Today my boss told me where I stood. She started off the convo with, “I’ve got some bad news for you”, then says the girl I’m covering for is returning in August. My boss finally managed to get hold of her. I won’t go through the whole conversation but basically I don’t think anyone is particularly happy that this girl is returning. My boss doesn’t want to let me go and she said she is happy to keep me on as casual giving me shifts that others have taken off etc. She hasn’t booked any cover for holidays in August and I know one of my colleagues has taken a week or two off in August so hopefully I’ll have a few days there…

My boss said if the girl does end up leaving, she’ll try to make it so that I won’t have to go through an interview, and hopefully I’ll be able to just slip back into her job. They said they’re not going to take her crap anymore (she was a bit of handful… but blamed it on the hormones through pregnancy). But, we just have to see what happens. I don’t want to get my hopes up or anything. I didn’t get my hopes up about staying on in August. I’d rather be happily surprised than devastated. Whatever happens, happens.

The girl I work with all the time, on every shift, was a bit upset and it put a downer on the shift because we have grown so used to each other, we are a real team and she can’t imagine me not working with her (we were both pretty new together).

Anyway, at least I know where I stand, for now.

Had a chat to my boss yesterday and I hate being left in the air like this. It’s July and my contract for my job ends on the 8th August and the lady I’m covering maternity for is meant to return on the 11th August. Yesterday, my boss put up some training information in the staff room and some of the dates are in September, November etc.. and I asked my boss if it was ok for me to put my name down for them dates or not…

My boss said she had been trying to sort it all out for me. Apparently they sent out a letter to the lady I’m covering for asking her to respond etc to let them know she is returning in August. She hasn’t replied. My boss has tried to contact her directly but no reply so now I think my boss is going to send her another letter.

The lady I’m covering for, from what I’ve heard, is a bit… odd. She’s one of them people who my colleagues have absolutely no idea if she is going to return in August or not, and if she does, they have no idea if she’s going to stay or leave. Apparently she wasn’t happy in her job and she has kept in very little contact with my colleagues and the boss. Actually, she hasn’t bought the baby in and she’s only in contact with one of my colleagues, the boss hasn’t heard from her since she went on maternity leave at the end of last year.

Knowing where I stand would be good, so I can plan things. At the moment it’s all up in the air and I hate it but I just need to wait and hopefully, by the end of next week, I should have some inkling of what’s happening…

Whatever happens, I know I’ll be offered casual work if she comes back. But I know I won’t be able to keep that casual job up for long due to the lack of hours. It’s just the waiting game.

Ok well today I have been doing a lot of research about joining the ambulance service. I joined a forum namely ‘Ambulance999′ and the information in the ‘Joining the NHS’ forum is very, very helpful indeed. I haven’t posted in the forum but am sure if I have any questions there will be people there to advise me.

I got a bit more information about the course in Swansea. It’s the nearest university that offers the
Paramedic Science course and it’s fulltime for 2 years. I need 5 GCSEs including Maths & Science and English/Welsh Language at grade C or above - which I have. But, they also want AS/A Level grades that total up 160 UCAS points - which I don’t have. I have 140 points. Also, they don’t involve a science, so that’s something I need to work towards…

One of the local colleges offers a Human Biology AS/A Level course and that’s available in the evenings. Part time, I guess, which is good, if I can carry on working… but my shift patterns change soooo I dunno. =/

I also need a C1 driving license and have just checked and I can apply for that now (18+) by the looks of it… but I’ve been told it costs an arm and a leg, into the thousands, so that’ll have to wait… Some courses provide it’s students with the C1 driving license but not at Swansea.

I could go in the traditional way - making my way up from ambulance care assistant but as time goes on it’s becoming difficult to get into the service that way and it may come to a stage where less technicians will be recruited. So it’s best to go the university way…

Hmm… just needed to get this out in words, so I can look back at it later. It all really depends on what happens in August. If I stay on, and if the lady I’m covering for does decide to leave, I’ll apply for the job and work for a while to get my monies up, I also enjoy the work. If possible, I may go into education too. If the lady doesn’t decide to leave, then the ‘casual’ pay may not be enough so I’ll go back into education.

Will see what happens. =/