So I have many thoughts, as I did in my last blog. In order to organize my thoughts I am going to use a thesis statement of sorts, so I don't forget to write about anything. Ahem. In this paper I will discuss my thoughts on my job, my trip to Houston, my feelings on nursing as service, and THE PHILLIES!!... in that order, or not in that order, depending on how I am feeling. Also please note, I just finished working 3 12hour shifts in a row. Hence, if my grammar, spelling, general coherence are more than lacking, I apologize... but not really. Just deal with it.
Ok, so about my job/nursing as a service (see, I already combined 2 ideas from the thesis:), I love my job. Well, I love the general field of maternal/infant health. I enjoy caring for/assessing/helping new moms and babies. However, not to sound incredible morbid, but nothing ever goes wrong with this patient population. The moms are all on the same medications for the most part, and if the babies take a turn for the worse, we send them to the nursery or the NICU(neonatal intensive care unit). So really I just shoot moms up with pain meds all day (yes I have given my fair share of shots in peoples' bottoms) and then try to teach them how to breastfeed. Thursday I had 2 moms who needed help with breastfeeding. Now, I have taken a course that consisted of 2 8hour classes about breastfeeding. I thought maybe I could help. Well, I had a difficult time. While I am not too hard on myself about this, I am just frustrated because I know I would be able to better explain to my moms what they need to do to breastfeed successfully if I had some experience myself. Not my fault, I know, but frustrating none the less.
So today I was in the newborn nursery. In our hospital, if the baby is healthy it stays in the maternity room with mom. If the mom had a c-section, or if there were any minor complications with the pregnancy, the baby gets sent to the nursery until they are stable enough to go to maternity with mom. If the baby is not breathing, etc, it goes to NICU. So I was in nursery today. It is SO COOL! I got to admit the babies. So right after the c-sections the babies come to the nursery. If there are any problems with the baby we catch them first and then handle them, or send them to the NICU if it is really serious. For example, one of the babies came from a mom who was diabetic during the pregnancy, so we had to watch him closely because his sugar could go too low. Another baby we had looked like she was really struggling to breathe when we assessed her and she did have periods where she stopped breathing, so we rushed her to NICU, and I mean RUSHED! It was so active and fast paced (we have so so so many births and c-sections that we were always getting new babies). I loved it. I think I might like to try my hand at NICU also. There was a volunteer in NICU at St. Francis a few years ago and they keep telling me they want me to go there and I want to go! I need the pts who are sicker and the action. Maternity is basically like nursing retirement. It is slow paced (not always but sometime) and people aren't sick! I want to protect new life and do everything I can to keep babies stable. It sounds so exciting! So I might talk to my supervisor and see if that could be a possibility. I don't know if it would be a logistical nightmare at this point, but it's worth the question.
Now, as to my feelings on nursing as service in general, there are a few thoughts. Obviously nursing is service by nature. You heal the sick/care for people. However, I mean nursing as an unpaid service. I realized that the position I am filling could be filled by someone who could be getting paid. The hours I work could be taken by someone who needs the hours and th paycheck. It's not like I am a volunteer at a school and am just an extra set of hands, or that I teach a class the school wouldn't otherwise have. I will be added to the schedule and I will have my own hours and my own patients. I know that not paying me helps the hospital, that is severely in the red..., but someone could be getting a paycheck for hours I am not getting a paycheck for. I know that I am an example to the other nurses, and it is a good lesson for me, but I don't like the idea that I am taking an opportunity away from someone else. This is something I will struggle with for the rest of the year.
On to something a little less dramatic, my trip to Houston/LA Casa de Chuck Norris! Dear mom & dad, THANK YOU for allowing me to go to Houston, best birthday present ever! It was a much needed break from the life I live here in LA. Southerners are just more friendly, so it was a good change. So we did a ton of fun things
-Had dinner with Tara at a fabulous cafe
-Had the experience of Fiesta market (which is a lot like our Food4Less in LA!)
-Died Katie's hair
-Danced the single ladies dance in the living room, only to realize that several neighborhood men were watching us through the window from outside on the sidewalk.......Sketch!
-Went out to Karaoke (which was a blast!)
-Had mass and dinner with the Jesuits and saw some SWEET magic tricks
-Saw the Phillies whoop Colorado
-Had a dance party in the kitchen (You are the girl, I been dreamin of!) MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm Papa, love it when you call me big papa!
-Got sandwiches at a vietnamese shop for $2.50, although one of them came with a rubberband in it, free of charge...
-Got pumpkin spiced lates!
-Went to the museum of fine arts
-Made pumpkin scones, and ate pumpkin scones:)
-Had spirituality night with Katie's housemates
-Slept over Tara's and watched revolutionary road while grading papers
It was a blast! Katie's community is solid! They are a lively bunch and I got on with them really well. So thank you to all of the casa de chuck norris for your generous hospitality and you smiles and laughter:)
Ok, I am going to help out at a flu clinic tomorrow bright and early, and I am BEAT physically and mentally, so I must away to my bed. Love you all and keep praying for me and my prayer partner! I am praying for my housemate, so keep her in your prayers:) You will be in mine!