Welcoming a Baby During a Nurses’ Strike
“Just so you know, there’s a nurses’ strike planned for the 27th, but you’re scheduled to induce on July 7th, so I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about.” These were some famous last words from the OB/GYN.
We checked into the hospital around 7 p.m. the night before the strike.
The night shift
The nurses on duty that night knew exactly what was coming in the morning, and it showed. They were exasperated and short on patience, a little rough with my wife, and bedside manner was not their strong suit.
But they knew that floor cold. Whatever we needed, they had it in hand in seconds. We got steady care through the night, and the hallway outside our door hummed with all the normal sounds of a hospital.
7 a.m.
At 7 a.m., it went quiet. Suddenly, completely quiet. It was eerie, and honestly a little concerning to be in a delivery room with no idea who would come through the door next.
The floor eventually came back to life, but the energy was different. When I stepped out for some fresh air, the halls were full of administrator types in business casual. Every so often we could hear the protesters outside.
The new crew was a team of travel nurses: fresh, wide-eyed, and wonderful at bedside manner. They just had no idea where anything was. Every supply run turned into a scavenger hunt.
Just like last time
Later that morning, the nurses settled my wife on her side with a peanut ball to help things along. “Just like last time,” she said with a chuckle.
About fifteen minutes later, she asked me to check on things. I saw a full head of hair.
I panicked and grabbed the first nurse I could find in the hallway. She yelped, told me to pull the emergency cord and stand ready to catch. A gaggle of nurses came running in. I took my spot at my wife’s side, and we laughed at how this really was just like last time.
Night and day
Everyone came through healthy, with no surprises other than the speed. Most people never see a hospital’s staff turn over in a single morning, let alone from a delivery room. We got both crews in one stay.
The night shift knew where everything was. The day shift made us feel cared for. Somewhere in between, our family got one bigger.