Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Home Sweet Home

I'm home! I've been home for a couple weeks. My big 'ol bed is delicious.


I started up a 4 week microbiology intensive after the semester ended and left 2 weeks early so I could start work at Hopkins. My teacher is nice enough to send me quizzes and tests through e mail. I should be done class by the end of the week!


I've been at Hopkins doing orientation since last Tuesday. I started orientation on the floor last Thursday but stayed in a conference room going over protocol and basic information for the NICU. This past week, I've been on the floor getting to know the staff and learning what my job will be like this summer. It seems the majority of my time will be spent organizing/storing/keeping up with breast milk. This includes finding out if new admissions are going to be breastfed, printing and keeping up with labels that are put at the baby's bedside and on their bottles, freezing and thawing milk, and fortifying milk with extra calories. I may even be able to feed the babies! I'll also be setting up IV nutrition for the babies and doing "cares" (or vital signs and changing diapers) every few hours. At times, I'll be able to take babies on "field trips" to CT and MRI scans, and anywhere else the baby may need to go in the hospital. It will be a fun summer, sad at times, and very eventful; there are all sorts of cases on the floor.