D.O.U.

DOU means Direct Observation Unit.  It's the "step down" from the ICU at Kaiser (the hospital I'm working for).  The policy of Kaiser says that traveling nurses, regardless of specialty, will be the first to be pulled to fill empty spots in a hospital - meaning, if they don't need me in the ICU, I could go to the DOU, and any other unit.

 Knowing that I have zero experience out of the ICU, my boss had me train for a day in the DOU, so I would be better prepared, should I go there in the future.

Boy, am I glad she gave me that day of training.  The work in the DOU is so different from ICU care.  I call it "busy work".  My roommate, Ashley also describes this work with a 'b' word, but not the type you want to say in front of your grandma..

After the day I was so exhausted.  Yesterday I was back in the ICU for my last day of orientation.  Maybe it's because I'm new, or maybe it's because the patients aren't as sick, but the shifts seem to last longer here.. I don't mind that, as long as I feel like I'm getting things done.

At the end of the day, Ashley and I went to a restaurant called, El Torito, that a co-worker had suggested.  It was Taco Tuesdays, which meant 99 cent tacos and $3 margaritas.  We sat at the bar and chatted with some of the other people there.  When we were nearing the end of our dinner, the manager came over and was talking to us and our bartender.  After brief conversation he told the bartender to take one of our appetizers off of our bill and give us the managers discount, and with that he said, "welcome to Woodland Hills!".

It's only been about 3 weeks since we left Pittsburgh, but it feels like more.  Despite that, Ashley and I keep saying to each other, "I can't believe we're doing this".

Can't believe it, but love it!