Work Update

Friday was a difficult call shift. I was at work for 14 hours, which isn’t bad. But I didn’t get to eat breakfast or lunch because we were so busy so I didn’t get to eat until about 20:00. 

I had to fully clean one of our birth suits while I was there because we had three moms in labor and two birth with us. We only have three birth suits so we had to have one clean and open in case another mom came in. 

Went home with a raging migraine that night. My call shift today has been much better. I am still on call for 4 more hours but I haven’t had to go in yet. I’ve just been working from home because our office is open today. Phone calls, entering labs, emailing clients.

We also have a new hire from about a month ago. She isn’t a new nurse, but working at our clinic is just so different from a hospital and we released her from training too early. I tried saying I didn’t think she was ready but I got out voted. I’ve been the one on call when she’s in office and I have to go back into everything she does to double check there are no mistakes or HIPPA violations.

I’ve been kind of surprised that as a seasoned L&D nurse she doesn’t know how to triage calls for things like spotting or unusual discharge. She also gives clients inaccurate breastfeeding info.

Anyways, my clinical director told me two weeks ago that I’m “basically becoming her charge nurse this summer” but won’t be getting any actual promotion. I have been working here 9.5 months, full time 7 months and never gotten a raise. I’m asking for a private meeting with my directors on Friday and asking for a raise then.

Wish me luck!

Uneventful call shift until 1630. Got called in, missed baby being born. SGA with low blood sugar and complicated breastfeeding. Hand expression for 45min and 1-1.5mL syringe fed to baby. Sugars back WNL. However I couldn't get the discharge process going before end of my shift at 2100 so had to call in the next RN.

Fun addition to this shift- I had a headache start around 1200. Going in forced a moderate HA into a moderate migraine. Now home with an aura, nausea, sensitivity to light, sound, and motion. Have to be in clinic by 0700 too. Love this for me!

Gotta go in at the start of my call shift because one mom is about to give birth. Probably will be there until 1 or 2am at the earliest. Oh, and another mom is in early labor at home so if she comes in tonight I'll be there even longer...

Full-time and salary paid now so I don't get paid per birth either... oh well. In a field I wanted and getting good experience.

Quick life update

Currently a zombie. Worked a 10 hour office day Thursday. Worked on call Thursday night through Friday morning with 2 deliveries. Was awake for 29 hours straight. Was on call all day Saturday. Had 3 postpartum appointments that day and worked 6 hours. Tried a new bible study and went to service on Sunday and also did a 2 & 1/2 hour premarital counseling session that afternoon...

And I had a paper due yesterday night that I'm just starting today. Thankfully I thought ahead and asked for a 24 hour extension last week which I was given. So today I have to crank out a 5 page nursing philosophy paper for my bachelor's transition program.

Also trying to schedule appointments for all these taste testings and photographer meetings for my wedding.

I'll sleep next year. It's fine. I'm fine.

Hurricane Dorian

All the term mommas going into labor because of stress and anxiety and giving us so much work... for nothing because now Dorian isn't even really effecting west Florida... lol

My life currently...

Completed birth assistant training and already did a solo shift and birth. Completed training for MA when I need to cover that position. About halfway through with RN office training. Engaged. Planning my ceremony and reception (doing in unconventionally and will explain more later). Planning my sister's baby shower. And my RN to BSN online program starts Monday...

So much that has happened/that is happening this month and I never would have expected to feel this happy and content while being so stressed lol. God truly works in mysterious ways. 💝

Training is done!

And just like that, I'm done with birth assistant training. The other nurse didn't even get there until after baby was delivered, mom transferred to bed, cord clamped and cut, placenta delivered and I had completed vitals on mom and baby.

My first solo on call shift is Saturday.

NRP Certified!

Passed my check off and one step closer to being qualified to be the only person at a birth to assist the midwife

Update

I am so exhausted. There have been so many births this week. I worked an 11 hour day in the office on Wednesday. Then at 10:30 that night I got called in for a birth. Got home at like 4 am. Worked a half day in office on Thursday starting at 1pm. Then Friday at 1:30 am I got called in for a birth. Got home at 7. Got a shower and ate then had to be back at work at 8:30 for our monthly staff meeting. I stayed for an on call postpartum visit as well. Got home at 2pm.

They gave me that afternoon and yesterday until 9pm off so that I could sleep. There was a birth while I was off. Thankfully there wasn't a birth last night. I am like half way back to being caught up with my messed up sleep schedule.

I need to attend one more birth before that part of training for my job is done. I finished training for the MA office position that I'll cover when people need time off and this week I'll train for the RN office position.

Can't wait until all training is done because during training I get paid half for the office hourly wage and about a quarter for the birth rate.

More office training today while I'm on call waiting for another birth. Hopefully this momma who's 11 days past her due date will deliver today or tomorrow so I can be there. I've seen her in the office 3 times already and she's super sweet 💝

Work Update

I have today off work and not on-call so I can meal prep and get errands done. Then I work Wednesday and Thursday.

I think I only need to attend two more births before I’m done training!

I get my NRP certification next Tuesday. I got into an employees only class at a hospital downtown. I’m going to be this new RN working at a natural birth center with all these ER nurses with much different equipment and protocols. The instructor already emailed me and told me she’d tried to figure out adjusted pathways based on what I have available at my facility.

Excited for everything to be official and concrete!

Aaannnd I'm on call again... for the whole week...

Got called in at 1am last night. First time getting called in while I was asleep.

Precipitous labor and baby beat me there. Minor postpartum hemorrhage, but we got it under control.

I headed home around 6am and didn't go in for office training today since I was practically up all night. I'm still on call until tomorrow at 9pm so they just want me rested so I can come in for any more births.

I need to practice my discharge teaching and continue studying for my NRP certification, but I think overall the nurses who are training me are saying I'm doing good. This is definitely a much better training experience than that pediatric office. Everyone here wants to see me succeed!

I got called in at 6 o'clock and got ready and left and right as I was parking my shadow nurse called again and we missed the birth by 10min... I'm still waiting for my shadow nurse to get here then I'm gunna help out with the aftermath... total bummer though.

Being on call sucks... I feel like I can't start doing anything because at any moment I could get called in for a birth. I need to get groceries and meal prep too...

On-call Update

First night on-call and no one went into labor...

I talked with the nurse yesterday who interviewed me at the birth center and I’m going to stay on-call through Friday afternoon to increase my chances of seeing a birth.

Once I see a birth there we can start the next process of me getting hired hopefully!