I found out yesterday that I get a clinical day in the NICU at Kosair Children's Hospital! As someone who is 99.9% sure I want to pursue a nursing career in Neonatal/Nursery/NICU nursing, this is a chance of a lifetime. Especially since my satellite program doesn't get regular clinical hours at Kosair like our main campus cohorts. There are 4 of us going over for an 8-hour shift in a couple weekends - 2 in the PICU, 2 in the NICU. As I mentioned before, I totally loved my clinical in the NICU in our hospital...I cannot imagine what all I will get to see (and hopefully do, even if it's just super basic stuff) at an actual children's hospital. I have been jumping-up-and-down excited for the past couple of days! Yes, I am quite the dork, totally nerding out to NICU nursing!
And related to that...I got to do some nursery nursing in my OB clinical last week. I was supposed to be in L&D, but apparently any baby whose due date was last week decided to make their grand arrival the day before we had our clinical. So...no inductions, no c-sections, no on-their-own labors...L&D was silent. So we got shuffled around to Mother-Baby and Nursery...and I jumped on the chance to go to the Nursery. I walked in and was put to work immediately, helping with the morning assessments on the babies. I checked their temps, checked the cords, checked diapers and changed as needed, changed clothing and bedding, and did some charting. I also got to help take the babies to the mamas' rooms...and the one mama who needed some extra non-baby time, I got to feed and burp her little one. I washed my hands and used hand sanitizer all day long, plus I changed clothes...but that night I kept smelling that sweet, newborn baby smell. I soooo miss babies! The whole day just further cemented my interest in Nursery nursing. It seems like a right, natural fit for me. I haven't been this excited about a nursing clinical, other than my observation day in the ER last fall.
Other than the babies, everything else has been same ol' same ol'. Lecture...read...homework...read some more...lecture again... Did have some exams recently, ended up doing not too shabby (2 B's and an A). 1 1/2 weeks until Spring Break...and that marks half the semester over. Huh? What? ALREADY? Yikes.
Clinical at 0630. Outpatient surgery. Which means I get to sport hospital-issued scrubs, plus hair cover, mask, and shoe covers. Rockin' the surgical nurse look, I will be.
Happy Wednesday, yo
Sounds awesome for you! Wish I was at your clinical today though! I love love love OR nursing!!
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about that new-baby smell? When I worked postpartum, I swear I still smelled like new baby the next day. So much better than smelling like urine, as I always seemed to when working med-surg. I hope these smells were all in my head!
ReplyDelete