Cool stuff I've done at work.

As a new grad and new orientee I have to get checked off on a variety of skills during my orentation time. And certianly as a new nurse there are all sorts of new experiences to  be had so here are a few...
1. I've gotten checked off on venipuntures (blood draws).  Scares me a little bit because it still feels like I am going in blind.  When I've had blood draws most of the time the phlebotomist at least acts like they have xray vision and can see right through the skin to the vein. I'll keep practicing but I have a little more confidence that I'm going to get blood out.
2.  Helped with a tummy wash on a baby.  Sometimes babies get amniotic fluid, mucus or even meconium in their tummies during the delivery and it makes them spitty and fussy.  A tummy wash drops a tube from their mouth into the stomach. Then you squirt in a little sterile water. Literally roll the baby around and suck the water back out.  You do this until the water is clear.  Baby doesn't like it much but it makes their tummies feel better.
3. Practiced my Spanish. My Spanish is very limited but it is better than many on the floor. So scary enough I have had a couple SPanish only patients. We have an interpreter service we can call but for general Necesita ir a bano?(Do you need to go to the batheroom) or A que hora come el bebe? (What time did the baby eat?) my Spanish is enough.  I had a mom the other day who was having complications an dwas spanish only. Then my Spanish felt soooooooo inadequate. She was scared and there just weren't enough words to comfort her much.  She ended up being ok I just felt so bad for her.
4. Did a Foley under some amount of time pressure. I've done Foleys before but there is a specific order that you have to do them in because it is a sterile procedure and I haven't done one in a LONG time. The other nurses were really helpful and gave me guidance and I got it in on the first try!  Yeah for stretched out girl parts after a vag delivery!
5. Eaten dinner provided by a formula company.  Dearest readers, please understand that if your child ate formula I hold no judgment. Simply from a professional perspecitve and a marketing perspective the formula companies have used tactics that are questionable at best and unethical at worst. The presentation I went to was put on by a very nice grandfatherly looking guy who said breastmilk is the gold standard then said that his own children were formula fed and he really didn't see any difference.  Then he told us how their new formula rediced fussiness 20% within 24 hours. He had some nice graphics and charts but the scientist in me wanted to yell, "How exactly did you measure fussiness? And what does 20% less fussy mean anyway? And if it is so much like breastmilk how did you manage to introduce white blood cells and neutrophils that have had their inflammatory response turned off? And are formula fed babies still more likely to die in the first year or did you fix that too?"  But I didn't say a word, ate my Chickfila and felt a little dirty afterwards.
6.  Just to balance the previous rant, I had a baby who was still working on learning how to breath after birth.  He was a little grunty and hicoughy etc.  Bottlefeeding wasn't going great according to mom. He would eat 10 ccs or so then start letting it flow out of his mouth and then quit altogether.  So I got him a slow flow nipple to reduce his stress while he was eating and he did great! Very minor intervention but it made a difference to this little guy and helped his mom feel more confident.