Dear Family & Friends,

March 22, 2008
Just a quick note to let you know that the strike I was going to
attend has started, I'm on site and after a tough and wearying start, we
had a very lovely, quiet and compatible day this Saturday. We had NOT a
SINGLE surgery all day!!! What a really strange occurrence, but we were
blessed with a supervisor who isn't a slave driver, encouraged our offers
to clean rooms, stock rooms, and generally get things all tidied up after
a tough week for the nurses. We all dug in and got the work done before
0930, took breaks, then did some lolly-gagging around. I was able to get
my computer fired up, work on a sticky problem with my direct deposit for
this strike, and get another book nearly completed.
So much quiet made us all tired and sleepy, so we took some power
walks all over, had a good lunch, and while the guys watched a basketball
game, we girls bonded around girl talk. It was a nice opportunity to
forge some bonds that will help us start Monday with a real team
attitude, and ability to work toward common goals. There were the usual
little dust-ups that occur among such strong personalities as an OR
generates, magnified by the fact that we're all very tired, and all
experienced OR nurses who've been traveling for awhile(yeah, 20 years
could be considered awhile). We achieved a modicum of collaboration, and
I'm hopeful that this will help make the rest of the week go much more
smoothly than might have been anticipated.
I also had an opportunity to get some bonding with the OR Manager,
Brett, so there's more of an understanding of his management style, his
commitment toward making this week go smoothly and not kill us, and his
approachability. I believe this could be another pleasant strike, at
least on the site, and that's great. I still don't know how I'm going to
manage 10 days straight, working 14-hour days, but I'm just taking it one
day at a time. We already had one girl call in sick, and I expect to
really collapse by Wednesday, but we'll just have to see. Thanks for
your prayers for my health to be sustained, and my stamina to be
recharged every day. Must get to bed...


Love,
Debbie