Pulled to PEDS

Oh, how I love my job! I have decided that I was meant to work in the health care field! Really, I do believe this is my destiny! ("You are my density, I mean . . . destiny")

Every once in a while, an area or floor of the hospital is short staffed, and so they request a PCT or RN from another floor. On Mom/Baby, each PCT takes turns to get 'pulled' to another floor. Most people don't like to be pulled because you're on a floor you're unfamiliar with, and doing routines you're not accustomed to. Tonight PEDS at AF was short staffed, and it was my turn to be pulled. I wasn't super excited about it, but wasn't dreading it since my cute Sister Janice works there. Honestly, I love it here! I really love taking care of people and helping people through difficult situations! On Mom/Baby it's nice because most people are excited to be there. They are at the hospital for a good reason. Other floors- not so much! I got pulled to TCC a few weeks ago, and I didn't like it AT ALL! TCC stands for Transitional Care Center. Basically, it's where older people go when they don't need constant care like ICU or Med/Surg, but aren't ready to go home. (Sometimes, they'll go to a nursing home like my mom did when she had her hip replacement). That particular night it was full of geriatric patients, and I'm just really not comfortable taking care of old people! But here at PEDS it's totally different. I love it! The kids are so cute! It's hard to see the kids so sick, but it's a really great feeling when you make a child, that you know doesn't feel good, smile. It's so rewarding! Jan has talked about having some mom/baby PCT's orient to the PEDS floor too, and I think it's a great idea. I would love to!

We've got a couple of kids here tonight with the flu. It's so sad! The kids are so miserable! It's amazing how strong kids are though. One little girl in particular- she's six ( and she's here with her 3 year old sister, who's also sick!) she's coughing and throwing up and has a fever and to top it all off, she's got juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. When I first went in tonight, she just looked so miserable. I sat and talked with her for a little while, and we kinda played a little bit. After a few minutes I had her smiling and laughing, and I was just amazed! It really just amazes me how strong these kids are! I haven't seen her or her sister cry at all tonight. And it's been so fun to take care of them.

Really, it's such a blessing that I love my job. I like to think of it as a tender mercy from the Lord. As if He were saying "Chelle, I know you don't want to work, but since you have to at this point in your life, I'm going to make it as enjoyable as possible."

What a blessing!