A new nurse brag!

Just wanted to share my past weekend at work. It was a great one. This is why I became a nurse. I work in Postpartum and have been on my own for a little over 2 months now.

Had a great weekend at work. Really bonded with my patients and got several comments about how they were so glad to see me, that they were happy when they saw I would be their nurse again, etc. Got lots of hugs when I said goodbye on Monday morning as well. Had 3 of the couplets for both nights, 1 new one on Sunday night, but we bonded as well. Even the hubbies thanked me. I was so happy. That is why I am a nurse.

I love to teach and help them and when I know that I have positively effected their lives, it makes all the difference. Unfortunately, not all nurses are the same. One said to me "You teach us so much. You take the time and make us feel like our questions are important. You sit on the edge of my bed and answer my questions and talk to me, not at the door or while you are leaving the room." Anyway, enough bragging. LOL.

All were breastfeeding which is great! I was trying as hard as I could to help them. Had 2 of them pumping and all but one were supplementing. I had to start supplementing one and I hate to be the first to supplement. I don't like supplementing unless it is necessary, but I really hate to have to tell the mom we need to supplement.

One of them had a positive postpartum depression risk screening (which we do on all mamas) and when I started to talk to her about it she started crying. I felt so bad. She was afraid if she told anyone the things she was thinking and feeling, that we would try to get her baby taken from her. How sad. I told her that that is not why we ask the questions. We want to get them help if they need it and help them and their partner to be aware of it. Her and her hubby had already talked about it so I chatted with both of them about community and online resources and got a social service consult for her. I had never thought that someone might think if they answer yes to those questions or talk to their doctor about it that their baby might be taken from them, that made me so sad.

All in all I left happy. Sure wish they would fill out our appreciation cards so my supervisors would know that I give good care, but they rarely do. I think they get them in their admission packets and they are forgotten about. Would be nice to have those comments in my file. But, I am happy that they are at least in my heart and mind. It was a definite picker upper!