Hump Day

It's that day in the week, when last weekend and this weekend are the same distance away, that you just want to get over so you can head full-tilt toward another weekend. It's also the last Hump Day in the midst of my last work week as a nurse's aide because next week I begin orientation for my new graduate nurse position in the NICU! Big excitement here!

This new position stands for so many things for me. Back when I was in high school, a new family moved in across the street from me, and the dad/stepdad in that family was (and still is) a neonatologist. My interest was piqued from that time on, and I sort of thought someday I would like to do something similar. This was back in the days when I still planned to go to medical school someday. Needless to say, I never went there.

When I started nursing school, this neighbor's wife told me all about how they were opening a new NICU at one of the other hospitals in our network and mentioned that they really needed nurses there. Again, my interest was piqued. I could still end up in the NICU, but in a different capacity. Interesting...

Then, I went through nursing school, and a lot of people suggested starting in a more general nursing role before moving into a specialty. I thought about that and thought that maybe it was a good idea, just to get my feet wet. Also, I noticed that many specialty areas don't hire new graduates right away, so I put my thoughts of the NICU on the back burner.

Then, my friend and classmate Kathy got hired to the NICU at the hospital in which I was already working. That was it for me. I knew what I wanted to do, and I applied for a position in the NICU, and I got it. And now I start orientation on Monday. And I can't wait! However, I will miss my coworkers on the floor on which I now work. And I will miss the staff from other departments (like physical therapy, speech therapy, and internal medicine) who don't really ever make it to the NICU. I am sure I will see them from time to time, but it won't be like working with them every day!

In other news, my friend Amy's very stubborn baby who was due on January 11 (a full six days ago) is still warm and cozy on the inside and has not yet made his or her appearance out here in the real world. Let's go, baby! We are waiting for you!