A Night To Remember Many people are eager to hear exciting stories about the medical world, especially from the inside of a hospital. I often get asked to share stories from my experience in nursing. “There are many more than just one,” I answer without hesitation. Nursing is the kind of profession that comes with daily excitements—good and bad. It is a profession that keeps your adrenaline continually high. If I was to pull one particular incident from my nursing career, it would not be the heroic resuscitations, nor the painful losses and not even the unexplained miracles that we would see time and time again. It would go back to the early days when I was still in nursing school. It was during my rotation in Labor and Delivery. We had to complete a certain number of hours and deliver a specific number of live babies to clear off our clinical training on this floor. It was a night shift. I was already far into my rotation. Confident and content in my skill set, I was able to deliver babies by myself with only very little supervision. I admitted a woman in her mid-thirties. She was kind and calm. Her husband was present and appeared caring. It was her third pregnancy. I can’t recall what she told me they have at home, but I remember asking her if she was expecting a boy or a girl. “We don’t know. We didn’t want to know,” she said. “Do you have any names in mind?” I asked. “Not really, “ she said. In two hours, my patient delivered a baby. Third baby. It was fairly easy. I managed to deliver her baby without episiotomy—the surgical incision of the perineum made during the second stage of labor to quickly enlarge the opening for the baby to pass through—all in efforts to prevent against soft-tissue tearing. It’s a painful thing and takes an unpleasant of time to heal. “It’s a girl,” I said as soon as the baby was out. I cut the umbilical cord, and as soon as I heard the baby’s first cry, I suctioned her mouth and nares, wrapped her, and gave her to her mother. “So, how are you going to name her?” I asked the mother. “I think I’m going to name her after you. Michelle,” she said spontaneously and a tear rolled down her face. “Really?” I asked. “Yes. You are an amazing person and you did a great job. It was the easiest delivery I’ve ever had. So, if that’s okay with you, I would like to name her Michelle.” “Of course,” I said as I choked back tears. And the rest is history. If you want to know what a moment of glory feels like, I highly recommend the nursing profession.
I believe we all have memorable stories, share yours hear. Michelle Leave a Reply. |
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