My Back-to-Work Program

I had my progress meeting for my back-to-work program today!

My hours are divided up between 2 hospitals. One where I'm going to actually be working, and another where I'm working in a research position in the medical records entering chart data into a computer.

There was initially some problem with my insurance company only allowing me to work a 0.8 (8 out of 10 days) combined between the 2 places, even though I wanted to do 2 more days at the research job. The research job is sedentary and nothing more than I do when I get home and sit at my own computer. So I was frustrated that they wouldn't let me pick up 2 more days because I so desperately need the hours by the end of December so that I can renew my nursing license for next year.

My union rep was there and she said that the union has no problem with my working additional hours at the other hospital. Their concern is that my hours at the hospital I will be working at do no exceed 0.8. They said that I should be able to work as many hours at the other place as I want to because it has nothing to do with my actual job! So now I'm 100% assured to get my required nursing hours in by the end of the year.

The manager of the ward I'm working on was in attendance. She said that the feed back from the nurses I've been buddied with and the charge nurses has been extremely positive about my attitude and work performance.

I'm already up to 1/2 a patient load for an assignment. You get between 5 and 7 patients and I've been caring for 3 each shift for the last 1.5 weeks.

We talked about increasing my hours because I feel that I can do more than 4 hours 3 times per week. So we are going to be reworking my schedule this afternoon!

And by the sounds of it, if the claims specialist can work in a full 2 weeks of my actual work rotation starting the middle of November, I will be back to work at the end of November instead of middle or end of December which they were aiming for!

Congrats, sounds like you are doing really well and I am glad that things are working out to your benefit....

That sounds great, nice work!! Fabulous that you're getting great reviews as well, that's got to make it even better

congrats my winnipeg pal..glad to hear that!!!

Thanks everyone!

On Wednesday I go for a full day orientation session for gynecology. And since I've been off work so long and so many things have changed, I asked if I could attend the 3 day hospital orientation for new employees because it goes over pumps and other equipment, central lines and the new code blue procedure, plus it gives hands on experience for the equipment. So I do that on November 3, 4, and 5th. If by chance they don't have enough employees to conduct the orientation, it gets cancelled. In that event I'll do 6 hours each day on the ward instead and be rescheduled for those orientation days in December.

That's great, Linda! Glad to see things are looking up for you!

I just got my reworked schedule.

Pending no complications and that I'm able to do it, I will be back on the payroll on December 3, 2008!!! Which means I actually get a pay cheque for 3 days on December 12th, and a full pay cheque on December 26th!!

If they would have had my program finish middle of December, I would not be able to make my January rent payment at the end of December because I would only have gotten 1/2 a month of disability at the end of December, and no actual pay cheque until January 9th, 2009. And this agency will evict you if you are more than 3 days late with the rent, no matter what the excuse.

I'll still get my November disability, so that will take care of my December rent, utilities, groceries and transportation. Then on the 12th I'll get my 3 days of pay, then the 26th I'll get a full working cheque.

I feel like I just won the lottery!!

I just did some calculations, and based on the hours I've done already at my back to work program and the research position, plus the hours I have scheduled, I will have 386.5 hours by December 2nd. That's 18.5 hours more than I need. And I still have all of December to work which will give me an additional 147.25 hours! So I'll easily make my required hours with padding!

That is fantastic news. I am so happy for you

Yay!!! Good for you on getting the hours you need for license retention and more working hours!!

So you will be off disability pay in January??

Originally Posted by GailC

Yay!!! Good for you on getting the hours you need for license retention and more working hours!!

So you will be off disability pay in January??

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No, if things go as scheduled, I will be off of disability as of December 3rd. The 3rd will be my first day of actual working and being paid!!!

The original schedule they gave me had me on disability until the middle or end of December doing my back to work program. Things have been going well, and I really need to get back on the pay roll and I refuse to have another Christmas like I did last year. Last year I had no money for food or anything. I had to get a Christmas hamper from a food bank I'm sick to death barely being able to scrape by month to month. I've been pushing to have my hours increased and now they have. With the new schedule I will be back to work 2 or 4 weeks sooner than they had intended.