Today was a good day…

Today was one of those days, not SUPER DUPER GREAT! not ughhhhh, not bad.  Just really good.  And looooong.  It was clinical 9 of 12 for this semester and my last day working with the nurse I’ve been working with since January.  She has been an amazing preceptor and I am thankful for such a good clinical. 

I have gotten to see a lot and DO a lot more.  We’ve had some very interesting patients, some really great patients, a precipitous delivery (the baby’s HEAD was between her legs when we pulled back the covers), lots of IV’s, foley caths, SVE’s, and lots and lots and lots of fetal monitoring.  I learned how to read strips, identify bad situations and what to do with the patient, how to assess and care for the baby after birth, how to care for the family after birth, saw a placental abruption at 31 weeks, a cerclage placement for a bulging back at 17 weeks, briefly cared for a mom after a miscarriage, and took care of many wonderful women week after week.  I loved it.  I have three more days to work this week (with the nurse who delivered Avelyn last year!) and then I am finished.  My “Student Nurse” job will be OVER.  I will never have to work in a hospital for FREE again.  The next time I put on scrubs will be as a Graduate Nurse when I start my job in June.  And I will be making money.  Lots and lots of money.  Well, lots and lots in comparison to making NOTHING for the last year and half.  Wow.

The highlight of my day, well my whole clinical actually, was getting a visit from a patient we delivered about three weeks ago, a wonderful couple who had a beautiful baby girl.  (By the way Heather – the mom is the spitting image of you, only taller and not named Heather.)  I had a particularly great time taking care of this family.  After a birth plan that didn’t go so well (NOTE TO READERS: DON’T go to the hospital with a birth plan in writing, you are only setting yourself up for great disappointment if/when it doesn’t work out) I tried so very hard to care for them in the way I wanted to be cared for at my birth.  The doctor who delivered her was kind of an ass and I just rolled with the punches to try and give the patient what she wanted. 

We only got to talk for a minute or two before we had to get back to work but I was so taken aback and appreciative that they remembered me.  I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be present for a baby’s birth, to watch as that baby enters this world and see pure JOY wash over the parents faces.  Especially with first time parents.  I tear up at every birth and have to try really hard not to cry every time.  This couple was so sweet and thanked my nurse and I repeatedly for our care.  I don’t need to hear that from patients, I treat everyone the same regardless, but it really makes me feel good and let’s me know I’m doing something right.  And I try so hard to do something right.

Anyway, they wrote my nurse and I the sweetest notes and brought us a fabulous and thoughtful thank you gift.  I think I will keep that note tucked away for a long, long time.  It was a great day.

(Mmm, chocolates.  And do you see that?  That’s right, it’s MONOGRAMMED.  And has a zipper so my stuff won’t fly around everywhere in my bag.  How cool is that?  And how did they know?  I LOVE it!)

PS - in case you were wondering, I accepted the Pediatric ER job and not because more people voted for PICU.  But because I think I will learn a lot, do a lot, see a lot and hope to make a difference in somebody’s life.

PPS – did anyone else notice how close that little avatar baby under the header is to the ONE YEAR MARK?  7 days, 15 hours and 52 minutes until you-know-who’s FIRST BIRTHDAY!!

Last but not least - - -

Congratulations to Wendellynn for winning the family 4-pack to Disney on Ice!! 

I’ll contact you with the details this weekend.  Thank you to everyone for entering!