It's Medical Monday ~ CNA's Brighten Days

Today is the first Monday of July, which means it is Medical Monday around these parts!

I am happy to be co-hosting this month's Medical Mondays Blog Hop.

For those of you who are new here, I am a CNA, and for anyone who doesn't know what that is, I thought I would explain.

CNA stands for Certified Nursing Assistant.  Our duties vary depending on what job we take.  I used to do home health care, which I love.  Many CNA's work in nursing homes.  I currently work in a hospital on the neuro med/surg floor.  If you've ever spent time in a hospital, you've encountered a CNA, although different facilities use different job titles.

At my hospital, we are called Nurse Techs.  We take vitals, assist patients with various needs, answer your call light, bring you food and drinks (other than your actual meals).  I often feel like a waitress, counselor, and medical professional all rolled into one.  I could never list every one of my duties because there are so many and they vary greatly from day to day, week to week.  I run my butt off, I will say that!  I work hard for 12 hours, 3 days a week and it wears me out.  But I love it - most days!

We appreciate all our Medical Monday participants! You all have helped us develop a fantastic community of friendship and support! Next month we will be celebrating MM one year anniversary! Be sure to mark it on your calendar. Along with our regular link up party, we will have a giveaway which is sure to please! 

On to this month's party!!!.....

Are you confused if you qualify for the party?

If you have a pager interrupting your life... you DEFINITELY qualify!
Do you work in healthcare?

Doctor? Nurse? EMT? Chiropractor? Vet? Dentist? Therapist?

MA? NA? PA? DA?

Are you the spouse or SO of a healthcare worker/student?

Are you a nursing student? Medical student?

Intern? Resident? Fellow?

You get the picture, right? Come on, now... don't be shy! Let's keep growing and meeting new bloggers, so we can build a community of support and friendship, learn from one another, and share our stories.

LINK UP YOUR POST!

Here are the rules:

1. Follow your co-hosts via Bloglovin (since GFC will soon be defunct), FB, email or Twitter.
2. Link up you medical/med life blog. If your blog name does not clearly state how you fit in to the med/med life world, please write a little intro or link up a specific post which clearly demonstrates your connection.
3. Visit at least 3 other link ups, comment, introduce yourself, and tell the your stopping by or following from MM!
4. Help spread the word by using our button on your post or sidebar, tweet about Medical Monday, or spread the word on Facebook! The more the merrier for all of us.

Complete step one by following your co-hosts:

• Emma at Your Doctor's Wife
• Jane at From A Doctor's Wife
• Heather at Army Wife, Army Life
• Cyndy at Putting the Fun in Dysfunctional

Want to be awesome?
Post our button on you post or sidebar and help spread the word:

<a href="http://www.yourdoctorswife.com/p/medical-mondays.html" target="blank"> <img src="http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r494/fromadoctorswife/MedicalMonday-001edit125x125.jpg"/> </a>

Want to co-host next month? Shoot Emma an email at yourdoctorswife@gmail.com and be sure to write "Medical Monday Co-host Request" in the subject field.

Now, link up below and have fun! The link up is open through Friday, so be sure to come back during the week to check some great reads!

Just Peeking In...

I miss blogging like crazy!

Just a quick note to let you all know what's going on in my life, now that I am able to do so.

~~~I quit my job!!~~~

Now you may remember that I actually loved my job, and wonder why I'm all happy. But here's the thing = loved the job, hated the workplace. Know what I mean? 'Nough said.

It was one of those situations where I may have went along for a whole lot longer, being unhappy but staying stuck in my rut (you may also remember that I am very resistant to change!).
But a few things happened at work & outside of work that lit a fire under my butt and made me realize it was time to take the plunge.
Thankfully, John was super-supportive.

So, I did it! And then I immediately enrolled in a CNA (certified nursing assistant) course. This will enable me to do a large variety of jobs, but the ones I'm interested in are Home Health Care or Hospice. I'm going to take care of old men! (and women) Originally I only had home health care in mind, but my pastor is very involved with our local hospice and feels pretty certain that he could get me on there. If so, I'm going to try that first. I have had some experience in death & dying working in the ICU, and think I could handle hospice. In fact, I think I'd do a great job there and my pastor is very supportive and encouraging.

This is what I was talking about when I mentioned Serendipity a couple of weeks ago - that soccer mom that I randomly started talking to? A few years ago she did exactly what I had been wanting to do - quit her job (at the same hospital I just left!), got her CNA and went into home health care. She now does home health care privately, she has her own clientele and does very well, and loves what she does. It was one of those almost surreal moments where I knew I was in the right place at the right time! It was like a sign.
Then when I saw my pastor at Elayna's volleyball practice, and told him what I was doing, he told me about hospice, and it was like yet another sign! I am absolutely certain that I am right where God wants me to be right now, and I'm just trying to keep following His lead.

Today is the third day of my CNA course. I will be done on Friday, and then I will take the exam within 3-6 weeks. So far, so good, although getting back into a day shift schedule is super weird and kicking my butt! The classes are all day. Then I'm taking the kids to their sports and doing dinner & all the other usual Mom stuff. So I'm super busy and super tired!

Fortunately there is a Starbucks directly across the street from the school. Also? My blood pressure cuff and stethoscope? PURPLE, baby!!!


The ONE drawback of all of this is that my blogging time is now basically zero. Neither of our computers (PC or laptop) are working, and now that I'm not working I don't have that internet access/time. So, until I get another laptop, netbook, whatever....my blogging will be very few and far between. And since I'm not working at the moment, and when I do start I will take a pay cut initially....that won't be any time very soon.




I miss you all and want to catch up so badly! I'm at the library now, and will do as much catching up as I can (there are no games or practices tonight, hooray!).

So, that's it in a nutshell. There's so much more going on too, we are thoroughly enjoying the fall weather and had a fantastic weekend. The kids' sports are going very well also.
It's all good, except for the bloggy department! So, if you have a spare netbook just lying around, I'll be glad to give you my address. HA!