NICU-there for the first breath, and sometimes, the last.
I love my job. Granted the hours are long and working on the weekend and holidays kind of stinks. But it is never boring. Within our staff of about 100 nurses I work with a different set of 15-20 nurses on any given shift. We all have our strengths and weaknesss, our likes and dislikes. We work well together most of the time. We are not just friendly, we are friends. Not all of us are buddy-buddy but there is always someone there who you can connect with, who has an interest in you and your life and you in theirs. The work is exciting and tedious and often overwhelming. And that's where we really shine.
The hard days are the dying days. That's why I love my coworkers. They watch out for me when it's my turn to see a baby to their last breath. I do the same for them. I can't write specifics here. Patient confidentiality, HIPPA. But I've had 2 days in the lady couple of months that have brought me to my knees in grief, and in prayer. My people get it. It can't be explained to those on the outside. Those that do it, know.
