Active Shooter Training (lighter side)

The hospital has been doing training lately in regards to what to do if a shooter comes into the hospital. The live training included involving all of the hospital and then a mass casualty simulation. We were instructed to take accountability our patients and personnel then take cover.

Here is my hiding spot.

Hopefully no one will find me.

Deployment Limbo

Ok I have to come out and say it: I'm frustrated.

I've been PROFIS to the 115th CSH out of Ft. Polk, LA since APR2010. I'm been waiting on news for a deployment ever since I got out of the Nurse Corps Nurse Residency/Clinical Transition Program. Some of my friends have already gone as 2LTs and 1LTs. I was stoked that I would have my chance to serve overseas.

As of now, I still haven't gotten official word of my deployment status. 1st wave of soldiers head out in January. 2nd wave is in the spring. No orders given to me.

I have talked in person with personnel of the 115th CSH, with my command, and even talked with my HRC representative. All they can tell me is: I'm on an inactivated list. Which means: I can be set to deploy anytime.

That's it. That's all the information I've been able to get. When I went to San Antonio a couple weeks ago I saw THE list: THE list of everyone going with the 115th CSH for the year. I'm on A list, but not part of the deployment list. After talking with several people, they said the only way for me to find out if I'm going is to wait until 12DEC2010, the first report date to Ft. Polk, LA. By that date I'll know if MEDCOM will know if they need me overseas or not.

So what am I to do in the meantime? I'm going/may be going, when will I know? The soldiers that I take care of know when their deployment dates are with their units and know approximately when they are coming back. Why can't MEDCOM send out dates like the other divisions do?

I talked with retired CPTs, MAJs, and LTCs and some have expressed my same frustration. One retired MAJ told me he was told 7 times that he was to be deployed, but was recalled 7 times. One time he was so sure that he was going because he got the ok to ship his stuff over.

Another retired CPT who served 6 years told me a similar experience. They pulled her from work to go to the field many times to prep her for deployment while stationed in Germany. She also told me that one of her co-workers had orders, put her stuff in storage, and gave away all her pets only to be told she'd been taken off the list.

My frustration is not something the ANC has not seen before. I feel stuck. I feel that I can't plan my life for what I want to do career wise or even in my personal life. Sure, you can tell me that this is what I signed up for and I need to suck it up. But these CSH deployments are scheduled. It's not like those in a GRF that have to have their bags ready at all times to be on 72hr standby. There is a date, there is a number that needs to be filled: why can't that be finalized to let myself and the other 100+ personnel plan our lives?

All I want to know is: am I going or am I going. If I go or not doesn't really matter. Just being in limbo not being able to take another step is killing me.

It's a small world after all

The coolest thing about posting blogs about my experiences in the Army Nurse Corps is the opportunity to meet the people who have read my blog in person. I had the opportunity to meet up with LT Henry who is coming to Ft. Bragg after OBLC in San Antonio, TX while I was at JFCTMC.

Just to prove the Army is a small world I'll tell you how LT Henry and I have this connection:

• CPT Kikugawa was my preceptor at WAMC.
• LT Henry and CPT Kikugawa were in ROTC together.
• LT Henry found my blog via my Flickr site.
• LT Henry sent me a message on FB and I've been answering her questions to the best of my ability.
• I'm in San Antonio for a pre-deployment course and LT Henry is in Ft. Sam Houston for OBLC.
• We'll all be in Ft. Bragg in about 2 months.
• We'll be sure to take a photo. =D

It's a small small Army Nurse Corps world.

Hello from San Antonio!

It's day 2 of the Joint Forces Combat Trauma Management Course (JFCTMC) here in San Antonio, TX.

Today is our testing day for Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC). Why am I learning about peds? In Afghanistan 1 in 4 patients seen by military medical personnel are children. This is great refresher for my peds skills. Testing is similar to TNCC. We'll find out how it goes this afternoon.

I miss the food here!

[JFCTMC]