Maybe it IS a vacation

My last blog was about vacations, which was timely because....
Well, I'm on vacation.

I have 2 weeks off and I'll be doing some traveling.
You know the old question, "business or pleasure?"
I think there should be a third choice.
Today I head for Baltimore with our Vice President, our Political Liaison, and our A4 delegate for 3 days of meetings and classes as representatives of the Backus Nurses. These gatherings provide education and networking that are critical when we need to reach out to other locals or our state or national leadership for assistance.
I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to be able to call Washington and ask for Mary McDonald, the directer of AFT Healthcare, and hear,

"AFT, good morning, how can I help you?"
"Good morning, is Mary McDonald in?"
"Whom can I say is calling?"
"John Brady, from the Backus Nurses"
"Hello John, I'll put you though"
"Hi John, it's Mary, how are things in Connecticut?"

I'll be back in time for a workers memorial service in Groton on Sunday and an executive board meeting on Wednesday and then it's off to Florida for 3 days for a niece's college graduation.

It's no vacation

It was 2:30 in the morning when we finished up.
Most of us had been up since 5 am and worked all day.
It's a 42 page contract with 61 articles, all from scratch.
So yes, there are some mistakes.
One of those was the language on vacations. The contract says we submit for vacations 4 weeks before the schedule.
What we agreed to was a MINIMUM of 4 weeks.
When this happens, you rely on the negotiation notes to clarify. I want to thank Carol Cote, who took notes for us, because if not for those notes, we would be in a pickle.
You'll remember that last fall we reached an agreement that full week vacations would be submitted up to 6 months in advance. We could not agree on partial week vacations.
Then this year, it was said that summer vacations needed to be submitted in January or it would be too late.
We filed 2 grievances and the first one had an arbitration date of May 29.
I am pleased to announce that we have an agreement that I believe covers most of our concerns.
Vacation can be submitted until 4 weeks before the schedule.
Non prime time vacations will have a one month period for full week requests and then be open for full or partial weeks. They will not depend on seniority, the will be first submit/first granted.
Prime time will have a one month submittal period, in which preference will be given to full weeks and seniority, and after that it will be first submit/ first granted.
Also, "full week" will be defined as 24 hours, so, if you need Thursday through the next week (10 days), you could conceivably get it without burning up 64 or 80 hours of vacation time.
Naturally, all requests are dependent on patient care needs.
It's complicated, and you'll have questions. Please talk to your delegates and officers.

Hello....God..???

Bombings and manhunts in Boston.
Explosions in Texas.
Floods in Chicago.
And that was just this week!

Add to that sickness in our families, the economy.....need I go on?

It makes a person want to post on facebook, "Hello.....God.......are you still there?"

I've been told by someone at sometime, that if I can't see God it's not because He has moved away, it's because I have.
OK, if you say so.
I do know that some people seem to go though some pretty horrible things but do alright, emotionally and spiritually, if not physically, and it seems to be related to their believe and dependence on some form of a higher power in their life.

Listen, if you're looking for answers to life's great questions, don't look here, I'm just trying to do my best.  But maybe if we all stop running, stop trying to do it all alone.  Maybe if we stand still and ask for help.....
Maybe God, or some higher power, will find us, and we'll all be a little bit better.
In the meantime, give someone a hug, it'll heal the both of you.

I cry with Boston

I wish I were a good enough writer to make some sense of times like this.
I wish my words could heal the wounds in Boston, in Sandy Hook, in natural disasters.
I wish I could say the right thing to comfort a grieving mother in the emergency room.
I can't.
The best I can do is listen.
I am reminded of the story of Susie, who returned late from school to a worried father.
"Susie, I was worried, why are you late?"
"I had to help my friend Stephanie. She lost her favorite doll."
"Did you find the doll?"
"No Daddy, we couldn't find it."
"So how did you help her."
"I held her hand and helped her cry."

My words will not make sense of this, they will not heal the wounds.
So tonight, I cry with Boston, tonight our country cries with Boston, tonight the world cries with Boston."

Rick Olson RN

There's a saying, "a man's man."
Loosely, it means a man who women want to be with and men want to be like. A man who is confident but not coincided, polite but speaks his mind, his own person but accepting of all others.
Rick Olson RN is a nurse's nurse.
He's an ER nurse whom other nurses admire. He understands his patients and his coworkers, whatever their background and treats all with respect. At the same time, he expects patients and coworkers to accept personal responsibility for their own health and their own nursing practice.
Not always a nurse, he has spent his time working with his hands and working out in the bad weather.  He understands hard work and never shirks form it, nor does he expect others to.  Yet he understands the less fortunate in society and has empathy for them.
He has a respect for our EMS bothers and sisters that comes from being one of them, a respect that we should all imitate.
Whether working the floor or being in charge, Rick seldom sits.  He is always ready to lend a hand.  His knowledge is a benefit to all under his care and all working with him.
Never could he be accused of not speaking his mind, yet he is open minded enough to listen to other augments and judge them fairly.
It's been my privilege to work with him for 12 years.  He is a source of support, advice, and friendship.
This year Rick is being honored as a Nightingale nurse, it's about time.