Female Speaker: Working moms have a lot to worry about. This 29 year old, first time expecting mother has to go on taking care of patients, with taking care of herself.
Amanda Wilson: Being a nurse is great, because you get to take care of people from the time they come into the world, to the time that unfortunately they go out of the world. It's nice when you just make that difference for people, even if it's just getting them a straw to be able to eat their soup. Hello! How are you doing?
Female Speaker: Good, how are you?
Female Speaker: Amanda Wilson is expecting her first child in just 12 weeks.
Amanda Wilson: As a nurse that delivers babies, I probably have a upper hand in just knowing about the labor process, and what's going to go on. I see what they are going through, and everyday I just know that I am going to be in that bed soon. So just try to give them extra care, and extra attention that I know I'll want when I am in the hospital.
Female Speaker: For Amanda there is the added concern of protecting herself and her child from exposure to illness that could be dangerous.
Amanda Wilson: Keeping myself protected, which in turn protects my patients, and the other people that are just coming into the hospital. It's been important to me to keep that protection, wearing masks. I wear masks just about every patient's room, just to keep myself protected.
Female Speaker: And with the recent H1N1 epidemic, the extra precautions are necessary.
Amanda Wilson: I have gotten the vaccine after discussion with my physician. She encouraged me to get the shot because of the environment I work in.
Female Speaker: As a nurse, what kind of reservations were there about getting the vaccine, and being new, and even being pregnant?
Amanda Wilson: I talked to several physicians, not just my obstetrician the benefit of working in a hospital. I have talked to my lung doctor and infectious disease doctor, even the Immunologists about the preparation of vaccine, it was very fast, and there was a lot of concerns with that. They all encouraged me to get the shot to protect me and my baby. There has been a lot of news in media about pregnant women who are becoming very, very ill and are in the ICUs, to deliver their babies that I just didn't want to be a part of that population, anything I could do to protect myself, and protect my baby, he can still have immunity through my injection, because children under the age of 6 months can't be vaccinated.
So he will have immunity for those six months, because I was able to get the vaccine. I've definitely become more paranoid and really just wash my hands all the time, every two seconds, in a patients room, out of patients room. If I touch a sink, if I get them something to drink, and just try to really take this precautions and wash my hands all the time.
Female Speaker: But Amanda says, the most important thing is taking care of yourself, remembering to take a break, rest, and keeping things in perspective.
Amanda Wilson: I think it's important just to remember you're only one person, and we think as woman we are suppose to do it all. So it's to be the perfect mom, and a perfect provider, and a perfect wife, and it's not possible you wear yourself out. And so, instead, just try to be the best that every little think that you can do for your family, if you are at work, to be the best you can there, if you are with your child make the most of that time, if you are with your spouse, just see to be with them and not worry about anything else. And that's the most important thing, because you'll wear yourself out, trying to wear too many roles.
Female Speaker: And Amanda plans to keep that positive attitude as she cares for her patients, and soon her new born baby. For icyou, I am Mary Vertucci.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services