Among Friends

[just bee]

@geezerette 

It's frustrating because we're desperate for more psychiatric beds and there is an almost empty hospital in this city.  We need another psych hospital.  The current mayor is turning this building into a homeless shelter instead.

Meanwhile, we have to send patients to other cities because we have no psych beds.

[geezerette]

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@just bee wrote:

@geezerette 

It's frustrating because we're desperate for more psychiatric beds and there is an almost empty hospital in this city.  We need another psych hospital.  The current mayor is turning this building into a homeless shelter instead.

Meanwhile, we have to send patients to other cities because we have no psych beds.

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@just bee 

What about considering one of those other hospitals in those other cities?  All I hear anymore is about the labor shortage, along with all the other shortages.  You should be able to easily get another job.  And it would be easier than moving cross-country.  

Life is too short to go through it miserable.  Especially in your line of work. It sounds like it's becoming a way of life instead of a temporary problem to tough out.

[aprilskies]

@just bee Wishing you a peaceful and easy going night.  Is it you are getting more patients or just more distraught patients, just curious.  I know you can’t get into specifics.

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@aprilskies 

On Thursday night when I walked in, we had three times more patients than beds and a new policy that makes zero sense.  Patients are more addicted, more psychotic, more anxious, more aggressive and violent.  We are short several techs because they're all out with knee injuries.

And that's about as specific as I can get.

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@just bee, just crazy.  That has to be especially hard because I know you just want to help these people and it is impossible to do so.  

I think @geezerette said it and is right, you have to band together otherwise nothing will change. What a shame.  

You are on a battle field.  

[aprilskies]

I was saddened to see the news about Colin Powell.  He seemed like a decent human to me. 

[just bee]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

@geezerette 

It's frustrating because we're desperate for more psychiatric beds and there is an almost empty hospital in this city.  We need another psych hospital.  The current mayor is turning this building into a homeless shelter instead.

Meanwhile, we have to send patients to other cities because we have no psych beds.

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@just bee 

What about considering one of those other hospitals in those other cities?  All I hear anymore is about the labor shortage, along with all the other shortages.  You should be able to easily get another job.  And it would be easier than moving cross-country.  

Life is too short to go through it miserable.  Especially in your line of work. It sounds like it's becoming a way of life instead of a temporary problem to tough out.

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@geezerette 

Las Cruces and Santa Teresa?

Uh... no.  Southern New Mexico is not an option.

Warmer there than it is here.

[bikerbabe]

Change specialty?

[bikerbabe]

Or change state? 👀

(I’d go farther south only if it was toward San Diego. Some really nice areas. Real estate is expensive, however.)

[just bee]

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@bikerbabe wrote:
Change specialty?

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@bikerbabe 

The only other areas that are tempting are neuroscience and hospice.

[just bee]

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@bikerbabe wrote:
Or change state? 👀

(I’d go farther south only if it was toward San Diego. Some really nice areas. Real estate is expensive, however.)

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@bikerbabe 

When we were driving to NM and leaving CA, it was January 1995.  A very wet winter.  California was green and lush, and the rain was coming down so hard that we didn't see the sign to turn off and head east so we ended up in San Diego.

Decided to stay the night.  Found a hotel where they couldn't have been nicer to my old Boxer.  Treated her like a celebrity so I'll always have found memories of San Diego because of the staff at that hotel.

We spent some time exploring the city before we headed off to NM and BH and I both looked at one another more than once and asked: Why aren't we moving here?

Yes... expensive.  Recently lost our favorite psychiatrist to San Diego.

I don't see myself ever returning to California, however.

[just bee]

Time to sign off and watch more episodes of Oz.

Wonder who gets shanked tonight...