Hey EWS, glad things got off to a good start. I remember when you were first pursuing this because my wife is in that same area. She left the hospital last year and went to work in a private medical clinic. Are you mobile? Seems like you have a girlfriend.... One option may be-- if it comes to that-- to get into the long-term sub business where you would/could move around the country and work in different places for several months at a time. They pay is/was much greater than the regular full-time pay rate and it more than makes up for the two week "vacation" you may "get" between assignments. Something to consider...
I live in extreme southwestern NY, about halfway between Erie, Pa. and Buffalo. The county I live in is probably one of the poorest in the state, and the hospital I work at is the largest in the region (there are maybe 3 in the county). That's why it'd be hard for me to find a job if I were to be let go.
Realize, though, that it's always better/easier to find a job while you still have a job. Being able to resign for bigger and better things is MUCH better than having a gap in your work history because you were laid off. Be proactive: look around, check your contacts (whatever they may be), beat the bushes. There may be a great opportunity you aren't even aware of.
As another example of me in my predicament/ getting screwed over-ness. The lady whose job I was hired to take over, all of a sudden this morning (Monday morning) decided to let the hospital know that she needed Tuesday night off (10:30 PM to 6:30 AM shift) so that she could take her kids (she has 4 or 5 sons...only one still lives at home) to her ex-husband's (whom she hates and constantly, and annoyingly talks about hoping that he would die) grandmother's funeral. Okay, so let's add this up. The lady needs to take her 3rd shift job off to take her 13 year-old son to his great grandmother's funeral. Now, my questions are: Do they ever have funerals between 10:30 PM and 6:30 AM? Why can't his father take him, especially considering that it's on HIS side of the family? In my opinion, as insensitive as it is, she just wants the day off. That's the kind of person she is. So, why am I saying all this? Well, I get in to work today, and suddenly find out that instead of working 9AM to 5PM all week, like I thought I was, my work schedule now goes like this: Monday 9AM to 5PM Tuesday 10:30PM to 6:30AM Wed. Morning Wed. Afternoon 1PM to 9PM Thursday and Friday 9AM to 5PM I needed to rant a little bit, because now I'm stuck staying up all night tonight, so that I can sleep all day tomorrow, only to come home Wednesday morning, get MAYBE 4 hours of sleep, only to go back in for another 8 hours of work. I'm the ONLY one in my department/of my job description that has to pull this crap. I feel like I have to do it to save my job. I can't say anything because I feel like they'll tell me that I'm just an extra person, and they truly don't need me, but this is bull. Maybe I need to go the Azadre route.....
