Schedule Crap

I covered the day shift for Mikki for a few hours today. It was me and SIC, who regaled me with the fascinating tale of her husband's Lasek surgery escapades. As if I needed an inducement to take a nap. Hate getting up for the day shift.

There are boatloads of outpatients during the day but not a whole lotta ER patients; they all wait to come in after 3 PM. One young girl with a probable kidney stone was sent to the Mother Ship for a CT scan. The Talker did some fast work. I had time to do some school work for awhile, albeit half-heartedly.

Jane and SIC are friends; they are neighbors and share religious leanings. They spend a lot of time together even though Jane knows SIC walks all over her; takes over during staff meetings; tries to bully Jane into other stuff like, get this, "I think we all need to wear the same color scrubs; like this teal and blue, and always wear a white lab coat!".

Hahahahahaha! No.

I have one advantage over Jane, though; for some reason, SIC is afraid of me, or afraid of riling me up, or afraid of being on the receiving end of one of my rants, or just afraid of not being one of the cool kids. Which she is not. But I am always pleasant and cordial to her, so I don't know why...oh, bull. Of course I know; she just feels inferior, but to be honest, I am not an ER nurse snob when people are doing the work to the best of their ability. And she is very caing and giving. Are you convinced? Didn't think so. No really, she is a good nurse. I would want her to take care of my family members, it's just that she is lacking in the communication department and thinks she is the boss, hence the name. If she was manager, I would quit because it would be unbearable. And that's all I have to say about that.

Anyway, we got to talking about the schedule, Jane and SIC and I. SIC very cautiously approached a notation on the schedule that I had made for Easter; "available". She really wanted it off, and it was a good thing she asked today because I might have made plans by tomorrow.

"Sure, I'll work it for you; I don't mind, and I don't have any plans. Easter really isn't on the agnostic liturgical calendar". I think that bothered her. A little.

The schedule is usually a bone of contention with some. We are a nursing staff numbering about 10. Almost everyone is flexible when it comes to the schedule, with the possible exception of Kerry; she has little kids and a husband who works evenings in their restaurant, so I certainly don't have a problem with that. That said, there is absolutely no need to have the schedule done FOUR MONTHS in advance. Talk about painting yourself into a corner. New Cathy is famous for "getting the new schedule started" even though I told her she is forbidden to do it more than two months in advance. New Cathy isn't afraid of me, apparently, but from another standpoint it really isn't fair that she gets first pick of the evening shift EVERY MONTH. Jane and I are going to have a little discussion about that. I hate to go that route, but I will if I have to; the day shift take turns on a rotating basis putting down their preferred schedule and I am not above insisting on that if I must.

SIC let it slip that Lisa, a day shifter, has started a schedule (that includes the
4th of July, sheesh!) and has kept it in her bag so as not to enrage me; I thought it was both funny and pathetic, so I left her this note:

"Dear Lisa,

You coward! I know that you have the schedule started and are afraid to post it...SEE ME!!!

Ednurseasauras"

I was kidding of course, Lisa is a good egg; if we worked together all the time we would constantly be in trouble.

The problem is that the schedule for the 4rh of July would open up a huge can of worms. Four of us want part of the first 2 weeks of July off. My name is second on the list after Mikki, who counts every second of time, every fragment of charge pay, and has a persecution complex. She just always thinks there is a conspiracy in which she is being targeted. It's bullshit, of course. She and I actually worked last July 4th. I really don' t care since I need a lot of the month of June of for various social engagements. I can always use July 4th as a bargaining chip, but Mikki had off Christmas week, a week off in February and is going to a conference in May for which she needs time off.

Me? I took a week off at the beginning of December, one day in February, and have been paying in blood for every Sunday off since last September between Mikki, Sherry and SIC who needs practically the month of April off and which I have accomodated.

I am thinking that I will probably be off July 4th.