I got a 78. Not my proudest moment ever, but I passed. I can't help but feel completely unintelligent when I do not do well on exams. One down, two more to go.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
*****It was brought to my attention by my husband that my post sounded more harsh than I had intended, so I thought I would clear the air. I was not a racist person, I just had SOME prejudices regarding a specific group of people. I did not hate anyone, I did not ignore people, I was not rude to anyone. I just had some general ideas about who they were. My ideas have since changed.
It has been 12 days since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit and devastated Haiti and the story still rocks me. I still cannot begin to comprehend or even wrap my head around what the situation is there in the country of Haiti, nor what the people there are going through right now. It brings me to tears every time I think about it.
Living in south Florida, we have a very large Haitian population here. I have to admit, in the past, I hadn't been so happy with that fact. I will also admit that I had been very closed-minded and stereotypical towards those from Haiti, but since starting nursing school I have grown more and more empathetic and less judgmental.
One of those contributing factors was talking to a guy I will call E. E was a man of very small and thin stature. He worked full time in addition to attending nursing school. We were talking after our very first exam, of which he had failed, and he was trying to make sense of it. Here he was, studying while working, jeopardizing his job to pass a test, and yet, he did not do so. What was he going to do now? This conversation really opened up my eyes and I felt so much for this man. He was a hard worker and he wanted to make a better life for himself and that dream was being pushed further and further away from reality. I had seen it happen with others, too, who were just as hard of workers missing their dreams. I looked at these people with a different outlook, and for the first time in a long time, I was letting go of my prejudices.
Now, here we are 12 days past this horrific event and I just can't help wanting to help. There are a good deal of Haitian people in my nursing school. Everyone that I have talked to knows someone who is missing or dead and everyone they know does as well. This is something that is effecting so many people and I feel so helpless.
I wish there was something I could. I wish I can go there to help. This is a time when being a nurse already would have been really helpful.
Whenever there was an event where people were needed to help, I have always wanted to, but I've never been qualified to. So I have always sat and watched from the side. As I get closer to becoming a trained professional, I find myself really wishing I was already a nurse so I can jet off to Haiti to help. The question is, if I was a nurse already, would I? If I was single, yes, without a doubt. But I am not. I have a husband and 2 young kids and a wonderful family. Maybe I wouldn't go, because that would not be best for our family. That's obviously a bridge that hasn't been crossed yet and won't be crossed for a while still.
The feeling, however, almost overwhelms me.
This is exactly why I wanted to become a nurse. I want to help others. I want to make a difference.
It has been 12 days since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit and devastated Haiti and the story still rocks me. I still cannot begin to comprehend or even wrap my head around what the situation is there in the country of Haiti, nor what the people there are going through right now. It brings me to tears every time I think about it.
Living in south Florida, we have a very large Haitian population here. I have to admit, in the past, I hadn't been so happy with that fact. I will also admit that I had been very closed-minded and stereotypical towards those from Haiti, but since starting nursing school I have grown more and more empathetic and less judgmental.
One of those contributing factors was talking to a guy I will call E. E was a man of very small and thin stature. He worked full time in addition to attending nursing school. We were talking after our very first exam, of which he had failed, and he was trying to make sense of it. Here he was, studying while working, jeopardizing his job to pass a test, and yet, he did not do so. What was he going to do now? This conversation really opened up my eyes and I felt so much for this man. He was a hard worker and he wanted to make a better life for himself and that dream was being pushed further and further away from reality. I had seen it happen with others, too, who were just as hard of workers missing their dreams. I looked at these people with a different outlook, and for the first time in a long time, I was letting go of my prejudices.
Now, here we are 12 days past this horrific event and I just can't help wanting to help. There are a good deal of Haitian people in my nursing school. Everyone that I have talked to knows someone who is missing or dead and everyone they know does as well. This is something that is effecting so many people and I feel so helpless.
I wish there was something I could. I wish I can go there to help. This is a time when being a nurse already would have been really helpful.
Whenever there was an event where people were needed to help, I have always wanted to, but I've never been qualified to. So I have always sat and watched from the side. As I get closer to becoming a trained professional, I find myself really wishing I was already a nurse so I can jet off to Haiti to help. The question is, if I was a nurse already, would I? If I was single, yes, without a doubt. But I am not. I have a husband and 2 young kids and a wonderful family. Maybe I wouldn't go, because that would not be best for our family. That's obviously a bridge that hasn't been crossed yet and won't be crossed for a while still.
The feeling, however, almost overwhelms me.
This is exactly why I wanted to become a nurse. I want to help others. I want to make a difference.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I got a phone call from my instructor last night that my clinical today would be canceled. While I am happy and excited to be off, I am a little disappointed. For one, I was excited to get going in the hospital again. Second, I will now have to make up the clinical a week later than I was supposed, which isn't a huge deal but it the day I have to make up my clinical would have been the first day of spring break. Anyway, the most important thing is that my clinical instructor feel better. She is currently sick with bronchitis and its best for both her and the patients that she not be there today.
Until next week........
Monday, January 18, 2010
Tuesday we begin our rotation in the hospital. Here is a bullet list of some things going on and what I will be doing, etc.
- Our hospital shifts will be about 12 hrs
- I have 6 hospital days
- I will be going to the hospital I went to during my first rotation which is good because that means a very short drive
- I have to do a skills check off on Wednesday on what we call a "Sim Man" which is short for simulation. He breathes, talks, has heart sounds, has a pulse, we can take his BP, etc. I will have to insert a Foley and an NG tube (nasogastric) on Mr. Sim.
- In the hospital, I will also be inserting Foleys and NG tubes. Fun, huh?
- I wanted one of two instructors and was blessed to have gotten one of the two. This makes me very happy.
- My first test is in one week- next Monday. I'm scared, I'm not gonna lie. But then I always freak out in the beginning of a course. That's just how I roll.
- I won't receive my grade until Tuesday sometime. I don't really like having to wait for my grades, so this will mean more freak out time. I suggest you stay in doors with your windows and doors securely locked. It won't be pretty out here.
- You should see this report I have to fill out on one of my patients. I kid you not, it is 30 pages long.
- I have a few assignments to do for this course. Not so bad, though. But man, that 30 page patient profile is just a little killer, don't you think?
- I am taking an Anthropology course this semester. Some tried to say I was crazy, but I have a really good plan, and a really easy course. I need a writing credit to graduate, and I also need a humanities course, but since I don't like any of the humanities courses that give me a writing credit, I have decided to take this Anthropology course now and sneak a French course in some where along the line later (I took French for 3 years- its bound to come back, right?) Anyway, this class only meets 5 times throughout the entire semester. All I need to do is write 12 papers, 1-2 pgs on anything Anthropology related. I have a 2 week Spring Break coming up and will write them at that time. Not so bad of a plan, eh? (see the French is already coming out)
- My clinical group consists of 2 girls that have been in my clinical group the last two times, plus a girl I study with. There are only 8 people in my group, and we have our clinical instructor, plus another instructor who is being trained by the other, so we sort of have two instructors. This is good.
- I think that's it for now. I will write more after Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
I can now successfully insert a foley catheter. Well, in a mannequin that is. At some point this rotation I will be doing this on a real person in the hospital. Personally, as a patient, I think these were the best inventions ever. Having had several of them before myself, they're not at all painful (and they shouldn't be) and I liked not having to get out of bed. The big downside to these things however, is its a big risk of infections. So as nurses, we are learning how to keep the process as sterile as possible to help reduce the risks.
As for whats to come this rotation- well, there's quite a list, and a lot of vague info was given to us today. I had a skills practice session I had to attend today. I will be getting more info tomorrow, in addition, our class will be meeting with scholarship reps from three area hospitals tomorrow over lunch. Tune in for more soon.
As for whats to come this rotation- well, there's quite a list, and a lot of vague info was given to us today. I had a skills practice session I had to attend today. I will be getting more info tomorrow, in addition, our class will be meeting with scholarship reps from three area hospitals tomorrow over lunch. Tune in for more soon.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Well folks, my 3 week winter break has just about come to an end. On Wednesday, semester #2 begins with Med/Surg 1, what we affectionately call GI/GU, which basically is the digestive and urinary systems. I am excited and anxious all in at the same time. I think I have a good beginning grasp on these systems thanks to my awesome Anatomy and Physiology 2 professor and I am always excited and eager to learn more. I'm anxious because, well, its the unknown. A new professor, new clinical instructors, new hospitals, new exams, a new path in the journey I am on.
After that, I start my Peds rotation, which I am VERY VERY excited about. This is one of my current fields of interest, so I am really excited to see what this rotation brings me. But for now, my focus is getting through whatever GI/GU brings me. I am really thrilled that in just 8 short weeks, Spring Break will be here, giving me 2 full weeks off (1 because my class ends a week before Spring Break, and the other week is my actual Spring Break). This is especially nice because between Winter (this semester) and Summer (next semester) semesters I have only about 5 days of break in between.
That's all for now. Tune in for more later on in the week.
After that, I start my Peds rotation, which I am VERY VERY excited about. This is one of my current fields of interest, so I am really excited to see what this rotation brings me. But for now, my focus is getting through whatever GI/GU brings me. I am really thrilled that in just 8 short weeks, Spring Break will be here, giving me 2 full weeks off (1 because my class ends a week before Spring Break, and the other week is my actual Spring Break). This is especially nice because between Winter (this semester) and Summer (next semester) semesters I have only about 5 days of break in between.
That's all for now. Tune in for more later on in the week.
