The best job ever!

As my title implies, I have the best job in the world. I am a nurse and I work very strange hours and lots of holidays but it really doesn't get much better than what I do. My patients generally weigh less than 5 pounds, have very spunky personalities, and make me realize every single day how amazing this life really is.

To give you an idea of what I do, I have decided to outline an average day. I arrive at work a little before 7pm and see which assignment has been given to me for the shift. An assignment consist of 1, 2, or 3 babies. The more sick or attention needing the infant the less the number of babies in the assignment. For example a baby that weighs around a pound, needs a lot of support to breath, and is requiring a lot of serious medication may be a 1 baby assignment. After finding what my assignment will be I go and get report. The off-going nurse will tell me what the history of the baby is (i.e. how he/she was born, what was needed at birth, etc.), what the baby eats, what the baby has been prescribed for his/her respiratory needs, and if the baby is on any medication. Then I take over. The babies are now my responsibility. If you look at it in pounds it doesn't seem like a lot but if you think about it in life and vulnerability it is huge.

In a shift I will change each babies bum approximately 4 times, the babies will each be fed 3-4 times, vitals signs will be recorded hourly, and medication will be given as prescribed. I have given all kinds of medications ranging from blood pressure medication, to caffeine (helps with respiratory drive) and I have started hundreds of IVs. To put that in perspective for all of you, that is like starting an IV in an adult pinkie finger. I have sent babies home with mom and dad, and I have sent babies home to heavenly father. Each shift is a surprise of what I will be faced with. I never know if I will be working with little champs who pass every mile stone with flying colors or if I will be working with the little ones that will struggle for the rest of their lives. Some days I feel as though I could never do enough for these babies and other days I find myself wondering if sometimes as a unit and as a technology we do too much. I have rocked babies to sleep, and I have comforted them during a procedure. I have also wanted to pull my hair out because of the crying but every time you see a new one, every time you hold a tiny life in you hands or, hand as is sometimes the case, it is all worth it. All of the hard times, all of the stress and crazy, non-English speaking parents are fine. Its all OK because for 12 hours at a time you are responsible for one of Gods most beautiful creations and you have the chance to make the first trials of their life less difficult.

This is why I have the best job in the world.