"Celebrating because I made it through my first year of nursing which is notoriously the most difficult. Working in a Level IV NICU means we have babies from all over the west coast, often with rare and complicated conditions requiring critical care and surgery. As a new nurse this was incredibly intimidating and often heartbreaking. As difficult as this first year has been, especially in a pandemic at a time where healthcare as a whole is burnt out, I am so thankful for all of the little moments. I watched babies grow from weighing just one pound to being discharged with minimal complications. I have helped families pick their children’s names, taught nursing students basic infant care, escorted parents to their infant’s life saving surgery, helped moms hold their baby for both the first and last times, showed nervous dads how to change their first diaper, and spent many holidays cuddling babies when families couldn’t be there. Some days it still doesn’t feel real and I feel so lucky every time I walk onto the unit. I still have so much to learn but am proud of how far I have come."
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