NEW JOB!

It's official! I'm going to be a nurse in the hospital in Palmer!

Tim and I are going to live together (somewhere?!)! And I won't be commuting to Anchorage and back every day!

DAY SHIFT ONLY!

Full time with benefits! Baby likes benefits.

I never thought I'd be so ecstatic about medical surgical nursing -- ever. But I'm thrilled!

It's going to be a whole new world. (Cue music).

The professional stress of life is about to crank up a notch -- I will be working with several nurses at time, communicating with doctors that will probably care less about my intention to love patients well, and juggling a whole handful of patients. Lots of newness. I'm going to have a lot to learn (or re-learn) quickly. The med-surg setting at Mat -Su however is idyllic  -- there is only one med-surg floor in the hospital, which means we get a little of everything -- a little telemetry, some peds, ortho, neuro, you name it -- me and Variety tend to get along quite well.

The down side. I did opt to default on my loan forgiveness contract. So we'll either pay back the feds or I will be able to pick up another qualifying job sometime within three years to finish off my last contracted year.  This was a very difficult decision. But after the doors to the qualifying hospital in Anchorage stayed closed while the doors to Mat-Su flew open...this really seems to be God's timely provision!

Side note -- I was originally offered a per diem position. I then asked if a benefited position was available --  being that I'm engorged with child. Then a full time night shift position was offered.  I was graciously given a week to think about this offer and after talking with many people, felt like night-shift would be a poor solution to life's crazy circumstances right now.  When I inquired about whether the per diem would be nights/days (it would have been both),  I was asked if I'd be interested in a full time day shift! Three days of waiting later... I was offered the position! I'm convinced that the HR lady I was working with is a prayerful person; I have never felt so advocated for by a big organization!  Seriously, who finds out you are pregnant and then tries to get you the job you want -- offering you the better job without you even asking?

Pumped! I start Sept 9th!

And just one week to move from Glennallen to Palmer after finishing at CRMC!