Place-mark entry: End-Oct, early-Nov 2009

Quite few events happened recently at the end of October, early November 2009. Just putting a placemark entry because my thoughts on the events have not settled yet.

• 24-Oct: There was a staff image audit. The end result was I cut my hair but I felt pissed-off and demotivated nevertheless.
• 25-Oct: Attended a cousin's wedding dinner on my maternal side of the family. Family event always gets my mind buzzing. I recognize that it is partly due to my own prejudices. Took the chance during dinner to inform my siblings and 2 brothers-in-law about my intent to emigrate, they took it quite ok. I also told my aunt (who is a nurse herself) and an uncle. They are the 2 youngest siblings of my mother (both less than 20 years older than me) and have been generally open to new ideas. My aunt surprisingly did not take it too well. More later when my thoughts and feelings have settled.

  [Addendum on 9-Mar-2011: My aunt did not ask anything about my migration nor express any concern for my welfare. Her questions were all focused on who would care for my family members, in particular my parents and my younger brother, with my departure. See my comment dated March 9, 2011 12:53 AM on StorytellERdoc's blog entry.]

• 27-Oct: Blood taken by my night colleague SN R for nursing staff's regular health check. It reminded me that I really want to be certified for venepuncture procedure and but my request to attend the course in September-2009 (not long after my nurses' orientation) was turned down. My coursemate PL at a restructured hospital just got her certification. Luckily, my NO has put it as a course for me to attend next year, but she had omitted the LSCN training for me. It occurred to me that there is no roadmap for training new RN's in my hospital.
• 31-Oct: Halloween dinner gathering with friends.
• 2-Nov: Met up with my course-mates JS and PL. It soon became apparent that JS's fear of losing her acute nursing skills after being in a community hospital for a prolonged time has some basis. PL being in a restructured hospital has the most structured training and exposure. I am somewhere in between, but I'm feeling lost too.
• 3-Nov: Received my confirmation of permanent residency (COPR). Yeah!
• 3-Nov: My first sick day from work, on MC (medical certificate).
• 4-Nov: My hospital had a town hall today. The hospital's further expansion plans were shown. Instead of being motivated, I went away deciding to leave this hospital ASAP.
• 4-Nov: Back to work, despite still sniffing and occasional coughing. I wore a surgical mask at work, but I wonder what the patients think when they heard me sniffing and coughing. Had a :-| day.

Anyway, much thoughts and feelings still as yet unsettled.