Job Satisfaction

I just happened to be talking to a good friend yesterday telling her about my job, why I chose where I did, and that I wanted to be able to keep some of these memories in writing. The 'joke' in my house is that I will be the earliest person with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Oh, we are not making fun of Alzheimer's make no mistake. But in regarding everything but my job my memory is, well, let's just say sucky. And getting worse. I've had some of the most amazing times in my job I would like to be able to look back and say, 'yeah that was when..'. Now me of all people know how strict the rules are about patients and their history, so sorry these stories will have to be selfishly be about me only. I'll try to keep the boredom to a minimum.

I went to nursing school with the sole intention of being a labor and delivery nurse. I never had any desire to do anything else. In fact, it was a labor and delivery nurse that convinced me that I was smart enough and still young enough to tackle nursing. Her name was Cynthia. Remind me to thank her because I will probably forget. I was working as a bartender at Texas Roadhouse and her and her husband would come in often. For some reason, I ended up taking care of them a lot. Our talks would usually end up to her job and where I saw myself in the future. She had no reason, no investment in me. But she sure did encourage. I already knew how hard nursing school would be but she gave me all the reasons what the hard work would be for. Also at this time was another co-worker going through nursing school. She was making it. Everyone said she was the smartest person in her class, but it gave me something to hold on to.

So I did it. Graduated, new baby and all. Wasn't that hard. Ha! Got my dream job right off the bat. Night shift, every weekend, night shift. Well that was a mood killer. Do you know how hard it is to work when everyone else is off? My good friend did it for years but I still think she's a ninja. Finally got my break to go to night shift 7 on 7 off. Woo hoo! So I thought. Turns out, I wasn't sleeping so well during the day. Three days of it is tolerable but 5 or 6 makes you a littttllleee batty. I would wake up after a couple of hours of sleep in a panic, thinking it was 6 or 7 at night (yeah right) crying because the kids were left at daycare. After trying to console me for a little while my husband, Josh eventually gave into to making it funny. He would bust into to the room, "Babe! Did you forget to get the girls!!!?!?" Yeah, that is a part I would like to forget. Some people are born nightshifters. The others have to work a little harder at it.

Fast forward a few years, now I am finally on my dream schedule of my dream job. Oh yeah, I make a whole lot less money on this shift. But I like to say I make up in personality what I lose in the paycheck. Josh tells me my eyes light up when I get to tell people what I do for a living. That I even get to come to a job like this everyday is amazing. Is it always a bed of roses because it's someones special day?! Well I can share this with you, I've been bitten, scratched, hit, kicked, peed on, cussed at, threatened, cried for nights or weeks at a time. I have also been hugged, kissed, prayed with, prayed about, cried, cried over, given thank you cards, given thank you gifts, given pictures, laughed with, and loved. I most definitely think you have to be called to be a labor and delivery nurse. Sure I don't have the skill set of med-surg nurse. But she/he doesn't have mine! These days though, I am not foolish enough to say I will be a labor and delivery nurse to the end of my career. God is mighty. Who am I to say I will be a labor and delivery nurse forever? I want to be where I can serve Him the most, the very best. That's what will bring me the most job satisfaction. Help me Lord not to forget!