back to work

It's official- I will be going back to work the night of January 27th. Yikes! It makes it more real to have an exact day even though it is still quite a bit a way. I don't "officially" have to go back until mid-February, but I think the end of January would make it time and I'm guessing I may have some mandatories I would need to do too since they have been slow while I've been away and I would have the least amount of hours (meaning 1st up) when I go back. They are doing better in the unit though so that is encouraging.

Anyway I will go back slowly which will be nice too. 1 night that week, then 2 nights the next week and then 3 in a row. She should have the schedule out in another week or so, so I will know my schedule through the end of February fairly soon!

I'm already tired

and its only 7 am and I have to stay up and work all night! John went to work SUPER early this morning to finish a job he couldn't finish last night. He went to work at 3am (after we went to bed at 11pm). Sometimes I don't know how he does it! I called him when I finally got up at 530 am. I had been awake since a little after 5 tossing and turning. Olivia would not stop kicking me, which is nice when I'm awake, not so great when I'm trying to sleep! I only wish John would've been home so he could see how crazy she was going for over 1/2 hour! So anyway, I guess Olivia had a different idea of what I should be doing at 5 am. John did say he could tell I wasn't sleeping very soundly at 3 am, so maybe I didn't sleep good most the night, who knows. I will definitely be trying to take a nap at some point this afternoon!

It feels so weird going back to work after having 8 days off. In a way I am looking forward to it, to get more social interaction and to get out of the house. I was literally going crazy I was so bored yesterday. I think I was tired too. I ended up taking a nap yesterday afternoon too. Maybe that will just be my new thing.

Well, I hope everyone has a good weekend. I will be sleeping during the whole thing! It has been nice having all these days off, I just wish I was able to spend more time with John. It's hard when he is working so much, but I know its so we can save up for him to take a little time off in October!

You know

You know you are a NICU nurse when…

1. You’ve eaten hamburger patties bigger than most of your patients

2. You define colors by the color of stool you’ve seen- i.e. baby poop green/yellow

3. You don’t understand why talking about sticking a needle in a baby’s head is making other people at the dinner table ill

4. At one time or another have had breast milk, poop or urine on your work clothes

5. You have affectionately called a patient cletus the fetus, wimpy white boy, troll or FLK (funny lookin’ kid) in report

6. You can change your patient’s bed linens with one hand while holding your patient in the other

7. You can make an IV arm board out of some 4x4 gauze and tape

8. You’ve almost caught your hair on fire while in your patient’s bed…a.k.a. radiant warmer

9. You’ve used a sock or a piece of tape for a restraint

10. You check out the scalp veins, cap refill and fontanels on a friend’s new baby

11. You use a cotton ball to obtain urine samples

12. You use saran wrap to keep your food fresh and your patient’s warm

13. You think all crying babies need benadryl, versed or intubation

14. You think the pulse oximeter, CPAP and those crappy no sticking leads were created by the devil

15. You have ever shown a doctor a green residual while they were eating

16. You have obtained a 10cc residual when the patient only gets 1cc17. You have put an intensive care patient in a swing

18. You don’t get excited if your patient has a heart rate of 180

19. You do chest compressions with two fingers

20. Most of your meds come in TB/1cc syringes

21. You prepare your patient’s bath water in a Dixie cup

22. You draw blood from your patient’s heel

23. You use a rubber band for a tourniquet

24. You’ve seen two complexes on EKG screen and not been excited-you merely pat your patient on the butt and it’s all good

25. Newborn babies look like preschoolers to you

26. You tell people what you do and they think you sit around and rock babies all day

27. When you tell people what you really do they start to cry and/or vomit

28. You have assisted with surgery on your patient in their bed and on the unit

29. You have at one time or another in the heat of frustration threatened to throw your patient in the trash can

30. You have considered using duct tape to hold a pacifier in a screaming baby’s mouth

31. You have met your patient’s father, mother’s boyfriend, and husband all in one day

32. You have made a mental note that no matter how stupid people are they still know how to get their groove on

33. And lastly…You know you’re a NICU nurse if you’ve read 1-32 and have laughed your ass off