Last week during a very busy day in the NICU, we were called to the emergency c/s of 27 week twins who were expected to be very sick. Things were a little tense and slightly chaotic in the OR. We got both babies back to the NICU and I sat down at a computer to put in orders while the baby was getting surfactant. I started chatting with a student nurse who had been observing the delivery and admission. I felt like I just blurted out some random “fun facts” about placentation in twins, twin-to-twin transfusions syndrome, fetoscopic laser ablation and preemie care. I didn’t think much about the conversation and went to put in umbilical lines. When I was finishing up, one of the nurses came by and asked who had taken the time to tell her student “everything about the babies.” I mentioned that I had a brief discussion with a student but it certainly did not cover everything. She told me that whatever it was that I said had her student just beaming. The student had gone back to her preceptor and told her all the things I had “taught” her in that simple conversation. The nurse thanked me for taking the time to work with that student and how much of an impact it made. It made me realize that the little things really do make a difference. If the nurse hadn’t come by to talk to me, I probably wouldn’t even remember the discussion had taken place. But to that student, it was much more than a simple talk in the hallway. I always said I wanted to be one of those people that made a difference for students and new nurses but I was so caught up in the busy day that I almost didn’t realize, maybe I am…
~Kristin Howard
~Kristin Howard