I have been a nurse of nearly 2 years and I have had a dream of becoming a L&D nurse for about 4 years. I had a desire as a young girl to become an OB/GYN, but my life choices of becoming a mother at the tender age or 16 revamped my life goals.
I had placed my desires on the back burner and accepted that school for an extended period of time was out of the question since by my senior year of high school was a statistic and on my way to baby number 2. I graduated and delivered a premature baby within 2 weeks and my life took a dramatic turn. Life was no longer about me and my issues but were then life was redirected to the unhealthy status of my newborn 2 lbs. 6 oz. son. My every breath was consumed with getting him well enough to come home, which I never thought would happen.
After 3 long months in the hospital, Tony was finally released to my hand for 100% care and nurturing. At the young age of 18 I have a 2 year old daughter and a very frail/sick newborn son just barely 5 lbs and still far from healthy.
I up and moved to NJ to start a new life with these 2 beautiful babies which just added to more fears and concerns for all of us. I decided at that time that I would pursue a certificate program in Medical Assisting and excepted that this would be my fate.
You grow up and realize that there is more to life then being on the bottom of the totem pole. I met my partner of 10 years now and she gave me all the incentive and inspiration to be the best me I could be. I gave birth to twins when I was much older and wiser, and from that day forward I wanted nothing more then to have my children ref err to me in the context of having a career and not just a job. I wanted my children to be proud of what their mother was and whom she has become. So onto nursing school I went.
I made it known from the very beginning that I wanted nothing more then to be an L&D nurse, but no one seemed willing to hear my screams. I sent resume after resume begging for consideration in their L&D department, but no one was willing to hire me, so onto a medical/surgical unit I went but no without digging my heals in and not wanting to be pulled in that direction.
Having to go the route of med/surg was not easy but now I can look at this experience and realize that I have had the opportunity to learn so much more then if I went into a specialty. Never will I regret working med/surg, nor will I forget a lot of the patients I cared for.
To be given the chance to work in L&D in a nursing role is my life long dream, and I will forever be grateful for being given this chance. I look so forward to playing the role in a laboring mom's life during that most special time of welcoming life. I thank God for being with me during this journey and I know that with him all things are possible, and he has now brought me to this point in my life and gave me reason to love my job/ my life/ and him.
Dream Job hear I come....April 8th is my start date and I can't wait until I step foot on that floor and walk in the shoes of the best place on earth....A Labor & Delivery unit! Yippie
