Nights....

Many of you know, I started a new job about 3 weeks ago on the pediatric floor at the hospital that I've been working with previously. It been quite an adjustment being on my feet for about 12 hours, taking the bus home from work (my loving husband usually can take me to work), remembering IV fluid calculations and waking up my dormant nursing assessment skills. The biggest change has been relearning how to work nights shifts and still managing to lead a somewhat "normal" social/functional schedule on my days off. Even though it's a BEAUTIFUL thing to work 3 12s in a row and then have 5 or 6 days off, I feel very much like a sloth during half of those days off and my body doesn't know if it's time for morning coffee or an evening glass of red wine.

 I find myself thinking, should I nap now? Or save my slumber for tonight with my husband? Do I dare caffinate myself in the morning when I have to work that night? Can I go for a run, or will that wake me up too much?  What day is it? Is that a sunrise or a sunset?  I don't know.  I'm sure i'll get more used to working night shifts, but I don't know if it'll ever get "easier".  And I've decided that that's ok. For now. =)

Mad props to my hubby for putting up with delerious, tearful, cranky me when it's 7pm and I want to go to bed.

Here's a glimpse of my patient load thus far: 18yo suicidal ingestion, 10 day old w fevers, 7mo seizures, 16yo head lesion, 2yo appendectomy, 5 yo flu. - 'tis the season for flu! And I've had patients from Mexico, Russia, Nepal, Honduras - not quite my international delight like at my previous clinic, but it'll somewhat satisfies my craving for diversity.

At times, while all the kiddos are tucked in and medicated for the night - I've got an opportunity to get to know some coworkers, and chit chat over our caffeine of choice. Then we get an admission and chit chat's over...

It's a good time, and I'm so grateful I'm physically able to work and that God has blessed me with an employer who gives me a paycheck!  As newlyweds, we're trying to whittle down debt and be wise stewards with what we've been given - it's hard, but worth it!


And ps.  I've definitely fallen asleep on the bus heading home. yup.