Licensed practical nurse Madison Carnell works in both the post-partum unit and the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital.
Mothers and babies typically arrive in the post-partum unit one to two hours after delivery. Once there, Madison helps parents take care of their babies, ensures the babies remain stable, helps with breastfeeding and makes sure there are no delivery complications for mothers. She also gives medication and monitors mothers who’ve had C-sections.
She has a different role in the NICU. “I work with a lot of premature babies there who are medically complex and need to be observed.”
Madison says knowing that she’s helping motivates her to do her best. “I have the opportunity to play a pretty big role in someone’s day and for many it’s one of the biggest days in their lives.”
Recently Madison had the opportunity to be a nursing preceptor for a nursing student, an experience she says she enjoyed and is looking forward to doing again.
“My student, Rachel, hadn’t held a baby before, and I got to teach her the basics of maternal and newborn care. She was nervous in the beginning but by the end of eight weeks, Rachel was able to provide care independently.
“I feel lucky to have found the area of nursing that I’ve been passionate about at a young age.”