7 years into my career as a NICU RN, aka: baby whisperer, I am finally ready to spread my own baby wings, and explore new heights, and new places as a " travelling NICU nurse". This basically means that I am crazy enough to give up my job security, my pension contributions/benefits, my routine, in exchange for adventure, for freedom and flexibility......in exchange for expansion. It means I am choosing a little chaos over complacency, challenge over ease, and freedom over security. I don't mean physical security here, I am talking about the kind of security that comes with routine, that comes with structure, that comes with knowing your schedule for really all of eternity because you are not much more than a round peg filling a round hole..... It's not enough for me anymore. I want to eventually pay off my crazy student loans, pay off my debt, and see/experience more of the world while I do that.
I want to see more, experience more, help more. My son decided last year at the ripe age of 15 that he wanted to go stay with his Dad for a while so my excuse of waiting for him to move out is no longer valid. I do have a loving boyfriend that is just getting used to the idea of me being away for months at a time, and at this rate, by the time my license applications actually go through, he will be pushing me out the door...... I had no idea THIS would be the longest wait, but more on that to come.
I, like many of you, have struggled hard this past couple of years. From the very onset of the covid -19 pandemic, my job, my career, the place I go to try to make a real, meaningful, positive impact, has been gifted a front seat into the extreme complexity of the human condition. The effects of the pandemic response, equally as destructive as the virus itself. One day we are celebrated, cheered for, and thanked, and the next we are spit on, blocked from our work sites, and blasted on social media for being part of some conspiracy. I would be lying if I said this didn't effect me..... it does
It effects all of us....those inside the hospital walls actively fighting against this virus, as well as those so far removed from the front lines, that they have no idea what any of the statistics or science really mean, save for what they see online......The fighting, the separation, the pain and suffering that is a direct result of covid-19, effects all of us.
In the NICU, we have been pretty fortunate, with a majority of the impact being from having to isolate babes born to covid + moms. Even that was manageable at first, though tricky at times given our lack of isolation space, but this 4th wave hit different. It hit pregnant moms different, landing otherwise healthy, young pregnant moms in the ICU on life support. This is still happening.
For us that means an emergency c-section for, quite often, a premature baby....... and all the consequences of that. It means that baby is isolated for 2 weeks. Mom being on life support, is unable to visit. Often mom and dad are both covid positive, so dad can't visit either. These tiny little humans spending their first 2 weeks, often more, surrounded by big, unfamiliar people in yellow gowns, masks, eye shields, gloves. No facial expressions. No skin contact. Sometimes no family for days, or weeks. These cases make me especially sad.
I had one shift where I held this little girl in our dimly lit isolation room, surrounded by the hum of the hiflow machine, the occasional ringing of respiratory alarms, and quietly cried as I thought of her mom fighting for her life in the ICU. I felt so sad for the whole family. This was definitely not part of the birth plan......Some of these babies will grow up without a momma. The long term effects of covid-19 far out reach the very labile, and unpredictable physical side effects of the virus on its' host.
I do really appreciate the perceived security and predictability that comes with being an RN in Canada. My pay is pretty good, I have good benefits that I rarely use, ok PTO, I absolutely love my patients..... but I am just a number... if I call in sick, I will be replaced, if I leave my position, my job continues, my spot is filled, and when the need is not there, nurses get cancelled. Just this year, amidst a global pandemic, we are facing cuts. NOTHING is guaranteed, and my perceived job security is just that..... perceived..... it appears that I am a person who values freedom and flexibility, the ability to steer my own ship, over security.
As a Canadian RN the process is a little bit trickier, actually a lot trickier, but that's where I come in. Until I get to my first travel assignment, I will be filling this blog with tips, tricks, processes I used, where I went wrong, and how I accomplished actually GETTING that first travel job. So if you are a current travel nurse, want to be a travel nurse, like travel, or nursing, you will want to subscribe! Leave a comment below and tell me where you are and where you are wanting to go.
Let the adventures begin 🌍👶🏻✈
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