The hospital at night
As a nurse, there are certain things that make you cringe. Not all of them are necessarily gross and involve body processes or fluids. One of the things that makes me cringe is eye surgery. I can't stand watching eye surgery. I can stand surgery...but poking around in someone's eye and peeling off their corneas while they are conscious gives me the creeps. This is why I am leery of getting LASIK eye surgery.....I don't know if I have the courage or the strength to be able to sit in that chair and have my lenses removed. One other thing that makes me cringe is.....A full moon.
(insert scary discordant music here)
Anyone who works or knows someone who works in law enforcement, medicine, psychiatry, and seniors homes shudders at the thought of working during the night of a full moon. Strange things happen during a full moon. When I used to work with dementia patients during university, things would get weird during the night. Those were nights that I would come home scratching my head with confusion because I didn't understand what the heck happened during my shift. It is a few years later and I work in a whole different field, but I still cringe at the thought of working during a full moon.
Did anyone happen to look at the sky last night????
Anywho. I was sitting at Tim's last night waiting for my steeped tea (and making sure it was steeped tea....I was given coffee the night before by mistake...booo!). I looked up into the sky and lo and behold....a moon. A full moon. "Alright Morgo" I said to myself..."how can tonight be any different than last night or the night before or the night before? You can do this! You so totally rock!" To which I respond "Dude!" and set off to work.
Things started off great. My patient was going to be having her 5th baby, she had a healthy pregnancy, things were going well in her labour, and the obstetrician looking after her was in the building waiting for my call. Remember this point.
So 25 minutes into my shift the obstetrician gives me a call before falling asleep himself. "How is she doing? Should I stay up for a while?" There had been a note left for me to let him know when my patient was 7 cm dilated. "She is doing great" I respond. "She is coping well, the baby's heart rate is normal, and she is 6 cm dilated. Will you be by to see her soon?" To which the obstetrician replies "I will be there shortly, I won't be going to bed for a while".
Excellent.
Hang on, my patient needs to pee. Sure! Did you just say you needed to push? (dammit I just checked you......6 cm only 5 minutes ago)...alright, I'll help you back to bed and we'll make sure things are ready for you to push. I think I should call the obstetrician back. Wait....are you pushing?? Wait!!!
So there I was, 12:15 in the morning with a baby in my half-gloved hand on the bed (I was lucky to get half a glove on one hand) and the voice of the charge nurse through the intercom asking what I needed..as I had pushed my call bell button seconds before delivering a baby. The baby squawked...thank God! and the charge nurse yells "I'll be right there!!!". So ends my first solo delivery. A baby girl, 7lbs 6 oz. Cute as a button, and in a hurry nonetheless. Thank goodness my charge nurse came in at that point, because I needed an extra hand. The obstetrician came in moments later, and we all shared a good laugh. I then had to explain to the disappointed student intern who wanted to help with the delivery that there was no time to call him. All in all, both mom and baby are doing great.
Sigh. Sometimes I wonder...why??? I suppose all L&D nurses should catch (I mean "deliver") a baby at one time or another...and I guess my time happened to be one windy Saturday night in July during a full moon.
Is the moon still full tonight???
posted by MorPRi @ 8:04 PM
3 Comments:
They should name the baby after you...at least that name is better than "Impatient and in a hurry"
Awww! THat's Awesome!!!
Morgan,
As I just got back from CAlgary I couldn't reply earlier. CONGRATULATIONS on your first solo delivery. You rock, lady!
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