight gives me a giant headache.

So now I am left with the question. Should I keep working FT, PT or just do my minimum of 24 hours a month while I look for other employment? For one, I do not like working for someone who lies to get me employed, and then changes my job description so often I am not even sure what I am doing anymore. 

And, working FT, is very complicated. I do not sleep more than 4 hours between shifts. So, 12.5 hour shifts get quite long on no sleep. By the third night, I just stop talking to my family because I need to save energy and I am a total witch. After the third night, I get up, work out, pick up the kids, and return to bed. I am a hot mess!! I do not know how full time moms do it. I told Chris when I got pregnant with Asher, I AM NOT WORKING ANYMORE. I know my limits, and working FT and being any kind of mom is not possible for me. I just get too overwhelmed.

I am scheduled to work until Christmas break. Then, I am not sure. This float nurse is on the look out for a new home. It may just be home. :)

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