Basically I've been putting online applications in since July. At first they were all for hospitals in this area, but in more recent weeks I got started applying out of state to new grad positions or other hospitals that looked semi-promising. It's been overall very discouraging....one gets very frustrated putting in application after application and not getting any responses.
Thursday morning I was driving home from visiting Luis on my days off from work....I was stuck in traffic, still in PJ's, hadn't showered in a couple days....and essentially had an interview over the phone without even knowing it. I spoke with the nurse manager on the restorative care unit at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN...she asked a few questions, explained the job, the unit, and the process of hiring and integrating new graduates into the unit. By the end of the conversation, she'd unofficially offered me a full time night position on the unit and told me to begin the process of transferring my license to TN and making plans to come out there to see the unit and complete some of the technicalities of getting hired.
Needless to say, the last couple days have been crazy. Getting over the shock...looking up the hospital...figuring out what the license transfer process looked like...then actually beginning that process (paperwork, fees, fingerprinting, requesting transcripts, making phone calls...). Today I scheduled a flight to/from Memphis and will be going out there the 18th-20th. Hopefully during that time I will meet with the nurse manager, nurse recruiter, get fingerprinted, see the unit, complete the pre-job offer pharmacology test, and then get a physical done (assuming that I get offered the job). It should be exciting.
Assuming I get the job....I'll begin working on moving out there. Given that the license transfer process could take up to six weeks, I may be out in Memphis by the end of November. Not sure how all that will play out, but it will be an adventure.
On top of all that has been the added questions of whether Luis will be able to move out there as well....whether he can find a job...how long he and I can handle long-distance if that is required...what the future may look like for us if we can't handle long distance....it's getting really complicated and the lack of support from my family for Luis and me isn't exactly helping with those decisions. Anyway. He and I definitely have a lot of thinking and praying and talking to do just to figure out how to best pursue our relationship in light of these potential circumstance changes.
Regardless, it is pretty exciting. I'm so thrilled to finally have a potential job opportunity after months of searching and it's in a unit that really fits with what I want to do. Maybe it's a bit too intensive for me, but I like the thought of the long-term aspect and the opportunity to provide more psychosocial care for patients who may not get better. I hope that God is able to use me in a powerful way in this unit and at this hospital...the way this door has opened makes me think that it probably is where God wants me.
Clara, you are in my prayers - it sounds like you have a LOT on your plate. I appreciate your transparency, and I can't wait to hear about how things work out!
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