Birth Number 4

She was born with the cord wrapped around her neck.   Her Apgar score was a 1, and that was only by virtue of her heart beating at all (30 beats per minute -- the normal is 120-160).
She was intubated and vigorously rubbed for stimulation, then given oxygen through the tiniest mask you've ever seen. 

That little cry she made through the mask as she pinked up was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.


I helped my team save a baby on Monday.

 Not bad for day 1.  Not bad at all.

Prayer of the L&D Nursing Student

Dear God,
You know I have failed many people in the past, and you know I will fail many people in the future.  But please, please, don't let me fail anyone for the next four weeks.
Amen.

The Patient in Room 19

It’s easy being a nurse when the patients are pleasant and easygoing, when you can engage them in conversation and get a thank you at the end of the day. So I took on a challenging patient today, to say the least. I wanted to see if I could handle someone who was not going to be able to communicate, who would be uncooperative and potentially hostile. I also wanted a taste of what the psych clinical would be like, since I’ve talked to seniors who told me they weren’t prepared for what they found. Psych is one of those clinicals that everyone is afraid of, right behind pediatrics. Kid medicine is scary!

I got my challenge. My patient had actually scared off one of the sitters. She was uncooperative, took swings and spit. But it was her voice that unnerved people; a loud, low growl that seldom let up without additional Haldol.

She also needed more help and understanding that all my other patients combined. I feel like I wasn’t able to do much for her. What are a little oral care and a bath with a washcloth in the face of her condition? But I did what I could, and I did it while calling her sweetie.

I think I have a good grasp on the patient-centered care part of the nursing equation. The informatics is coming along, as is the evidence-based practice. I always have safety in mind. I don’t feel I have enough experience yet to contribute much to quality improvement. I’m continually working on the teamwork, and I feel like I did very well with that today. Student Nurse P and I teamed up with some of her patient care – oral care, foley care – and we did really well together. I like working in a team, I just have a hard time finding my place. I think it will come as I improve my skills. Half the battle is just knowing where everything is!

Random OB/GYN study thought

In the 17-19th day of embryo formation, a gene called the 'shh gene' gives rise to the cells that will form the brain...as well as skin, hair or feathers.

In the 17-19th day of embryo formation, a gene called the shh gene gives rise to the cells that will form the brain, as well as skin, hair or feathers.

The ‘hh’ stands for ‘hedgehog’, because a mutation in the gene causes the fetus to become pointy and resemble a hedgehog.

There is an old fairytale called, “Jack My Hedgehog,’ in which a woman wishes for a baby, “Even if it be only as small and ugly as a hedgehog.” She gets her wish, literally.

All this taken together just makes me love everything.

Incidentally, the ‘s’ in shh stands for Sonic, from the video game. That part just makes me laugh.


I'm starting my Labor and Delivery Clinical the week after next.