I can lead the most interesting/bizarre work life from time to time. While I try to avoid everyone's personal "drama", working in the medical profession, even though it's with the babies in both NICU and the lab, it seems as though you're gonna rub elbows with drama whether you want to or not!
Today was a day like that. First of all, I was running late, through my own idiocy of not having prepared the little things that get me out the door on time the night before. And, getting out the door even two minutes later than normal changes the traffic pattern just enough to make a difference. So, I was four minutes late. That runs about normal for me, and it's a bad habit I'm trying so hard to break.
Anyway, once in the NICU, the phone rang before I even got my bag set down. Had to go draw a baby in Mother-Baby. Walked in the room and there's Mom, glassy-eyed. After a while you can spot the first time moms a mile away. How? They're the ones who are trying so hard to adjust to the role of motherhood, they overdo. They hold the baby at the tiniest of whimpers, they breast feed for hours because someone told them that babies need to be at the breast for comfort, and the one that cracks me up the most is when they shush us because "my husband is exhausted". Ummmm...did he just push an 8 lb. child out of his body?
Anyway, she reluctantly handed me the baby and asked me to pick up the baby's stocking cap which had landed on the floor. I told her we'd find a new hat for baby. Ugh. You never want to pick up and use anything that has been on a hospital floor. No five second rule on that one!
I finished the draw, and happily, baby stayed asleep. (I use my "grandma magic" on 'em.) Mom needed to get up and go to the bathroom, so I assisted her in getting stood up, and watched her pale as her c-section reacted to the movement, plus the horrible feeling of one's guts falling out. I was pretty proud of her, though, for having the moxie to want to do things on her own. So many don't.
Back to the nursery, and the next three draws were difficult for one reason or another. Then one of my favorite nurses stuck her head in the lab door.
"Kate, will you come do a fingerstick on bed 12?"
*sigh* Protocol-wise, I'm never supposed to do a fingerstick on a baby less than a year old without jumping through some hoops. But, given the situation of that particular Warrior Baby, I agreed to do it, even though it might create a situation where I'd get written up.
The issue on that one is that the mother was in the room. Fingersticks on babies can be messy. You can't believe how strong those wee fingers can be. This one was no exception. But, mom was hovering, she didn't want the baby upset, she wanted quiet in the room, lights low. I looked at mom and said, "You know, I need to see what I'm doing, I'm the old blind lady!" I had to draw "across" the baby, too, because Mom wouldn't give up her space and the hand closest to me had a PICC line in it, so it was unusable. I needed two tubes. I only got one and about half the other. More hoops to jump through with the doctor.
By this time the rest of the team has a pretty good dent in morning labs, and I'm on my 4th draw. Sheesh. If time management looked at my stats for the day, they'd be horrified. LOL. Do I care? Hell no. I'm the senior lab tech on the floor and I believe it's my responsibility to deal with those difficult draws.
The next draw was one of my favorite nurses in another area. She just got a new puppy last weekend, so I asked her how things were going. Ugh. Potty training.
They'd had the pup to the vets like a new puppy owner should. So, in the conversation I heard that they were having problems with puppy pottying when he was supposed to, and he was being a good boy and not pottying in his crate. So, he's got the idea! We talked more and I found out that the vet had told them to free feed the puppy.
Well, no WONDER! You can't predict when a pup is gonna "go" when there's no controlled eating pattern. And the vet told them, also, that they were not allowed to take the puppy for walks until all the shots had been completed. Good grief. Let's make damn sure the pup gets NO socialization during the vital months.
So, we had a little chat about feeding, and general puppy raising, which I do know may not agree with everyone elses' ideas. But, she certainly got my opinion! What she does with that opinion is entirely up to her.
And, the next bit of drama is still unfolding. We have a co-worker who has mysteriously disappeared. Apparently she's been sent back to her home country. Film at 11.
Anyway, dinner is finally done, I'm getting to my email and some other things before the end of the day. But, wanted to jot some thoughts down here.
Until next time!
Kate
No comments:
Post a Comment