Unemployed, Employed, Unemployed, Finally Employed!!!

Okay, so one thing that kind of goes with graduating from college is a job hunt! It comes in the graduation package!! Whoo hoo! When I started nursing school a couple of years ago, we were told what a shortage our nation has when it comes to nurses, and that we wouldn't have to worry about finding a job. Well, fast forward to 2010 during a crappy economy and things are definitely different!
I was really hoping that I would have a job ready to go after graduation, but boy was I dreaming! I quickly realized that finding a job was a lot easier said than done haha. I knew that I was cutting my chances of finding a nursing job when I decided to move back home to Huntsville and stay here. With Justin graduating in December and both of our families here, we decided that Huntsville is the best place for us now. So, I started the job hunt pretty much immediately after graduation. I was called for an interview at The Surgery Center here in Huntsville. It is an outpatient surgical center where they perform tonsillectomies, ortho procedures, etc. I was offered a job in the eye surgery department in pre-op and I was told that I would quickly become a pro at IVs. I interviewed and was offered on a Thursday and was told that I would start orientation the next week. I quickly went and bought scrubs and got ready to start working, but I never started orientation! It ended up that they were not able to find money in their budget to hire on any new RNs. So, I decided to go back on the prowl for a job...
So, I have a wonderful church family here in Huntsville, and I have so many friends there that are nurses themselves or have good friends and contacts in the medical field. There is an amazing woman that goes to my church that has worked at Huntsville Hospital in the Emergency Department and she used to also work on the medical transport helicopters. So, she gave me a tour of the Emergency Department at Huntsville Hospital (which is huge by the way) and I got set up to do a 12 hour shift with their job shadowing program. In July I got the opportunity to do a 12 hour shift on the floor and I loooooved it! I immediately knew that I loved it and that I wanted to interview for a position!
I got called back for an interview and it went really well! I got offered a job and I start my 2 weeks of orientation tomorrow (October 4th)!! After the 12 weeks of orientation and working with a nurse I will be working the noon to midnight shift! I am so incredibly excited and I am so happy about this amazing opportunity. I can't wait for all of the experiences that I am going to have! So, to celebrate my new job, I bought these awesome badge clips! I got them from an awesome seller on Etsy.com that Alicia told me about. I got all 4 and shipping for 20 bucks! I am so excited about them! I have to wear navy scrubs in the Emergency Department, so I tried to pick fabric that matches navy. The houndstooth and crimsom probably doesn't, but I just can't resist!!!

So, that sums up the rollercoaster that I have been on the past couple of months searching for a job as an RN!!!!!

For the past month and a half I have been working at my church as the interim youth director until they find a permanent replacement. It was a great opportunity to have, and I love all of the youth so much! It taught me a lot about myself and the way that the church works. I am praying that they find the right replacement because our youth deserve the best!

Since I moved home, our church has started a young adult ministry. Our amazing new pastor David Thompson and his wife Karen have been leading a bible study for us at their house. We are studying "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. It has been such an amazing experience that has grown our spirituality so much. I am so thankful for the Thompsons and for our weekly group. It has been such a blessing!

So, things are ready to take off for sure! I think that I am going to start getting the hang of this adult thing...paying bills definitely isn't a fun part though!!!!