Its a Rural World

It’s Monday morning and I am enjoying a cup of tea by my computer as the sunlight hits the window. School has been out over the holiday break, and I enjoyed Christmas at home with my family.  This week we start our “final semester”, which just being able to say is a great feeling.  When I originally took on this endeavor of becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner I was told that going to a rural clinic was mandatory. This did not surprise me, New Mexico is a beautiful state with many hidden treasures but health care is not one of them. I volunteered to go to Bloomfield; my preceptor is a PhD and is highly recommended by her peers so I decided that being in slight control of my fate was better than no control at all.

Bloomfield is a small town outside of Farmington a bigger city in New Mexico, which by some standards is still small. Both Bloomfield and Farmington have primary industries of mining of petroleum, natural gas and coal. Farmington is also known for its baseball tournaments. I don’t know much more about either city accept that when friends ask “where are you going?”. The replies I often get when I tell them include:  “that’s way out there” and “really?”. However, you have to remember that in what I call the “Albuquerque Culture” driving to Rio Rancho is considered far in some of my friend circles.

I spoke briefly with my preceptor on the phone. She gave me a list of hotels and recommended I stay in Farmington and let me know which hotels may or may not have bedbugs. It seems that as far as lodging is concerned my best bets are places that are $90 a night, which obviously won’t happen on my budget. However, one thing I did deduct while talking to my new preceptor is that she is a very busy woman. I hope that transfers to my clinic days and the experiences I will gain while being there.

I decided the best way to approach my final clinic rotation (consisting of 305 hours or 38, 8 hr days) was to jump in the car and do a “recon” of the area. (Don’t judge me but after 13 years Army the least I can do is incorporate the skills they thought me into my civilian life). I invited my man friend (I call him affectionately Mountain Man) and he surprisingly came along for the drive. I grabbed a bag, pen, paper and my trusty ipad and two bottles of water and jumped in the bat-mobile (that’s what I call my little car).  After getting a full tank of gas and some Starbucks I was caffeinated and ready to drive. And drive, and drive and drive.

One thing many people perceive when thinking about long drives through New Mexico is that is desolate. Sad to think anyone would ever use that word when describing my home state, but many think big trees constitute beauty. And I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder. My drive along NM 550 is majestic. It runs through Bernalillo and passes through San Ysidro, and Cuba before Bloomfield. The view is painted with shrub and various sandstone formations in soft hughs that engage your brain.  The drive was about 3 hrs (I was not speeding and made some stops due to my high caffeine intake lol).

When I arrived at the clinic I have to say I was taken aback. The clinic is nice, surrounded by a fence and a very small reservation. The only thing that concerned me was the sign on the gate “The health center is temporarily closed there are no providers”, not sure what to think about that. But to be honest I am nervous.

After driving to the clinic we bypassed Bloomfield and had lunch in Farmington.  We scoped out the various hotels and amenities available.  My concerns are to find a place to stay for a month, not get bed bugs and hopefully have a hot shower and internet? However, I have lived in worse areas and at least I get to work without carrying body armor daily. I am not sure yet what to think about my next challenge but hopefully a month away from Albuquerque will bring some enlightenment and experiences that I can grow from. Soon I will be starting a new career, so this next step is just another leap forward in the process. Funny how our past colors the lenses in which we see the future.

I will write more soon.
~m