Observations and assessments.....

Some recent observations in my life:

1) Nursing students are really boring friends to those who are not also nursing students or medically inclined.

2) My current job is becomming increasingly dissatisfying the further I progress in my studies.

3) I am totally going to be a L&D or neonatal nurse.

4) Time....there is never ever enough enough of it.


We had our first test in OB this past Monday. I totally rocked it! (A)

You know, I have gone round and round in what field I thought I wanted to pursue. I thought maybe peds. But that really didn't float my boat. I was very disappointed in my peds clinical, but that is not the reason why I don't want to go into peds. I looked back at some of my first posts in this blog, and I stated then I wanted to be an L&D nurse. And that is still what I really want to do.

I am just really, really interested in childbirth, and new babies, and new mommies. I have considered becoming a doula. Also a midwife. This is truly my passion. Even though I know that there will be babies that won't make it, and that it will be truly heartbreaking. Even though not all mothers will be ready or mature enough to be moms. It will be my job to teach them as much as possible before they go home with that baby.

I have been interested in pregnancy and childbirth since I was a child. I would get books about pregnancy, and just pore over them, absorbing all the information. When I was pregnant with my own child I used the time to study everything I could about all the possible complications, delivery options, etc.

My friends who are not enjoying this class as much as I am, have asked me to make test questions for them. This is good for all of us, as it will force me to read (as I have a tendency not to) and will help others to look for information that they may not have otherwise.

Our questions are posed in situations. So&so is presenting with this situation. What do you do? ABCD. I tried to make my questions in the same format to better help my classmates.

On being a boring nursing student:

I have found that I am increasingly getting blank stares from friends that are not in the medical field. The conversations go something like this:

Them: Hey how was your weekend?

Me: Oh it was awesome. I worked in the nursery all day, and there was a baby that was having a little difficulty breathing, so I taught the mother what to do in case if this happens at home. You flip the baby over and pat their back firmly until the cry and then suction them. Then you watch to make sure they are breathing well. And then I had to catheterize a patient who couldn't pee. Oh, and blah, blah, blah....

Them: Um.....that's great....I guess.

or my friend who works as a PCT, calls me and says:

Kim: I go to change the dressing on a stage four sacral ulcer.

Me: Wow, I'm so jealous.

Weird.

On job dissatisfaction:

I am totally not in love with my job anymore. I really just don't care. None of it seems particularly important to me. I mean, I like the university. I love the people I work with. I am just not getting anything from it, and I know that I will be leaving in a year. So, I just go through the motions.

I am applying to work at the same hospital as Kim as a PCT. She is gaining invaluable practical experience that I really need.

On never enough time:

I can't fit everything into my life at the moment. And it is making me cuckoo. Something is always falling through the cracks. I sacrifice somethings to make time for others. Usually it is my home life that suffers. Too stressed for intimacy, so poor husband suffers. Too busy to really clean, so please don't look under my bed. Too busy studying to spend evenings at home, so child suffers. Too frazzled in general. Please tell me this will be worth it in the end.

W. :)