Most awesome pediatric clinical opportunity...

...and I'm totally in!

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

5 weeks in...I think??

I'm too lazy to get my planner out and count, but I'm pretty sure it's the 5th week of classes.  And things are going fairly well.

The high point of the semester so far was my day in the NICU yesterday.  THE Hospital has a Level 2 NICU, so while there is nothing majorly super serious there (those little ones get sent off to Kosair's, which is a couple hours from here), it's still nice to have the experience in the NICU.  I didn't really do a whole lot but observe, taking part in some very basic interventions.  But what I really loved...I got to see a c-section.  And it was, hands down, one of the coolest things I've ever been allowed to see.  I was in there as a "guest" of the Nursery RN and NP, but the L&D RN's and even the OB were so nice and explaining what was going on.  It was awesome!  After yesterday, I am more sure that my future is in OB nursing...maybe not so much in L&D, but I'm thinking NICU/Nursery (they work in both and float back and forth as needed) or Mother-Baby.  Each time I think about another area I might want to work in, I always come back to OB.  Must be a sign  :-)

Other big news...I'm applying for student nurse extern positions for the summer, at THE Hospital and a bigger hospital that's about 45 minutes away.  Both are 10 week programs, 24 hours a week.  And both offer the chance to stay on as a NA after the program is over...and I'm *REALLY* hoping they might offer a foot in the door to employment after graduation!

Anyhoo...school stuff beckons, as usual.  Working on my clinical assignment after being in the NICU yesterday, as well as reading and working on study guides for upcoming exams.

Later  :-)