Birthday Nurse

Promise I haven't fallen off the face of the earth! More like into the crater of work! Even though it's the middle of October we're still busting at the seams and somehow managing to survive and laugh about it. Several fun babies lately...all girls, go figure!! There were moments that I felt like and idiot, a bad nurse and almost shed a few tears on the job...but then I look back on that night and think of all the things I learned and all the things I did that I didn't know I new how to do! I learned all about doing a D&C in our OB OR's ...something I'd never done. How to do a sterile vag prep (I've talked to 1 nurse on the floor who'd ever had to do that...). I learned that I could put a scalp lead on someone who was 1/60/posterior when I had heart tones in the 50's (even the doctor was impressed at that!)...and I learned that I could stand up to a doctor and get what I needed for a patient. I also learned that I have some of the BEST co-worke...

Only 2 birthdays in the last week :( We've been having babies right and left it seems...I just haven't been involved in them. That makes me sad!!! I want some babies!! It seems like I've had cervidils and antes a lot lately. Boo. Neither of my birthdays have been terrifically outstanding either. Pretty "run-of-the-mill" almost...for lack of a better word...boring! The first one was a close friend of the doctor...so get this...the doc stood in the room and pushed with her for an hour and a half!! Seriously?! I love this doc, she's great, one of our favorites. But come on. I can think of only a handful of things that can make an L&D nurse feel more useless and a waste of space than standing at the perineum and pushing with the patient the entire time. Makes it even worse when the patients husband is there, and so is her sister...who is a pediatrician. So for an hour and a half I stood in the corner, dumping some astroglide everyonce in a while while doc, pat...

After Tuesday night I was already tired and it was only my 2 nd shift! The fact that I picked up an extra 6hrs Monday night really threw me off, and I couldn't even tell you what day it was! Wednesday I took a patient that followed me in the door for a rule out labor ( ROL ). I ruled her out after an hour, made her mad that I was sending her home, and tried to explain that I couldn't "force" her to leave but that I really thought she'd be more comfortable not in our beds and not being able to drink, eat or smoke her cigarettes . She finally decided to leave. Then I took another ROL , got her in a bed, then got a page that somehow it was my turn to take ANOTHER patient. Ok ...so I ran for about an hour and a half, the on-call doctor for the 1st patient decided that since she lived an hour away she should stay and would "probably go into labor during the night." I got her settled, gave her 50mg of vistaril to help her sleep (same sleepy effect of benadr...

I could sum up this last week in 1 word: CRAZY!! But...to be fair, I'll post about each day. Since it's Saturday now (and this recaps Monday through Friday) I may be minus a few details...but all my numbers are correct! Monday night started the ball rolling. I took report on a very nice patient from one of the day shift nurses. The patient was a multip already in labor, already had an epidural and was comfortable. So it was the waiting game on her. She labored very nicely. About 1930 I took a triage who came in contracting, it was her 4 th baby. She was in great control, but was ready for an epidural ASAP, so I got her blocked, comfy and then sat down to chart. Meanwhile, my 1st patient was starting to have a few variables, so I went to check her and she was complete. I set her up and we only pushed a few time, called the doc in and had a very nice delivery! I came out of her delivery, stuck my head in to check on my 2 nd patient and she mentioned she was feeling a little bi...

Needless to say, it's been beyond crazy at work. I somehow managed to slip by on-call for part of my shift Friday night, I couldn't believe it! Then the calls started coming... Saturday night...sorry I have a wedding Sunday morning! Sunday... the manager of the entire Women's & Children's department called...twice!...sorry, I've got a bridesmaid dress on and I'm getting ready to march down the aisle! Monday ...just got off a mower after 5 hrs in 100 degree heat. Tuesday... I was scheduled to work, and sure enough it was crazy. Somehow we've only had like 3 or 4 nurses scheduled every night, to cover an completely full board. We had more nurses there on time and a half pay than we did straight pay Tuesday night! I delivered a girl on mag about 2100, and as I walk out of that delivery with pressures of 160's/100's I get a page that there's a cervidil coming that I need to take. Since when is an unstable mag patient not 1-to-1? Whatever wor...

I can't think in compete sentences, let alone paragraphs this morning, I'm exhausted...here are the bullet points from the last 24hrs 1. My cat slept with me and woke me up at 1400 2. Went to go give blood before work, the first gal blew my AC...that takes talent! Then the "head" phlebotomist stripped the tubbing to make sure it was really blown...I thought I was going to come off the chair, that hurt! Ended up giving out of the other arm, but have a VERY impressive bruse on my L arm from the 1st attempt 3. Worked out at the gym for an hour between giving blood and work...no wonder I'm tired 4. Got a SUPER wonderful couple from J who delivered a >9# baby before 2100 for me. It was a perfect delivery. Just enough pushing to really engage the dad and get him really excited, he could see the progress with each push and you could just see his eyes light up! Yea! 5. Took a MVA triage right after delivery and tucked her in for the night, baby looked beautiful all ni...

The friend who sent this to me wanted to know if any of the OB's that I work with could do this...can yours? A gynecologist had become fed up with malpractice insurance and HMO paperwork and was burned out. Hoping to try another career where skillful hands would be beneficial, he decided to become a mechanic. He went to the local technical college, signed up for evening classes, attended diligently, and learned all he could. When the time for the practical exam approached, the gynecologist prepared carefully for weeks and completed the exam with tremendous skill. When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had obtained a score of 150%. Fearing an error, he called the instructor, saying, "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wonder if there is an error in the grade." The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. "You put the engine back tog...

Sheesh ...today wore me out! I don't really know why, but it was just intense from the start! My induction (I really do love inductions, I'm going to miss them when I go to nights...) was a multip , but you would never know it. Not in a million years. She was a typical "princess" that belonged to our "princess" doctor. The doctor is really good, but if she a) is in a grouchy mood b) just flat out doesn't like you or c) things don't go just her way, there is trouble ahead. Trouble started pretty quick... The induction got there late, so I was late getting her IV started. She was freaked out about the whole induction thing, even though things were the same way with her first baby (also an induction). As we're walking into the room she asks me "Now what is this induction thing about, and how does it work" so, starting out at square one, it was like that all day. I really don't mind explaining things to my patients, in fact, I like it ...