STUPID STUPID FINAL!! AHHH MY BRAIN HURTS!!


...gosh I'll be glad when this thing is over....

ok back to studying. bleh.

Last week!

I can't believe that we're coming up on our last week of fundamentals! These 8 weeks have completely blown by me. I'm wondering if the rest of nursing school will go by this quickly (not a chance, huh. haha). So once again we have clinicals at Healthsouth...I hope that I have as good of an experience as last week. I'm just really stressed out with the final exam looming next week. I'm going to make this short b/c I'm in the middle of "objective hell" :/

Good luck to everyone on their studies!! Don't forget to take a break when you need to, your brain needs oxygen too so go outside and take a 5 minute walk down the street (it's too nice out not to!)

Bye for now......

week 6

Clinical day 3 was pretty cool! My patient had a lot going on so I was finally able to get some good experience in. She had an infected (MRSA) incision site on her lower back that had a drainage tube with some pretty gnarly stuff coming out. The dressing change on her was interesting to say the least haha. She also had a picc line in her arm that I got to see cleaned and flushed. She had limited mobility from the back surgery she underwent and then also a lot of pain from the infection so she was at the facility for rehab to regain mobility strength. I was able to give her a shower (which she needed a lot of assistance with) and then made her bed and straightened up her room while she was in rehab. She was very cooperative in letting me do a full body assessment on her too. This week was the first week that I felt busy the entire time!

So...final in 2 weeks? Eeek! I'm going to print some notes and go study by the pool, it's too pretty of a day to be inside!

Ta-ta!

Week 4

Well things are progressing along...we've now accomplished 2 clinical days and are moving past vitals, beds and baths onto more interesting things like packing wounds, and drug administration! I've been talking a lot with Allison (my friend who's 2nd semester nursing) and it is incredible to me the type of patients she has and the things she is doing in clinicals! I can't imagine that I'll be that far ahead in just one semester. It's exciting and a little scary all the same.

Some other notes--got an 86% on my midterm...pretty happy with that. Wish it could have been an A, but now I know a little more about what to expect and I can try to improve from here!

We've got a group presentation to work on (me, Bonnie, Todd and Victoria) about Russian culture. My area to cover is the food! I'm thinking beef stroganoff and vodka! Who wouldnt love that?! :)

Off to research funny Russian clips for the PP!

tata!

Week 3- Clinicals!

Had my first clinical this week! It was pretty cool because my patient turned out to be a good friend of my's great grandmother! I will definitely get back on here and blog way more about my experience when I have the time.

For now I need to get to studying for our midterm. (stressing me out!!!) How is everyone else approaching this? I don't know the best way to study? I've been reviewing the notes a lot and skimming through the book too. But I just feel like there is SO much info to cover...leave your thoughts!!

oh and ps- first real NFL game today!! GO COLTS :)

Week 2

Life is starting to get a little more hectic. Definitely still manageable and I still feel like I have a life (for the time being!). I'm kicking myself for doing so poorly on the general math skills test. I blew it off thinking it would be common knowledge, really easy stuff. But I haven't done that kind of math in a long time and definitely should have brushed up. Live and learn.....
Clinicals start this week (whoo!). I'm really not too nervous, I think more excited than anything. My friend Allison--who is 2nd semester-- has been giving me advice and sharing stories. She's really helped to calm my nerves and give me a pretty realistic idea of what to expect.

For now, I'm going to try to enjoy the rest of my long weekend!

Wk 1- What is a nurse?

Five years ago, I graduated high school and had the world at my finger tips. I had big plans for myself to move to Orlando and make it as a hot shot PR rep, or maybe something in marketing. Never in a million years would I think that in a few short years I'd be taking a sharp left turn into the world of medicine!
When I think of nursing a few things pop into my head. Generally I think of a nurse as the person who has the day to day contact with a patient. They get to know the patient, and often develop a relationship with the patient (much moreso than the doctor). Obviously there are the basic "job duties" such as administering medications, changing sheets, monitoring vitals and progress etc...but more importantly you are a support system. Often patients don't have anybody else to come visit or give love and encouragement. So I'd love to be "that person" for somebody.
So what made me want to become a nurse? A number of things: job security and flexibility, money, but mostly it was my heart. For the most part, its my passion for people and the huge heart the Lord blessed me with that made me want to become a nurse. I can't imagine a career where I sit in an office, staring at a computer for 8 hours a day when the only human interaction I get is hearing limited office chatter at the water cooler. I love to help people whether it be physically or be it emotionally and mentally. I'm a wonderful listener, extremely encouraging and empathetic and love celebrating the joys and miracles in other's lives! At the same time, I tend to get too attached and have a hard time dealing with trauma, disease and death. It's not that I can't handle it, I just feel so intensely that I think it may wear on me after years and years of dealing with that type of environment.
Which leads me to what type of nursing I want to pursue: currently, I'm thinking nurse anesthetist and I would love to work in a plastic surgery center. For the most part, the patients I would be dealing with on a daily basis sign up for the surgeries they will be going in to. I don't foresee a ton of trauma in that field. Additionally, I'm just really interested in plastic surgery! I love the transformation and the dramatic changes that people can acquire through modern medicine! However, I love the idea of travel nursing too (since I have no clue where I want to live). So who knows, I may walk out the other side of this program and have a completely different mindset. Only time can tell!