 First, I miss writing, I miss you guys, and I will be back to typing again once the smoke clears. Just know that I am in the trenches SOLO Parents!!! And I got my war paint on.
Folks, the last few months have been a roller coaster that took so many turns, I can’t possibly put them into one article. But I want to talk specifically about being a single parent through work transitions. This is just my story, and I know that I am truly blessed, as my tale is definitely not the norm. For anyone going through this though, I hope I provide you with a bit of reassurance that the storm will end, and the skies after will be so blue, it’s blinding. I thought I had it folks, the dream job, and then POOF! I was cut back. I mean I worked the 40 hours, but my pay was cut back to like 20. And the pay itself was cut. Fortunately for me, I have the best support system ever, and having kept on top of bills for once, by the grace of god, I wasn’t completely up Schlitt’s creek. But, I saw the writing on the wall and started shopping out my resume. I got a part time job that allowed me to work my PT/FT day job, and also provided new nurses with “experience” in the field of geriatric nursing at an assisted living facility. I was working weekends again, and I missed my kids terribly, but I actually loved it because I was able to do what I went to school for, patient interaction and care. That was the only part of the job worth loving, unfortunately, as there was no one there to teach me the finer points of being a floor nurse. For the past two years, I had been behind a desk, with complete autonomy, unless I screwed something up royally. Although my girls knew I would don scrubs and come help at a moment’s notice, it was infrequent and lacked the fulfillment of continuous care. Being in a regular health care setting allowed me to get to know my residents and I was starting to learn how to be a floor nurse, even though I was not really being instructed on how to do it properly. It was definitely trial by fire, and I have the burns on my butt to prove it. I lived in fear of losing my license daily, and prayed that God had a better plan in mind then this hair-brained scheme I had cooked up for myself. I trudged on, completely unhappy, and it showed in my interaction with the people I love most in life. I hated this part of the journey; I nearly lost the one man who has loved me through everything just because I pushed him away daily. And every day I prayed that I hadn’t just set myself up again to fail those little faces who were complaining daily about missing me. Right around the time I was supposed to finally get medical benefits, after working about 8 days straight for them, I received a call stating that my employer and I had experienced a “mutual separation”, and after series of phone calls. I was freed from the fire. I still lacked the experience I was searching for when taking the position; having only worked there for 2 months and 3 weeks. I want you to do the math on that, they let me go with a week to spare!!!! I was still, on paper, a NEW nurse, and my years of experience meant nothing to the powers that be. I thought my prospects were slim and I did what all adults do (if they have the ability to. I thank the lord every day that I can do this). I called my mom. Sobbing, I explained my tail of woe, and started with the apologies that have become and unfortunate personality trait that I swear I am working on daily!!! All the fears and thoughts of losing everything creeped back into my head, coupled with the thought of having to wait again for sorely needed medical coverage. My mother, as sweet and loving as she is, pretty much told me to cut the crap and get it together because I never stay down for long. That is it. No other advice. NOTHING!!! And it was all I needed! A phone hug from the woman who always holds me up, and a reminder in her mom voice that “You got this.” I updated my resume and within an hour had an invite to an open house. Two days later, I walked into a hotel conference room and into my new destiny, meeting one of the coolest nurses I have ever laid eyes on. She was inspiring, and I was the one being interviewed. A few days later I met with the man who would become my new supervisor, and after a really hilariously embarrassing story about having to get a PPD and drug test done, (I am saving this one for a later giggle, I promise you), I accepted a full time position as a Wellness Nurse. Five weeks (a long, paycheck-less, long as all get out, long five weeks) later, I started the position I am currently at now, and it is filled with mentors, who walk me through every facet of the life of a nurse. They help me with time management, customer service, client care, and my favorite, patient care. I get to interact with a host of people who make me excited about working as a nurse. I get up and put on eye liner daily! I love what I do, and I am surrounded by reminders that this is what was meant for me. I finally have medical coverage, and got my first pair of contacts in almost three years. And I am home every other weekend. We even started a game night, where my children plot to whip my butt in games like UNO and SORRY. I like Skip-BO though, and the thought that if I leave my phone upstairs, I won’t have to worry about missing a call from someone. I am finally free to separate parts of my life. And though it has been a transition that I wouldn’t wish on anyone, I made it through, with minor combat damage. Comments are closed.
|
Author
Tiffany Hunt was
married now divorced during that time gave birth to three children, losing her
first daughter in 2000. In 2013, she graduated from Lincoln Technical Institute
as the valedictorian of their Accelerated Licensed Practical Nursing program,
and secured her license in September of the same year. She has since worked as
both a Case Manager and an Operations Manager in the home care industry.
Tiffany currently lives with her 12 year old son Xavier and her 7 year old daughter Sierra Lee. She is an avid supporter of Cancer research, having watched her step-father and mother both go through battles with different types of cancers, the former losing his battle in 2007, and the latter surviving her battle in 2012. She is also a huge supporter of Fibromyalgia awareness, having been diagnosed in 2010 with this debilitating yet invisible illness. Her faith in God, coupled with the huge support system she has around her, has allowed her to live out every dream and fulfill every goal she has set out to meet. Her future plans include becoming a Registered Nurse, and surviving the teenage years of both her children. Archives
July 2016
Categories |
RSS Feed