As seems to be my new thing after working 3 to 4 nights in a row, I have something on my mind from work last night. Every NICU runs things a bit differently and I am still learning things about my current job. Each night that we work, there is one nurse assigned to be in Charge, one to be the Transport nurse (just in case we need to go pick up a baby from another hospital) and one is the Transitional Nurse (TN). The TN's job is to go to all the L&D deliveries that we are called to. We are typically called to any delivery involving multiple births, any fetal distress during labor, all C/S's, etc. Last week I has 2 nights of "orientation" to TN. Both of these nights we got 1 call to L&D and the babies were already born with no issues, so we didnt' really have to do anything. Us being there was more of a formality than a need. Then, after my "orientation" I am expected to go by myself to these deliveries. I am a fairly confident nurse, but I didn't quite feel I was ready, so my first night as TN I made another nurse go with me to my calls. Again, all the babies were fine. I learned the basic procedure though, so now I am on my own as TN.
Last night was a very quiet night. I didn't get paged at all until around 5am. The call is for a C/S because the mom wasn't "progressing" - which is L&D code for it is almost change of shift and they want to get the baby delivered - and because the baby was have some decels. I had been feeding a baby, so I put the baby back in his bed and headed oer to the OR. When I walked in to the OR, putting my gloves on, the baby is already born. The nurse places the baby on the warmer and then walks away. This baby is not crying, not breathing, and blue. I don't even have my gloves on yet and she walked away! The neonatologist wasn't even there yet and at this hospital no respiratory therapists come to the deliveries! I was completely freaked out! I had to ask 2 different nurses to get over there and stimulate the baby while I got my gloves on before a 3rd finally came over to help me! She starts stimulating while I try to get oxygen ready (because they had it all there but nothing was open or turned on!). Long story short, the baby is ok, but those nurses are unbelievable! What kind of nurse can put a blue, not crying, no breathing baby down and then just walk away! By the time the doctor arrived I had the baby stabilized, but holy cow! I was scared out of my mind and those nurses were useless! When I first walked up to the bedside one of the nurses is standing beside me trying to tell me the mom's history while this baby is crashing right in front of us! I had to tell her to shut up and help me. I know that probably sounds mean, but goodness! What is wrong with people!
Ok...I am done now. The baby ending up being fine and apparently I have officially been initiated into the TN position. My charge nurse said is did well and the neonatologist said I did what I was supposed to do. So, now I can go to sleep after 4 long nights at work and not have to go back to that place for 2 whole days! Yipee!
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