"Where kids come first"

Lurie Children's slogan is more than just a slogan, I have come to find it is a work ethic and a mission that the staff take very seriously.  I seem to be fitting in with that vision too.  I've been working for almost two weeks now and I am just shy of obsessed with my job.  When talking to my mom and aunt brina about my first day on speaker phone last weekend, aunt asked "Do you think you found your calling?" and I think I just might have.  My job description as a student nurse assistant is pretty simple and the same as any SNA at another hospital:  check vitals, change beds, help kids wash up, measure I & O, stock rooms for new admissions and strip rooms after discharge.

What I love about my job is my clientele.  The kids are amazing!  I love that I have to check in with a patient before I leave for the shift because he wants to show me another magic trick.  I love that I get to bring a crying girl a popsicle after the IV team put a new IV in.  I love that I can teach a 4 year old boy that his name starts with the letter N.  I love that I can have a mini dance party to make a 9 year old smile before transport comes to take them down for a procedure.  I love that I can sit and rock a 2 1/2 year old to sleep because he cries when left alone in his room.  I love that I can relate to a patient's Justin Bieber fetish.  I love that I can boost the confidence of a wheelchair bound child by commenting on their "guns" and how strong they are.  I truly love my job!

I've had patients aged 7 weeks old to 21 years old so every day is something new.  I've worked on a neuro floor, a respiratory and infectious disease floor and a transplant floor.  I've caught on pretty fast and this week the CNA that proctored me said while he's trained about 100 nurse assistants, I was by far the best and was going to be an awesome nurse.  He kept saying I saved him that day because he had a heavy caseload with kids that needed vital checks every hour and some every two hours.  Today, when I was making my final rounds and saying goodbye, a patient told me she didn't want me to leave because "I was so nice and funny and pretty." She might be a slightly delayed, but she's got enough going on upstairs to see my true colors!  Next week I hit up the hem/onc floor (blood disorders and cancer) which people keep telling me is where the sick, sick kids are.  I am looking forward to seeing if that is where I really want to be after experiencing a week in the life of...