It's true...it rains a lot in Seattle. In fact, it snows too. It's been quite cold since we have been up here. We have had two snows in the last 4 weeks, which I've been told is uncommon, but it's the Northwest so I guess I shouldn't be that surprised.
Things we especially like about Seattle are the people and the fact that they get outside and run, bike, garden, etc. even when the weather is crummy. They are pretty hearty folks. Sometimes in Sacramento I would run in the rain and get a lot of strange looks from passerbys....We feel pretty at home here.
My new job is going pretty well. The first week was spent in classroom orientation. This past week I worked on the unit (a Pediatric Surgical Unit at Children's Hospital that focuses on nuero, ortho, urologic, gastric, and ENT surgeries) with a preceptor. I will have 6 weeks working with a preceptor and then I will be on my own. It is quite different from the PICU where I came from. I like that the kids are awake and interactive. I also like that I am not constantly stressed by the critical physiologic status of the patients and the potential for them to go down hill quickly. Thinking about that last statement, I wonder if I have chickened out by choosing not to work in the ICU. I have all this great training and I was starting to feel fairly comfortable and capable in the ICU...but I am still just as capable...and comfort will come as I continue to establish myself in this new place of work.
It has been refreshing to start anew and get more training with experience under my belt. Also, I see my work in my current unit as much more practical to my end goal of working as a FNP or PNP. I plan to pursue grad school in the next year or two and, as I understand, Children's Hospital will help pay for it.
My new job is going pretty well. The first week was spent in classroom orientation. This past week I worked on the unit (a Pediatric Surgical Unit at Children's Hospital that focuses on nuero, ortho, urologic, gastric, and ENT surgeries) with a preceptor. I will have 6 weeks working with a preceptor and then I will be on my own. It is quite different from the PICU where I came from. I like that the kids are awake and interactive. I also like that I am not constantly stressed by the critical physiologic status of the patients and the potential for them to go down hill quickly. Thinking about that last statement, I wonder if I have chickened out by choosing not to work in the ICU. I have all this great training and I was starting to feel fairly comfortable and capable in the ICU...but I am still just as capable...and comfort will come as I continue to establish myself in this new place of work.
It has been refreshing to start anew and get more training with experience under my belt. Also, I see my work in my current unit as much more practical to my end goal of working as a FNP or PNP. I plan to pursue grad school in the next year or two and, as I understand, Children's Hospital will help pay for it.
Chris is doing pretty well too. He is three weeks into his final quarter at Fuller Seminary (he is going to an extension up here) to finish his Masters in Theology with a focus in Biblical Studies. The classes he is taking are some of the most challenging thus far and are keeping him busy. He has spent most of his spare time job searching, writing cover letters, and revamping his resume. He has been applying for positions in HR in some of the tech companies close by (ie Microsoft, Google, and other smaller companies). This kind of work corresponds to his undergraduate studies in Cognitive Science. He has been spending a lot of time talking with people in the field to develop a better understanding of what HR Directors are looking for. Chris is a man of varied experiences and passions so I am hoping that there will be a company out there in need of a rock climber school teacher urban planner cognitive theologian. I have no doubt that there will...he is a wonderful man!
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