Bleep...Silence...Bleep

Censorship is a tricky thing.  People claim it's for the greater good.  I claim it's complete and total horse shit.  Censorship is marketed as many things.  Recently, my employer, whom I can no longer name publicly, instituted a social media policy. 

The SMP on the surface is good.  There are too many of us who Tweet, update statuses, check out a comment on a blog, or any other number of things that can fall into the category, while at work.  I've been guilty of it.  However, there is an additional part to the policy. 

We are no longer allowed to name or affiliate ourselves publicly with the institution unless we have an official social media account.  Hmmmm....that seems like censorship to me.  Throw it in under the guise of accountability or productivity, but it isn't.  It's preventing me from networking with other professionals who use social media for that purpose.  For crying out loud, LinkdIn is a professional networking site. 

I am not striving to change anything.  I'm just wondering what the masses think about this.  I attended a session on social media at the conference I attended in May.  It didn't go this far.  What happens in your workplace?

The End and The Beginning

This week has been crazy busy.  Lots of normal and abnormal stuff.  Lots of thoughts of the intense kind.

It's public knowledge at the place where I work and the community that the program I love and have been with from the beginning is in a very unsure place right now.  My job as a Navigator is in jeopardy.  We are grant funded and that time has run out.  We have monies left to get us through September.  Our hospital announced budget issues months ago.  Since we are not already under their budget umbrella, it will be shocking if we get added in when others are being cut.

This breaks my heart.  I let it consume me for a few weeks, then I stopped.  I started browsing for jobs.  Since this is a pilot program, for lack of a better term, there are no jobs like it anywhere near here.  I started looking back at case management, which I'm good at, but not my passion.  I put in one app at a company late Saturday night two weeks ago.  The next Monday, I was called for an interview.  I thought, "sweet..someone thinks I look good on paper."  Even though this is not a job I want, I decided to go because if Baptist falls through, I don't want to be on the unemployment line.

I went to my job interview Wednesday.  I had a great Thelma to my Louise for an unexpected mini-road trip.  Thanks, Amanda!  I was slightly unprepared.  It was more like a second round interview, but there I was.  My filter failed me once.  I'm hoping it wasn't horrendous.  Here's the scene:

I'm at a table with 4 supervisors.  They've told me I'd have a home office, agency vehicle, smart phone, and laptop a few minutes prior.  Then, one of their prepared questions was

Blond supervisor: How would you keep in contact with your manager, since you'd be off-site?
Me: Well, you just told me I'd have a smart phone and laptop.  I'm really good at text and email, but if I need to work on smoke signals, I will.
Group: Eyeballs roving, silence, then
Blond Supervisor: Well, I guess we could work on smoke signals.

I'm hoping that wasn't an epic fail.  Fail, maybe, but not epic since she smiled and responded.

We'll see what happens with this job situation.  For right now, I'm starting two weeks of off-hospital time.  I leave tomorrow for my conference with my manager where we will present on the Navigator program.  I'm thrilled at the opportunities I'll have.  I'm thrilled to share about this program I feel so strongly about.  I just hate it may be for naught.

Next Saturday, we head out for the Outer Banks, NC.  Here's what I plan on doing for most of the time.  I have secured the first two E.L. James books about Grey.

Happy Summer, everyone!

*This blog is my personal view.  I am not an official Medical Center Spokesperson*

Did The Little Men See Me?

I came out a weird door.  There weren't any sparkly lights or magic dots.  I did get disoriented by the construction walls and cranes.  That jackass security guard was lucky I had my badge on or I would have socked him in the mouth for mocking my dazed stupor.

That actually happened last night, but it is a parallel to my life.  I feel like every day I wake up and walk out a weird door.  The only time I don't feel disoriented is in the world of intensive care.  The medical world is home to me.  I know that is utterly sad.

It's kind of like my life, my house is a fun house that isn't fun.  The mirrors give off reflections that are definitely skewed.  I don't see myself or my surroundings in a realistic way.  I survive by my trademark inappropriate humor and biting wit.  It is highly offensive to some.  I am the scary clown you don't want at your parties.

Luckily, I am a good faker.  In Bye Bye Birdie style  "Wipe off that "full of doubt" look, Slap on a happy grin!" I'm just waiting for the day, or night, to walk out the right door, into the right place, at the right time, with the right supplies, to the right reception...no magic needed.  Yeah, right.  I may as well throw in a Bugatti-with-the-winning-Powerball-ticket-in-the-driver's-seat-waiting at the end of that list.

Gray skies are gonna clear up...