New Cruise Ship Nurse - Zuiderdam 9/1 - 15

[Copper10-8]

Hi John,

 

Yes, the cast are able to use the pax gym, and also the Staff Officers. I guess it's to give the cast incentive to stay in shape!

 

Got ya, thanks! ;) Even though, by the looks of it, they burns lots of caleries during their shows

The cast can use the Staff Officers also?;)

[sungoddess]

I guess I didn't word that very well!! Funny! My lips are sealed.

[tomc]

Nurse George --

 

Keep in mind that HAL reads these boards, so be discreet as to how much you dish about things and people on board.

 

I'm just a pax, but one time I slipped and accidentally let something get in that identified a concessionaire and I think that was the end of the line for the person. I still feel bad about it, although the person should not have been dishing to me about the situation.

[sungoddess]

Nurse George,

 

Please excuse my suggestion to take black nylons and call it a blonde moment! Have fun!

 

SG

[RuthC]

This is going to be neat getting a "live from ..." thread from an entirely new point of view. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

Congratulations on getting this assignment! Have a great time. :)

[hammybee]

Nurse George,

 

Please excuse my suggestion to take black nylons and call it a blonde moment! Have fun!

 

SG

 

Take your take back, back. Halloween is coming to the Zuiderdam.:)

[wander]

Have a wonderful adventure!

 

From my many cruise ship days and many conversations with the nurses onboard, your experience will depend on the passengers and events.

 

I have talked with many and some days are no different than a typical medical office workday while others require more like cardiac care unit work or trama work and 24 hour attention by one medical staff person. Of course, you will have enough ports that cases can be more easily off-loaded that with crossing the sea cruises.

 

From what I can tell, regardless of your experience on this assignment, you really cannot predict what the next one will be like. Just like Rev Neal's cruise ship working experiences seem to be from what I read.

[NurseGeorge]

Nurse George --

 

Keep in mind that HAL reads these boards, so be discreet as to how much you dish about things and people on board.

 

I'm just a pax, but one time I slipped and accidentally let something get in that identified a concessionaire and I think that was the end of the line for the person. I still feel bad about it, although the person should not have been dishing to me about the situation.

 

Thank you TomC for the heads up. It is my intention to write more about my experiences and the feelings that I have regarding those experiences. Anything I write about people will be with there consent and knowledge and will always have a positive slant. It is just who I am. I will leave "dishing" to the professionals...I do appreciate the personal story though and it should be a "heads up" to anyone who thinks that because of the anonymous nature of this board that they can say what ever they want. Look forward to having lots to say, but first and foremost I LOVE Holland America. I would say that whether HAL was reading or not. I could work as a "per diem" nurse for many different companies.....HAL has my heart.:D

[Nancy717]

Nurse George, how did you get the position, I am a nurse and would love to do that. Once I worked the summer at Girl Scout camp, this sounds more fun?

[ger_77]

NurseGeorge, I can't wait to hear your reports from the Zuiderdam - that was the first HAL ship we sailed on for our 25th wedding anniversary.

 

A good friend of ours was a cruise ship nurse for another line and although it was a lot of work, she did enjoy her time onboard and off. I hope your experiences are all good ones!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[JimVrhovac]

Contact HAL corp hqs and get the information sent to you.

 

They have 3 or 6 month contracts or you can do prn to fill in for just one cruise.

 

Good luck

 

Ruth & Jim (RN's)

[NurseGeorge]

Nurse George, how did you get the position, I am a nurse and would love to do that. Once I worked the summer at Girl Scout camp, this sounds more fun?

 

Send me an email at nursegeorge@earthlink.net and I will give you the details.:p

[NurseGeorge]

Hello Travelers Hello Travelers

Twas the night before cruising, my head’s all a flutter

Flew in from Seattle on a prop plane that sputtered (sorry, but it rhymes)

I’m hungry, I’m sweaty and needing my bed

But thoughts of the Zuiderdam dance in my head.

 

 

What will it be like, this nursing at sea

I’m sure I’ll enjoy it, I’m sure it’s for me

The crew’s perspective of the excited hoard

Me with my “stripe” saying “Welome Aboard”

 

 

This poem could go on and on, like most of my poetry does…but I just checked into the Marriott in Vancouver and I need to eat. I am still repacking, moving things from my 400 pound carry-on to my 50.0 lbs checked luggage, just to balance things out a bit. The Maritime couriers pick me up at 0630 in the AM. Think of that next time you pull into your final port and realize that just when you are getting up there is an excited newbie crewmember waiting to get on the ship. I feel ready for this adventure, but the butterflies are still buzzing around. It is nice that I have had some experience in the theater because I will be able to pull of calm, cool and collected, when I really just have the opening night jitters…..that extra spicy ingredient…I think I know what it is…FEAR!!!!! But the fearless go on in spite of the fear. ER nurses…Professional and Caring!!!!:)

[Fatfish]

Have a great time and hope to meet you on the Noordam in December.

[SweetpeaOne]

What a exciting time you will have the next two weeks. Looking forward to hear more..

[Cruising-along]

Count me in as another who will be following your posts from the Zuiderdam. Have a great 2 weeks! :)

[mamaofami]

Hi Nurse George,

 

I hope you have a wonderful experience as a HAL nurse. My husband sailed several times as the dentist for HAL. He loved it and found the crew and the passengers who needed emergency services to be very grateful. We used to board the ship by 8am to relieve the departing dentist and to be brought up to date on what procedures were scheduled for the upcoming week. We sailed the Zuiderdam, Rotterdam, Statendam, and Veendam as crew, but were on the Noordam and once on the Zuiderdam as regular passengers. Have a wonderful time!:) Can't wait to read about your experiences.

[NurseGeorge]

Hello Cruisers

Well, I’M ABOARD!!!! Now I am just overwhelmed…There are orientations and trainings and check-in, hand-offs, reports to learn. All of that before I got into my cabin, hehehe. Actually, I am certain that I am going to have a great time. The medical staff on board is very experienced. Once they get over the shock of answering all of my questions I am sure things will settle down. I can’t imagine how it must be for these full-time medical staff to have a new nurse and doctor to train each week. The nurse who I replaced was on her first contract too, so I am sure there must be a certain amount of orientation burnout.

I was taking a self-guided tour of the ship…it is so nice to be able to go through all of the “Crew Only” doors and know that I am not trespassing…Lisa, Tom and Bill all know that I am not above trespassing….I may go out on the bow deck for some picture taking later, as a matter of fact.

I have talked with one crew member that we know, Leo, from the Dining Room on the Zaandam. He remembered Bill and I and some of our more colorful table guests.

I am sitting here writing to all of you having unpacked my caravan of luggage…(note to self: Pack Less) There is no way I will wear all of the clothes that I have brought…and the black sport coat that I brought…has no black pants to go with it….reminds me of the last cruise that I was on and the Pax Doctor was wearing tan shoes with black highwaters…never did get that image out of my mind…but that is the way I will feel wearing the navy slacks and a black jacket…I think there is a Bon Marche in Juneau…perhaps I could go shopping. I am all unpacked and have filled up my inside cabin. It is like the standard inside cabins only smaller…it will be tough to get two people in here in December….

All of that aside…while I was on my self guided tour…passengers were embarking the ship and I was able to say “welcome aboard” and give them the greeting they deserved for choosing to sail with HAL. I am looking forward to the Life Boat Drill…and dinner…might even work out tonight…Oh, by the way, I CAN use the Passenger Gym…just not between 8 – 11 am.

Cheers

More as it comes

[LAFFNVEGAS]

George, I am so glad you have arrived on board:) I could just see you greeting everyone:D Have lots of fun which I know you will. You may find you may want to do this a lot more often.

[mamaofami]

George, I'm curious. What hours do you work and when the ship is in port, do you get to go ashore?

[sail7seas]

How very exciting for you. Hope you have a great experience. Hope your travel day went well and will be eager to read your posts as you begin your work on the ship.

 

Welcome to CC and thanks for sharing this with us.

 

( .....We just returned from two glorious weeks on Maasdam but had an occassion to visit the ship's nurse. DH was stung by a bee while in Quebec. Three days later, his arm was still quite red and swollen. We figured if he hadn't had a major allergic reaction within all that time he'd survive the whole event but thought it wise to have it checked out anyway. ;) Benedryl and hydrocortizone did the trick. :) )

 

[JimVrhovac]

Please watch what you post as HAL corporate headquarters monitors these threads.

 

They do it to see the reactions passangers are having not to be sneaky.

 

Ruth & Jim

[NurseGeorge]

George, I'm curious. What hours do you work and when the ship is in port, do you get to go ashore?

 

Great questions Mamaofami...I am to be available 24/7, that being said...there are 3 shifts...and 3rd shift is really just for emergencies so that is your day off...or in my case those are the days where I can figure out what I am supposed to be doing on the other days...I am on 3rd shift today and tomorrow and then 2nd shift in Juneau and 1st shift in Skagway...that means that I have to do the embarkation health screens in Skagway...this is a two embarkation cruise for those taking a land cruise from last week and those going on this weeks 7 day land cruise...I didn't know they did that...pretty neat...

[NurseGeorge]

Update from the Zuiderdam –

We are well under way up the coast of British Columbia, gosh I love this scenery…the islands and inlets are all so spectacular with the mountains as a backdrop.

I am getting ready to turn in for the evening…(no pillow top for the crew), which is okay, it will just make me appreciate what I have at home.

The crew on the Zuiderdam is AMAZING, not just saying that because I am biased in anyway. It is not just to the passengers…they are great to each other too. I walked into the crew dining room and it was like a gala in there…everyone was laughing and there was the music of several languages being shared. I didn’t understand what they were saying to each other but I understood the camaraderie of being together on board.

The lifeboat drill was everything I heard it would be…chaos…but I got to be the MO (medical officer) on stand-by…and was even put to use…(note to future passengers to Alaska) They say go to your cabin and get your lifejacket and put on warm clothes…the warm clothes are for the real emergencies not for the drills…it just gets too hot for folks all bundled up…the nice thing was that I didn’t need my Lifejacket…my drill is later in the week…and it is a lifeRAFT drill not BOAT….

Did I tell you guys that I WAY OVER PACKED!!!! 3 blue blazers, 3 pair of pants and 5 white shirts and a tie would have done it… oh well next time.

Had dinner tonight…and every night apparently with the medical staff…wow, we eat together as a team…that is going to be a special part of this experience…the Crew Doc – Fred, Lead Medical Officer – Caroline, and Medical Officer – Evelyn welcomed myself and the new Pax Doc – Jeff with open arms…they all have a tempered mix of professionalism with sardonic wit!!! Just like I like it….and they laugh at my jokes…which is a plus.

More in the morning.

Nurse George

[luvcruisn']

George - when my brother was onboard HAL as one of the ship's doctors, he usually ate in the passenger dining room with his wife - who accompanied him on most of his cruises. Some nights he had to host a table in the dining room at dinner as well. One night he had one of the nurses join them for dinner, but he mentioned to me that the nurses don't usually eat in the passenger dining room. Is this still the case?