NICU

My Husband and Daughter, not my patient;)

I'm a float nurse, which means I float around to different units in the hospital when they are short on staff or have too many patients. I mostly spend my time in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), PCU (progressive care unit - cardiac), ER (emergency room).

Tonight I'm in the NICU wiping little bums instead of big ones, focusing on suck/breathe/swallow, and doing a lot of rocking and whispering. I think I could live and die here.

My Junior year in High School we had to do a job shadow for home ec. I procrastinated. The day before my decision was due I called up a family friend much to my mother's encouragement and asked if I could go to work with her for a day. She was a NICU nurse and her name was Marion. I had NO intention of becomming a nurse because it was "gross"!

That day my eyes were opened to a whole new world of technology, faith, science and the beauty of the human body. I had never seen babies so small only 1 pound at birth. I still remember the baby we cared for, her name, size and how her hand barely covered the tip of my finger. I took home the smallest diaper imaginable and I was hooked!

My daughter when she was in the NICU, not my patient ;)

I swore I would never work in the NICU, but 5 years into nursing and here I am and still loving it!

The good today: playing NICU nurse and wiping tiny bums!

Teresa

P.S. HIPAA! I cannot violate the patient privacy act, check it out here: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/