Turning PICU dislike into like...or even love!

So apparently I'm a stinky blogger lately.  I really had great intentions to get right back to it, and chronicle all of the adventures lately, but then life just happens.

Ever happened to you??

You know, you create a "To Do" list with expectations that come the end of the week, the month, whatever, and all your items will be checked off.  And then that time period ends, and you have one check mark (if you're lucky)!

Grr, I hate when that happens.

And no, I'm not saying that writing my blog is a burden or even ever on my To Do list.  Although I think if I put it there, I might have an improved writing rate!

Either way, life happens, it gets in the way.  Moving on.

The PICU has been crazy busy lately.  Like CRAZY busy!  We not only have a high census, but we have a higher acuity than we have in a long while.  And this generally happens in the winter with summer time being a bit slower, but it's happened earlier than I remember it in past years.

That translates to staying late for a lot of shifts.  Coming home and wanting to just collapse on the couch only to have notes still to write.  And call shifts that turn 16 hour nights into 18 or more without sitting down, eating much, and barely peeing.  Yeah, that can't be good for ya! 

We've seen a TON of meningitis lately.  I've gotten to do 3 LPs in the last 2 weeks because of it.  It's definitely been a great time to be able to get more procedures for sure.  And I'm liking procedures more and more.

Someone asked me several months ago if I "loved procedures!?!!?"  To which I really had to answer, "Umm, sure, I guess." It's not that I dislike them.  I just couldn't say that I "LOVED" them!

I think it's mostly because we don't get procedures all that often in my institution because there are several APNs on one shift, working with a fellow.  Anytime we're on call or day shifts with first year fellows, they get priority in procedures.  Or if a second or third year "needs" more of whatever procedure, they get priority over us as well.  Plus, we let intervential radiology put in a lot of our central access, so that drastically decreases the amount of lines getting placed in the PICU.

But I've decided that the more procedures I get to do, and the better I get at them, the more I enjoy them. 

I guess that's probably true with many things.  I don't enjoy bowling, but it's b/c I'm pretty lousy.  On the other hand, I love soccer, ping pong, volleyball, etc.  But I'm also pretty good at that. 

So I guess if we're going to be insanely busy in the PICU with crazy sick kids, I'll relish in the fact that its an opportunity for me to get more procedures.  And for me to get much better at them!  Which in turn, will most likely increase how much I enjoy doing them.

Unless its placing chest tubes...b/c I just hate that!!!  Even if I were a chest tube pro...ugh, that's the one thing that just grosses me out.  But that's a different story for a different day.

What's something that you are learning to love, or like a little more, as you get better at it?  Could be in nursing school, as an APN, or just in real life???