- When I was in Junior High, I wanted to live on the East Coast. I did that when I was 23.
- I wanted to go out-of-state for college. Did that. :o)
- Many times I have thought about becoming a foster parent. I'm working on that.
- I have taken spontaneous vacations. I decided to buy my house "on a whim".
- I wish I could think of more...my mom probably could remember some, but may not appreciate her evening being interrupted by that kind of question (especially since I recall her thinking some being quite "crazy").
Today's "Idea of the Day" actually seems to have come out of nowhere, but I think I have some "ideas"...
The past couple of months, my blogging "addiction" has led me to the journals of women who have lost their babies shortly after birth. The faith and strength these women (and their husbands) exhibit is AMAZING to me! I have always considered myself "pro-life" (yes, it is a "Catholic thing", but a "me" thing too!), but I never thought about how TOUGH it would be... I am a nurse. I know that the effects of giving birth have "physical symptoms" for days/weeks following. I know that women who have c-sections can't lift heavy things or even drive for a time. I know there can be complications from both types of delivery. How much of a struggle to have those physical symptoms, but not the baby when you are out in public?! When no one else knows that you just had a baby, but you hurt emotionally and physically. Again, things I had NEVER thought about! (still "pro-life", but have a better understanding of some tough choices)
Today, I met a nurse who started working with one of the home health companies. She mentioned that she did labor and delivery for 10 years. I told her of these stories I have been reading, and how beautifully the families celebrated the life and death of their babies. She said that where she worked, they did really special things for all babies who were either not born alive, or passed away shortly after birth. She also said that she cried every time! (That actually was a little reassuring for me because I seem to be known as the "crying nurse" because the stories of these kids and their families affect my heart pretty deeply, and our kids are around for a lot longer time-frame than the day or two of a baby being born!). I guess this conversation got the wheels in my head turning!
So, back to my "idea of the day"--I think I would like to shadow a labor and delivery nurse for a shift or two or three. I did not embrace my "women's health" clinical very well when I was in college. I KNEW I wanted to be a pediatric nurse, so didn't really care about anything else. Also, the clinical instructor I had wasn't my favorite, and didn't really have an "energetic" personality, even though she definitely was passionate about women's health, especially labor and delivery. My FAVORITE nursing instructor, actually IS a labor and delivery nurse, as was one of my other favorite people from the nursing college. So, it is a little surprising that this is the first time I have had this idea! Now, I DO love my job (even though yesterday and today were quite crazy and not "super fun") and don't think I would like to make a job change. However, I do think that it is important to take advantage of learning opportunities. Since I didn't take this opportunity very seriously six years ago, there is no better time than the present. At my hospital, the Director of Women and Infant Services recently became the Director of Pediatrics and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit as well. Because we now have more of a partnership, I don't think it will be difficult to arrange. And, since I have been "bored" on my days off, laying around at home, this will be a good way to get out of the house!
How in the world my mind was thinking about this after working two LONG 12-hour shifts is beyond me, but maybe that solidifies that it is something I need to do. I guess the next step is to email my manager to find out what I would have to do!
Okay, enough thinking for the day (although, maybe that is making up for the few times today that I was NOT thinking very well...the only "mistake" I know I made was doing a VERY poor job at putting a diaper on a kid! It was SO funny because he had the BIGGEST "wedgie" and was old enough to roll over so he could show me what I did!). Thank goodness I am off tomorrow!!
Edited to add: This is the quote that was the "quote of the day" after I initially posted this entry--"You must do the things you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt Well, that about "seals the deal"...time to "test drive" something new!
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