The little moments that help keep nurses going

Submitted by Victoria McMullen, Professor, CPNP, PMHS, MSN

Tags: night nurse night shift nursing students patient care

The little moments that help keep nurses going

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There are days when I question why I became a nurse, so I try to remember the moments that kept me going. The stories that every nursing student wants to hear when they’ve had a long day at clinical. 
 
While I was working in the NICU that first year of working twelve hour nights, I was caring for a term baby who was working on maintaining his own temperature and bottle feeding. The unique piece of his story was despite being term, his eyelids were fused. We never came to find out why they were fused, but part of his care included wiping his eyes with warm clothes and applying Vaseline to help try to gently help him open his eyes.

This mom had spent the majority of the day with him, so she had gone back to her room to get some much needed rest before I had gotten there. I was already grateful for my assignment and the nurses I’d be working with, so I was looking forward to some baby cuddles and having a more relaxed night. It was probably around nine o’clock when I took the chunky peanut from his bed and prepared to bottle feed him. As he quickly sucked down his food, I began to hum and rock him hoping that he would feel full enough to want to sleep and snuggle. 

Anyways, while I was feeding and singing to this baby, I noticed his eyes beginning to flutter underneath his eyelids. I began to sing a bit louder than before without bringing attention to myself, and his eyes continued to roll like someone who is having an intense dream. Before I knew it, slowly, but surely, his eyelids began to open. It took several tries before the thin skin between his eyelids pried loose and I saw two tiny brown eyes staring back at me. “Hi buddy! Welcome to the world!” I just continued to coo and smile at the little man and not soon after, the mother called for an update, and I was able to tell her the wonderful news. “Oh my gosh did he really? I’m home with my daughter for the night but I’ll be there first thing tomorrow! Tell him Momma loves him!” I held him in the crook of my arm for as long as I could, staring at the tiny face that was taking in a whole new world around him. 

My mom swears that my singing made him open his eyes, and I agree, except I think this was more to see who the tone deaf stranger was making it impossible to fall asleep. I had texted her immediately after feeding this baby and told her what had happened. Her response was to change my name in her phone to Baby Whisperer and I don’t think she has plans on changing it back to my real name any time soon. 

While this isn’t a drawn out or complicated story, this is one I will never forget. I may not remember his name or the date, but the moment of that baby opening his eyes and the happiness in his mother’s voice with this update is something I will hold onto forever. These are the moments that make nursing a profession I am proud to say I am a part of.