8:30p – The epidural was successfully applied, although the process took a little longer than expected. Lara is doing well now. The Foley Bulb Induction procedure was successful, apparently widening the cervix to a lime or a kiwi – moving in the right direction. Lara and her Midwife are cautiously optimistic that baby girl could come tonight. As a man, not a medical expert, and not having any professional knowledge whatsoever, I remain skeptical.
You may be wondering about Jaxon. He’s currently under the expert care of Karen. Apparently, Jaxon is having the time of his life with a new truck. As a parent, I’m always concerned that Jaxon will cutup with those who watch him – like he does with his parents. Just in case he does give Karen trouble, please consider donating to Karen’s nonprofit, Everyone Home DC. Thanks also to Angie who will take over later tonight. My hope is that putting Jaxon down for the night will be as easy. Last, but not least, thank you once again Kim for bringing together so many caring people to care for our model citizen toddler.
As we waited for the epidural to take full effect, Lara and her nurse, Chloe, discussed their nursing experiences. The discussion eventually landed on pay. Nursing can be a challenging job with low pay with a wide pay discrepancy.
According to Incredible Health, nurse pay can vary greatly depending on the practicing state and experience. The District is in the top 10 highest paid with an average salary of about $98,500. Yes, that’s a good average but the starting salaries can be significantly lower, and depending on the location, about $55,000 0r less.
At the other end of the nursing spectrum, a resident Nurse Anesthetists checked in to see the progression of the epidural. One of the highest paid positions due to the complex level of care and the risked involved it still trails significantly behind was a Physician – Anesthesiology earns.
As with many professions dominated by women, we discount their impact in service to patients. Like with Jaxon, the nurses contribute so much to the success of making people well, making Lara feel at ease, and dealing with me. Society needs more nurses and more extraordinary people to help keep us alive and make our world better. Thank you.