Anyone who knows me realizes I have very strong opinions, and most of the time I don’t have a problem voicing them. Many of you know, but for those who don’t, I recently put in my notice to leave the job I’ve been doing for the last five years. I’ve been working at this facility even longer so I definitely have an opinion of the place, and I finally feel free to speak it.
But it’s not just my years at MRHC that have given my authority of opinion. It’s also my experience nationwide. I have traveled all around the world in missions, the military, and worked at many different healthcare facilities of all types. I’ve worked at large, metropolitan hospitals, teaching hospitals, veterans’hospitals, and so many more. I’ve made more money, gotten large bonuses, and had my school totally paid for by my employer. So I feel like I know what I’m talking about.
Today I attended an informational meeting put on by my facility. It’s something they do every year, and I know a lot of people roll their eyes about it. I mean, who wants to go to work on their day off for another thing?
Today as we began our meeting, the specific way our facility chose to start almost brought me to tears. I thought, once again, something I had just told my boss as I gave him my notice. I thought, I love my hospital! I do. I love it.
Here’s the thing. I have been all around the world, and if that’s taught me anything it’s an appreciation for a good employer. I see a lot of new nurses come to our hospital and leave quickly (after a year) searching for greener pastures. I get it; I’ve been there, and I did the same thing in my twenties. Now I realize a good thing when I see it. I realize the grass isn’t always greener. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of people leave, but I’ve seen even more come back. More often than not it’s about watering the ground where you are.
Nursing is hard. No matter which way you slice it, bedside nursing especially is chock-full of challenges. Times have changed, patients live longer (so there’s more of them than us), technology is more advanced (and difficult to learn), and documentation has increased. This is everywhere.
I just know this. Out of all the facilities I have worked for since 1997 (when my healthcare career began), I have never worked for one as caring and personable as our local hospital. End of story.
I see the complaints sometimes from the community. Being sick is even harder than being a nurse. It’s never going to be an entirely enjoyable experience, but I think we sometimes forget what a great thing we have here in Smalltown, USA. We have doctors who pray with you before your procedure. We have nurses who treat you like family. We have a billing department that works with you (I promise they do), and we have technology and services that go above and beyond what you typically see with our smaller population numbers. We got it pretty good, y’all. The facilities are clean, friendly, and personable. Something you might not see in a bigger city.
So, bottom line. We are blessed in our community with a fabulous provider of health services and an employer that can’t be beat. We got a good thing going, and I’m proud to be a part of it. Even if it is for now in a part time or PRN capacity.