Well, I've done it again. Things got all busy and all of my good intentions to post went out the window. I marvel at how much I used to post in first year. I felt like I was so strapped for time. I know I was very busy then, but I think at that point I hadn't really learned too much about prioritizing.
So, third year, you ask - how is it? Different! Dynamic, unpredictable, and exciting - combined with boring, predictable, and sometimes troubling. I've been bounced back and forth between so many different places and each one puts me into a new learning environment with new responsibilities and expectations. I love it!
For those who don't know the nitty gritty, third year consists of inter-professional placements - for me this semester, that means 4 weeks with a nurse in labor and delivery, 2 weeks in a breastfeeding clinic, 2 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, and 4 weeks under an obstetrician. Next term will be some elective placements and a virtual online placement. I can't emphasize how greatful I am for having the opportunity to see into the world of these other professionals. I wish that all of these disciplines had this amazing opportunity to witness the lives of their colleagues. I'd bet that it would breed a lot more compassion and respect between disciplines.
What all of these placements play out in reality is so complex. Sometimes, I'm observing. Sometimes, I'm thrown into the midst of things when I don't expect it. Mostly I'm somewhere in between. I have both loved and hated going from place to place so often. The great thing is that its helping my social skills - I'm meeting new people every day and needing to quickly establish rapport with them, which is an interesting skill that I have definitely NOT mastered. The other great thing is that I've gotten a taste of every hospital that I'd consider working in. Each one operates so differently! The social infrastructure is also very interesting to navigate sometimes. We're really in this unique place in these placements where we're following nurses and OB's, and observing conversation that sometimes involves slogging midwives. I've never explained what my scope of practice is so many times in my life - nor have I had to defend homebirth so much. (And after a few interesting conversations, I've decided to just not mention my birth history for fear of being judged too harshly).
But as challenging as that aspect of it has been, I find it such a privilege to be able to do these placements. I feel like I've developed a much better understanding of what sort of follow up care our babies that go to the NICU get. My NICU placement what such a pleasure. Although I saw more bottles and formula than I would have liked, shift work and predictable hours are lovely things and the staff at the NICU in Brampton have such a lovely working relationship with one another. I was also able to follow one of the nurses into the high risk births that occurred while I was on shift, which helped me to feel more comfortable observing cesareans and instrumental births.
My labor and delivery nursing placement was at the hospital closest to me, which was great for driving. The midwives here are newly implemented so it was interesting to observe the dynamic as they became established in a hospital that has never had midwives before. It was especially interesting to hear the nurses' side of the conversation, since I am (obviously) used to hearing any conversation about hospital relationships from the perspective of the midwives. Working as a labor and delivery nurse at a birth was also very interesting - there is much less freedom to manage the birth as I might choose to do it because the nurse is not the woman's primary caregiver. I found that very frustrating, not because I didn't respect the decisions the doctor was making, but because of the fragmented care that the woman was receiving, which was being split between a number of different people.
My breastfeeding placement was definitely the highlight of my year so far. I was enormously lucky enough to be placed at the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute. The doctors and lactation consultants at that clinic are amazing. I like to think of them as "breastfeeding midwives". Each woman that enters their clinic leaves there having received the combined recommendation of two lactation consultants and a pediatrician (and usually a student or two). I'd been aware of mixed opinions about the clinic before I came there, but truly, their approach is amazing. I am so grateful for the opportunity to immerse myself in their environment for as long as I did, and those of you who are entering third year - even if its not close to you, this placement is *so* worth the drive. I think it's made an enormous difference in how I'll be managing breastfeeding issues.
I've just begun my OB placement this week. I'm still new to it, and I'm quite certain it's going to deserve a post all on its own, so that one will wait for another day.
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