Fundus Buddies?
NO!
My instructor wants to us to be fundus buddies on the postpartum (PP) floor. After today, I can confidently say that I do not find the fun in fundus (aka the top of the uterus that you can feel during pregnancy).
I’m so bored!
Granted, I think it’s awesome their are nurses who do PP, but tain’t for me.
It’s just a bunch of boobs, butts, and vahoohahs.
And when I feel like I’m not doing a whole lot, time slows. Today was slow. It took FOREVER. I thought I would never leave!
We arrived at 0700. Started the morning off by going through floor orientation and then started the unit tour. Then a classmate from another rotation came in.
“Howdy T! What are you doing here?”
“Oh well, I’m meeting so-and-so for my community rotation,” T replied.
“Oh okay, cool.”
“Yeah,” he continued. “Have you seen so-and-so? I was supposed to meet her at 0830.”
My head exploded. What?! It’s not even 0830 yet? Are you kidding me? I thought it was almost lunch time!
I checked my watch in a slight panic, pushing up my jacket sleeve.
If it were a movie, there would be horror music as it zoomed in to the bright digital numbers that screamed 08:18.
My day went on in that fashion until 1530. I thought the day was done, it was 1000. I thought I had graduated school, it was only lunchtime. I thought I had already had babies of my own, it was only time for a lactation consultant meeting that dragged for TWO HOURS.
Now, this is nothing against the unit. Some students liked it. I just like a faster pace.
Here’s how to remember your focused assessment: Bubble He.
B- breasts [engorgement, cracked nipples, no clogged milk ducts]
U- uterus [firmness, fundus, is it at the umbilicus?]
B- bowel movement [have they had one, stool softener after 2-3 days]
B- bladder [emptying it?]
L- lochia [bloody, mucousy, discharge...what color is it?]
E- episiotomy [check sutures, bruising, tearing, hemorrhoids]
H- Homan’s sign [dorsiflex to check calves for blood clots]
E- emotional [PP depression, appropriateness]
And that’s it. Ugh. Not my cup of tea.
I’m team lead tomorrow aka charge nurse. Which is fine, I like charging.
Oh, and it’s a short day. Due to floor/curriculum changes, we got split into shifts for this rotation. Either 0700-1100 or 1100-1500. Luckily, we all got the shifts we wanted and I am happily on the 1100-1500 shift. I’m not trying to be up super early.
Only three more days (one tomorrow and two shifts next week) and then I can move on to Labor and Delivery. Until tomorrow…
Love,
Laney
