Somewhat hard to believe on one hand that I have not posted anything since April. Then again, given changes in my life, not hard to believe at all. I resigned from Palliative Care after working there for one year. Great work and even greater staff but I am happy to have had the experience and think that I may eventually come back to it. My hardest night? I lost five patients in five days, one each day. The sixth night while driving home I hit a Racoon and killed it. As I dragged it off the road I finally broke down and cried for awhile. Guess I could only take so much.
For the past two months I am now a Pediatric Nurse and am so at home and happy it is hard to believe. I love my work and my coworkers. It is a bit disconcerting to be the only male but my coworkers are wonderful people, fun to work with and oh so very competent. They are great teachers and I do my best to be a great learner.
In addition to that change I also began the Nurse Practitioner program at U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. A distance learning program, I only have to be in Sacramento once a month for a few days at a time. The pressure is for self-discipline in studying, reading, being online by yourself with no weekly/regular class time to reinforce learning. The FNP program is incredibly concentrated, professional and life changing. I feel at home and can only hope I will survive - I usually do - but this program is a tough but very supportive apprentice model program. I begin working with my preceptor in September at least two days a week.
Schedule wise it will be hellish. This last week I was in Sacramento for four days, worked for 5 days straight, one day off, pediatrics one day and at present am working as a an RN at the Bohemian Grove. Sunday I leave for Sacramento where I have the FNP program from Monday (our first midterm for 30% of the grade) till Wednesday upon which I return and work for five days straight. Ow!
The Bohemian Grove . . . not like what you read on the net it is a different world. Overgrown boys many of them but underneath the surface are often very sharp people. To meet them is to confront your prejudices about what people are like . . . not so easy to hate (or love) when you begin to actually meet people and share food and drink with them. It is like a large boys camp with lots of alcohol. People either get it about being here or don't. You don't get it if you try to make contacts and become a power whore. You do get it if you reserve initial judgement, strive for acceptance (while remaining aware of people's foibles and follies!) and do not try to suck up to people. After all as I say in medicine, we all bleed and suffer pain. At that level . . . we are all equal. I have my reservations and critical thoughts about being here but I will admit to having fun with the fire and medical staff, loving the food and getting an education from the lectures and talking to the so-called 'Bohemians'. My Great Aunt Winonoa Tomonoczy was a TRUE Bohemian and I will argue these guys unto death and destruction that this is so and they are simply and only pale imitations of what it meant to be a Bohemian, wild, fearless, daring, truthful and full of life (and sometimes of yourself!).
With that, Adieu.
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