Friday, October 22, 2010

Angles

I've been training, this past week, for "low angle rescue". While this might seem like an exceedingly easy task (especially if the low angle in question is 'flat'), what it really means is training for rescues on slopes that are a LITTLE too steep to want to walk down them with a rescue litter, but NOT steep enough that everyone is hanging off the ends of ropes. Essentially, it's any situation where, should something go drastically wrong, the people on the ropes would SLIDE, but not CRUNCH. It's fun, and I get to tie knots and use pulleys. Also, here in the Frozen Northland, the mountains have snow. And it's staying cold enough for the snow to STAY. I like this. There were even flurries this morning at home.

I have an interview in NYC for the USPHS on November 2nd. Right now I'm getting my recommendations/references in order from professors.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

In Which I Rally

Sitting around wringing my hands, while extremely satisfying in a "woe is me" sort of way, is not terribly productive. So I have applied to the USPHS Commissioned Corps as a nurse. I mean, I'm QUALIFIED, and if they offer me a good posting/ take me at all, I'll probably take it. By "good posting" i mean either or both of the following: someplace nice and cold, and/or in an ED or somewhere else exciting, like doing epidemic work.

VIVA LA RESISTANCE!!!

Nope

The hospital where I had an ED application took someone else...didn't even get an interview. Everywhere else is looking for a year of experience. Question: if EVERYONE is requiring a year of experience...WHERE DO YOU GET A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE??? And this isn't for just critical care jobs, I was even looking at med/surg out of desperation. They want experience too.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Search and *maybe* rescue

I'm training for a search and rescue team (volunteer) to give me something to do until I'm employed, and also taking the ACLS, and probably PALS courses...hoping it will help. Heres the funny thing about SAR work- if it's a "search" as opposed to a "rescue", there's very little actual FINDING going on much of the time. Picture it this way- you have a missing person, a hiker, known to have been on a trail. Essentially, 20-30 people then walk all the trails nearby, yelling for the subject and blowing whistles, in teams of 3. ONE team will find the person, if they're LUCKY. For the most part, it's a lot of struggling through underbrush with blaze orange on. Not that it's not FUN, it's just not what I'm used to. I'm used to RESCUES more than SEARCHES. With a RESCUE, you KNOW where the victim/patient/subject IS, but they can't get out of the woods or off the mountain on their own. More medical stuff, lots more logistical stuff, and a lot more hands on.

On the other hand, you can't rescue them until you find them...