The count down begins....

After today we have exactly two weeks to our final exam in Med/Surg. It will be about 100 questions, multiple choice with a few short answer and a few 'fill-in-the-blanks'. The following day we have a 45 minute long clinical exam to be performed in front of a clinical instructor. >>> PANIC!! <<< Pardon the moment of sheer terror as we were given the details of the clinical exam today. Usually I am ok with clinical tasks but this is a multi-multi-step process that we have never experienced before with the watchful eyes of the instructor. Pass or fail.

I guess I am on overdrive panic. I have started a daily study session with another classmate to go over the semesters worth of information. That should help. We toss out questions to each other, grill on facts, terminology, etc.

Reflections... and dreams

I find that during this Thanksgiving time I look back at how far I have come and reflect on it and give thanks that I have made this progress.

Just 3 years ago I was unsure of making a huge life change. Could I actually go back to college? Would I be able to make it in classes with 19 year olds? Could I get grades higher than a C? How would I deal with all that and a new house, town, no local family support, no job?

I have found that thankfully when things are suppose to be it just happens --falls into place. You give yourself fully, without regret. Now, I need to be able to apply the same philosophy and freedom to my feelings in other areas of life.

I still struggle each and every day with the financial sacrifice I have made to go after this goal but knowing I am doing this to better my future and the future of my daughter's --this provides me with hope. It is a good lesson to them of how important education is and to start out with that foundation so you don't have to tackle it later in life.

There is nothing more I want right now in this world than to be a NURSE. I want the stability and comfort that a career gives. Simple stuff, why does it seem like a dream still?

Go......Team work!!

I was sending a reply to a fellow student at his blog and got to thinking about team work.

My Nursing class can accommodate 12 students. We started first semester with 11 (not sure why). We had two students leave the program around the 8th week (of a sixteen week semester). One student discovered Nursing wasn't what he thought it was going to be and one girl was not a good exam taker so I think she didn't pass the Pharmacology final (she knew the material but they never inform the other students why the person left). So, we ended the first semester with 9 classmates.

Second semester we started with 7 students, During the summer break we 'lost' two students. One decided that there were aspects to Nursing that she didn't care for (even tho she was in the health care field) and the other had family/personal medical issues that prevented her from continuing the semester (she will pick it up during the next fall session).

We are now holding at a tight group of 7. I am really enjoying the team work efforts of my fellow classmates. There are 6 females and one male. Our male student a loner by nature and we have come to understand that about him he tries to tolerate us very verbal women the best he can. We recently were let out of clinical early and opted to all have lunch together and even got him to join us --progress!

When I met this bunch of folks I was very ambivalent about them. Said to myself, well they are OK but I don't see myself bonding with any of them. After all this time I can say I truly have admiration and respect for each and every person in my class. We look out for each other, we help each other and we share our knowledge willingly and selflessly and it feels good to be part of tight knit group.

Two tales of life

I have two patients today in clinical that are on opposite side of life's scale. I am on the surgical floor this week.

Patient #1 is a very young man (17) who has suffered major injuries to his eye. I don't want to say how to protect his privacy but let's just say he wasn't doing anything bad or in a auto wreck. He was just attention to fix something and a very stretchable cord hit him in the eye. Shattering bones below his eye. R-orbital-fx; right eye fracture. His eye is so swollen he can not open it and his other eye has suffered "sympathy" trauma for lack of a better diagnosis. It wasn't injured but he is not willing/able to open it. He is great pain and has tons of family support. Withdrawn and not willing to communicate other then the necessary yes/no responses. He is awaiting word on if surgery can be done and the status of his cornea.

Patient #2 is an older man (71) who had a fall at home and has a R-hip-fx; right hip fracture. He is one day post-op on a replacement (hemiarthroplasty). His history is Cerebral Vascular Accident x2 (CVA-Stroke), Diabetes mellitis (DM), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pneumonia, diverticulitis, hypertension (HTN), acid reflux disease (GERD), depression, benign prostatic hypertrophy. I have sympathy for both one young man is just starting life and is devastated by the unfortunate events in his life. The elderly gentleman has lived a long wonderful life and is certainly not ready to give it up but is not strong enough to enhance his rehabilitation.

Something to think about.

Shock and *awwwwwww*

Ha! gotchya bet you were expecting something GOOD eh? Some juicy story, sorry no such luck *grins*

Shock-ed that anyone reads my dribble. I started this blog as a way to remember my time in Nursing school (a diary per say), to Rant, to Rave, and as most bloggers will say it was all for me --not even considering that anyone might read it.

and

*awwwwwww* but I have to admit knowing folks are reading and commenting is cool, so thanks to those who take the time...really.

Minus catchy title

Not feeling creative at all it's the start of a long week. We had Med/Surg lecture today and received back the mid-term. I passed, not thrilled by my score but I passed. Tomorrow is another early and long day, followed by a quiz on Respiratory and Musculoskeletal. If it sounds like I am lethargic and blah you read correctly. Not everyday is a winner. Night-night.

Student Nurse, prn  

Straight cath/vaginal culture and a subQ... or two

I spent Friday in clinical in an locked Alzheimer's unit. I enjoyed it; great staff, nice music and activities/GAMES! I had three patient's to administer meds to and do treatments.

One of my patients gets a M-W-F sub-Q (subcutanous) injection of Procrit (for anemia due to hepatic failure) this wasn't my first time. She had to receive two injections, thankfully, she was too tired to object. I'd done at least two other sub-Q's and this one went well. Technically it's NEVER our first time, we are told to tell patient's that because we practice in the lab on an injection pad--so technically our first time on a HUMAN is our real first time. But in this case I had done 2 other patients. My first was on an elderly gentleman with severe dementia. Unfortunately for him the force at which I 'stabbed' him in the abdomen was not enough and the needle/syringe bounced off the epidermis and he said, "ouch". I felt awful but didn't realize he gets regular abdominal injections which tends to toughen up the external layer of skin and makes it harder to inject over time.

My treatment was a dressing change on a stage two pressure ulcer on the lateral malleolus (ankle bone). That was quick and easy. A bit of cream and an underneath pad along with kerlix around the ankle/foot to keep it all in place.

Lastly, another patient was experiencing the symptoms of UTI (urinary tract infection), burning on urination, itching, etc. She is incontinent so an straight cath was ordered to obtain a urine sample for testing. This is sterile technique so my instructor had to be present. It went well, I got it in on the first try (finding the right place isn't as easy as you'd think especially on an elderly woman who doesn't want anything to do with this procedure) and I didn't break the sterile field, yipeee! After the cath a vaginal swab was done. This involves a longer q-tip like stick inserted and swabbed momentarily into the vagina and then placed into the lab vial. She didn't much care for this either.

The Alzheimer's unit is small, only 18 patients (9 rooms) ...they offer structured activities but I am told the only thing that that patient's must do is be toileted on a schedule. Everything else they do or don't do is their choice. Some participate in the group activities, some do not, some wander/pace the hall back and forth, some sleep a lot, some ask you over and over, "what should I be doing right now?". Most of the patients are pleasant and cooperative, they just are at risk for wandering.

A Love Story

A Love Story

I will seek and find you . . .
I shall take you to bed and have my way with you. . . .
I will make you ache, shake & sweat until you moan & groan. . . .
I will make you beg for mercy, beg for me to stop . . . .
I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I'm finished with you. . .
And, when I am finished, you will be weak for days.

All my love,
The Flu

Now, get your mind out of the gutter and go get your flu shot !!!

Find a penny, pick it up...

..all day long you'll have good luck.

I found a penny on the way into Clinical this morning and I had a great day. Coincidence or not? My classmate found a dime I'll have to ask her if she had an especially good day.