Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?

Why didn't anyone tell me how much I would LOVE working as a labor and delivery nurse?! Today I had the first clinical day of my "Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family" course. Over the course of six weeks we rotate through three different units: labor and delivery, postpartum, and the NICU. Today I spent my 12 hours on the labor and delivery unit and it was AMAZING! I've never attended a live birth before, so the whole experience was entirely brand new to me. I can't give any details or tell you any stories without violating patient confidentiality. But I can say that I got to assist in a delivery, watched another delivery, and helped a laboring mom as the anesthesiologist placed her epidural. I can't explain what exactly it is that I love so much about labor and delivery. I think it was partly the atmosphere of women helping women (sorry guys). Both of the residents working today were women and all the nurses were women. I've had this vision in my head of a nurse practitioner-run women's clinic for a while now. I am in love with the idea of an holistic women's health center run by nurse practitioners that includes general health care, obstetrics and gynecology, nutritional counseling, birthing classes, parenting classes, prenatal yoga, and a natural birthing center. Maybe that is the direction I want my nursing career to take....

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.