As my primary job title is quickly (like within weeks/days
people) going to switch from “Nurse” to “Mom” I have been thinking a lot
about the two jobs and responsibilities that go with them. To make an extremely long story short, I
chose to become a nurse so that I could help kids and young adults live better
lives. Little did I know that the path to receiving my bachelors in nursing and
working as a nurse would be one of the most difficult challenges placed in my
path, but would also prove to have some of the most rewarding and unforgettable
experiences.
For those who may read this and not know, I am a registered
nurse in the operating room at Shriners Burns Hospital for Children in
Galveston. The reaction that I generally
get when people find out that I work with pediatric burned victims is bewilderment
at the fact that I don’t come home crying every day. It is true, there are some
things that I dislike about my job. For instance, the chaos that occurs every
morning as the surgery schedule is being decided, dealing with surgical
consents (and surgeons-haha), charting, when patients stop breathing or blood
pressures drop (which causes me to nearly hyperventilate and my blood pressure
to go through the roof), the stories behind many of our patients, being thrown
into uncomfortable situations, and finally, the anesthetic effects on patients…aka,
nausea. When they throw up, I wanna throw up, and so on. But, for the negative
parts of my job that day after day can be exhausting, there are positives that
few people in this world are blessed to witness, and that’s why I don’t come
home crying all the time. I see miracles every day. Some days are hard, and you
have to look a little harder to see the miracle, but it’s there. When you see
kids walking down the hallway for the first time since their accident, or when
patients switch from becoming “acute” to having only reconstructive work done, when I understand just enough Spanish to get
the patient what they need, when I suddenly know where to find the unpronounceable
instrument that the surgeon absolutely needs that very second, and when a group
of healthcare professionals, nurses, scrub techs, surgeons, anesthesia,
residents, physicians assistants, respiratory therapists, fellows, and students
come together, putting differences aside, to help save a life.
It may sound crazy, but working as a nurse really parallels
the job of motherhood (from what I can see so far…I haven’t been a mom yet.)
To make an extremely long story short, I chose to become a mother
so that I could create an eternal family, raise children in the Gospel, teach
them how to make choices that lead to better lives. Little did I know that when
Sean and I decided a family, it would begin a journey of unforeseen challenges,
but also be accompanied by some of the most rewarding and unforgettable experiences
(and our little guy isn’t even born yet!)
For those who may read this and not know, I am currently 36
weeks pregnant with our first child, a son, who is due in May. When many people
find out that we have been married just under a year (best year of my life thus
far I must add), are in our first year of medical school, and now I’m pregnant,
they think we are just a little crazy. And it’s true. I have not lived through
motherhood yet, and I am sure I am clueless to what this job fully entails, but
I have observed and heard about the chaos that occurs every morning, afternoon,
and night as getting kids dressed, attempting to make dinner, brushing teeth,
changing diapers, cleaning spills, doing laundry, crying babies, etc., having
disagreements on how things should be done, when bedtime should really be, and
how much candy they can eat that day. As a mom you have to keep track of
several different schedules and try and please everyone, you are thrown in
scary and uncomfortable situations that sometimes take your breath away. Moms
learn to deal with lots of poop, and throw up, and tears, and stains, and
spills, and blow-outs, and whatever else comes into a little kids mind. But, there is opposition in all things;
meaning that the more joy you receive from something, often times is accompanied
by how difficult and frustrating it may be. So just as I am sure that I do not understand
the trials that motherhood are about to bring, or the tears I may shed after
too many sleepless nights, I also believe that as a mother I can witness
miracles every day that many choose to never see. Some days will be hard, and I
may have to look for the miracles, but they will be there. For example, my own child learning to hold his
head up, or taking his first steps, knowing what my baby needs even when I don’t
speak his language, for the first time understanding the love a mother can have
for her children (and by doing so, gaining a better understanding of the love
my Savior and Heavenly Father has for me), and the miracle of sacrifice, as
Sean and I no longer will own our time nor our sleep, but we will learn the
blessings that come from giving of yourself.
I am so excited to take BYU’s nursing motto, “Learning the
Healers Art,” out of my nursing career and apply it to my new career! I truly
believe that parenthood is the closest we will get on this earth to reaching
our potential to become like our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I am so
excited to carry the title of “Mom” and can’t wait to meet this boy! I am SO grateful to my own mom for loving me
when it wasn’t easy, for my mother-in-law for raising a son more patient, more diligent,
and more loving than any person I have ever met, and for all the mother figures
I have had in my life!
Just a short clip for all the moms out there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbYLKVgwztY
