August 30, 2005
NICU nurses are some of the most astounding people I will ever meet on
God’s green earth. Maybe it’s because I grew up around
conservative left-wing fanatical’s, who generally have a vaguely
suspicious attitude toward the rest of the world. Whatever the case, I
leave the NICU every night pretty much astonished with how nice people
can be. It’s like Barbie meets Ronald Reagan, with a healthy
dose of Andy Griffith, but as comforting as your favorite
Grandmother. I sheepishly admit I can get along with
anybody, but underneath it all I can be harshly critical.
However, even the worst nurses are nicer and more competent
than…well me ( not that I’m either of
those).. Still, I find it somewhat frustrating, that just when I
get used to having one nurse, twelve hours later I get a new
one. With one hundred and seventy five nurses, rotating
between sixty babies, it’s rather improbable you’ll get the same
nurse for more than a couple times (if you’re lucky). On the
bright side, every single nurse has their own opinions about a
variety of things (burping, nursing, bottle feeding) it’s like a crash
course in parenting every twelve hours, so I’m not complaining.
By the time we take Jamie home, we should be experts (ha, ha)
A few the more memorable ones.
Rachel: Cutest, most beautiful nurse you’ll ever meet.
Except for the missing white dress and hat, she was the stereotypical
nurse you’d picture in a Norman Rockwell painting. Helpful, funny
and humble, I sincerely hope she wins some sort of medal.
Dahli: Probably my least favorite nurse, but definitely one of
the wisest. She was an ancient little Chinese lady, with
more tricks up her sleeve than….(I’m not sure what). The
other nurses joked about how she’d been in the NICU for thousands of
years. She rules the place in her own sort of way. Even the
Dr.’s run terrified from her. I don’t know if she didn’t
speak much English, or if she just enjoyed repeating, “You
no do right….you amateur mother”. all the time. After
about two hours of nearly putting me in tears, I discovered her
bite really wasn’t as bad as her bark.
Paula: Stands above the crowd for having no
personality. Sometimes I had the evil desire to pinch her
and see if she was real, or just a realistic looking
droid. I still have a sneaking suspicion she’s not
quite human, some how she was vaguely like Data from
StarTrek. She did absolutely everything perfectly,
she was perfectly nice, perfectly competent, so I don’t have anything
to complain about, it was just a little eerie.
Mark: I never would have guessed that the gay, male nurse
from New Zealand would be more helpful than the lactation specialist
when it came to breastfeeding. Oh well for
stereotypes. He’s also the most intelligent nurse
I’ve had
yet, and if not the most intelligent, he was definitely the most
interesting conversationalist. While most nurses discreetly
stand in the background keeping an attentive eye on your baby and
monitor, Mark pulls up a chair and carries on a lively
conversation about any number of cool and fascinating
things. It was a nice change.
Well I’m off to the NICU again. I apologize for the lack of
diversity in blog entries. When my life ceases to consist
entirely of eating, sleeping, or living in the NICU, I’m sure
I’ll include fascinating things like, what diaper brand I like best, or
whether or not Carter’s or OshKosh makes the best baby
clothes.
Until then…
God’s green earth. Maybe it’s because I grew up around
conservative left-wing fanatical’s, who generally have a vaguely
suspicious attitude toward the rest of the world. Whatever the case, I
leave the NICU every night pretty much astonished with how nice people
can be. It’s like Barbie meets Ronald Reagan, with a healthy
dose of Andy Griffith, but as comforting as your favorite
Grandmother. I sheepishly admit I can get along with
anybody, but underneath it all I can be harshly critical.
However, even the worst nurses are nicer and more competent
than…well me (
those).. Still, I find it somewhat frustrating, that just when I
get used to having one nurse, twelve hours later I get a new
one. With one hundred and seventy five nurses, rotating
between sixty babies, it’s rather improbable you’ll get the same
nurse for more than a couple times (if you’re lucky). On the
bright side, every single nurse has their own opinions about a
variety of things (burping, nursing, bottle feeding) it’s like a crash
course in parenting every twelve hours, so I’m not complaining.
By the time we take Jamie home, we should be experts (ha, ha)
A few the more memorable ones.
Rachel: Cutest, most beautiful nurse you’ll ever meet.
Except for the missing white dress and hat, she was the stereotypical
nurse you’d picture in a Norman Rockwell painting. Helpful, funny
and humble, I sincerely hope she wins some sort of medal.
Dahli: Probably my least favorite nurse, but definitely one of
the wisest. She was an ancient little Chinese lady, with
more tricks up her sleeve than….(I’m not sure what). The
other nurses joked about how she’d been in the NICU for thousands of
years. She rules the place in her own sort of way. Even the
Dr.’s run terrified from her. I don’t know if she didn’t
speak much English, or if she just enjoyed repeating, “You
no do right….you amateur mother”. all the time. After
about two hours of nearly putting me in tears, I discovered her
bite really wasn’t as bad as her bark.
Paula: Stands above the crowd for having no
personality. Sometimes I had the evil desire to pinch her
and see if she was real, or just a realistic looking
droid. I still have a sneaking suspicion she’s not
quite human, some how she was vaguely like Data from
StarTrek. She did absolutely everything perfectly,
she was perfectly nice, perfectly competent, so I don’t have anything
to complain about, it was just a little eerie.
Mark: I never would have guessed that the gay, male nurse
from New Zealand would be more helpful than the lactation specialist
when it came to breastfeeding. Oh well for
stereotypes. He’s also the most intelligent nurse
I’ve had
yet, and if not the most intelligent, he was definitely the most
interesting conversationalist. While most nurses discreetly
stand in the background keeping an attentive eye on your baby and
monitor, Mark pulls up a chair and carries on a lively
conversation about any number of cool and fascinating
things. It was a nice change.
Well I’m off to the NICU again. I apologize for the lack of
diversity in blog entries. When my life ceases to consist
entirely of eating, sleeping, or living in the NICU, I’m sure
I’ll include fascinating things like, what diaper brand I like best, or
whether or not Carter’s or OshKosh makes the best baby
clothes.
Until then…
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