5 years

5 years in March!

I've been a nurse for 5 years.

When I started there was no Daily, no Franklin and no house.

5 years (mostly) of night shift.

5 years of amazing 7pm-7:30am with outstanding nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, housekeepers, pharmacists, pharmacy techs, logistics people, nursing assistants, charge nurses, new nurses, security officers, police officers and so many other people who march on at odd hours making the outstanding place where I work work.

I love it so much.

I love the pace (that seems to change every time I've figured it out). I love the problem solving. I love the tasks, plans, the constant change, the learning, the conversations, the teamwork, the frustrations and the rest.

I've done a lot in 5 years.

• Worked through 38 weeks of pregnancy at work then a baby Daily (worked the Sunday before her Tuesday birth day).
• Worked through 34 weeks of pregnancy at work (then 2 weeks inpatient at Prentice Women's Hospital where I could look out a window and see my work) then a dramatic arrival of baby Franklin.
• Became a Certified Pediatric Nurse.
• Got completely oriented to our PICU, NICU, CCU, Emergency Room.
• Earned my Advance Nurse clinical ladder promotion (like a promotion, except no job change, just demonstrating that you are doing higher-level work). 
• Joined 2 committees.
• Got promoted to be a co-hospital-wide representative on one committee.
• Made about thousand amazing friends.
• Worked three Christmases, a New Year's, random summer holidays and every single daylight savings Fall Back Nights where you work an extra hour (why is this not more clearly marked on my personal calendar?). 
• Helped a dozen or so nurses learn the ropes as a preceptor.
• Learned something new every single shift taking care of wonderful, wonderful kids and their outstanding families. 
• Gah! So thankful. I can't EVEN.

Whoa! Five years! Cheers to many more.