The card

I haven't posted in a while....  But, things are still going well at work.  I love working but am glad to have a break when I'm not...  We have some really interesting antepartum patients currently that I've been learning a lot from.  One patient has a complete placenta previa.  My stress level goes up 100% when I go in and see my name next to her room number indicating that I'm her nurse for the shift.  

I've had some good births and some not so good ones...  One night in particular was a difficult one.  There were several things brewing on the floor that night...  Another nurse had a postpartum patient who had to be transferred to ICU.  At the same time my pitocin induction patient started to have late decelerations.  I felt like I was walking a tight rope all night ..  trying to up her pit so she could deliver but not up it too much so the infant wouldn't become distressed in utero.  

It was stressful to say the least and the doctor on call for the night was one who does not handle stress very well... he just makes the situation more stressful, usually, and is NOT calm under pressure.  Then there was an incident where I called the anesthesiologist to place an epidural for my patient and when he arrived I was starting an amnioinfusion, so I told him he wouldn't be able to start it until after I finished the amnioinfusion set up.... Well, that didn't go over well at all.  

By the end of that night one doctor actually yelled at me (for waking him at 2am and then not being able to start the epidual immedicately when he showed up) and the other doctor was borderline rude and short with me all night....   I did break down at one point in the break room and cry.....   But I pulled it together and made it through the rest of the night with the patient - ended in an emergency cesarean section that we all saw coming.  I think the stress got to everyone that night....   And, in the morning, one of the doctors actually apologized to me for his actions and told me I did a good job handling the difficult induction.

As nice as that apology was, is wasn't nearly as nice as the card I received about 3 weeks later.  The patient who I was caring for that long and stressful night mailed a card to the hospital's maternity unit for me.  She handwrote a lovely message telling me how much she appreciated all the efforts I made to care for her and make sure she and her son had a safe and special birth.  It meant the world to me that she would take time from being a new mother and address a thank you note to me....  After all the sweat and tears that night brought me... to know that the mother appreciated my care and that I was able to shield her for the stress of that night and make her feel safe and special.  It was a simple gesture from her...but one that really touched me.  

I do not remember my labor nurses at all.  I'm not sure why...  But, I know I will remember some of my labor patients for ever.