Babies aren't always bundles of joy...

I am going to preface this by saying - I don't wish ill on babies.  In a perfect world - all babies would be home snuggling with their mom and dads.  Healthy.

Unfortunately, some babies aren't always that healthy.  Some babies end up in the Neonatal ICU.  Some of them end up at the very Neonatal ICU at the very hospital in which I work as a pediatric float nurse.  And when these babies end up in that Neonatal ICU as my patients I prefer them to be heavily sedated.  Because non-sedated babies cry all night.  They require feedings and they require me to stick their little feet for blood (which is never fun for either parties) and they require diaper changes round the clock.  Some of them, I truly believe are spiteful little creatures.

Some people would think playing with babies all day would be an ideal job.  Some people.  I was one of those people.  Which is why I left my crazy, hectic, busy job in the ER (where I saw many a trauma, homeless person, neighborhood crazy what have you) because I thought babies were calmer.  I wanted to work in an ICU - a controlled setting where they are all neat and cozy on their bed.  Hooked up to monitors and not peeing in the garbage cans.

So I left.

I can't say I regret the move completely.  I outgrew the ER.  I stopped learning.  And when I work in the ICU, I do learn a lot more.  But the nights that I get the "non-sick" babies - I can't help but feel like a glorified, overpaid, baby feeder.  Plus I got breast milk on my scrubs.  Which is gross.

Anyway, I will end this by saying - I don't wish babies to be sick, but if they must be sick, then I would rather THEM be my patients.  Because there is nothing cuter than a sleeping, WELL SEDATED bundle of premature adorableness.  It also helps when they don't have overbearing parents who visit all the time.  I'm just saying.

On that note, I must head out to work now.