Clinical Day 1 First Semester

Today was my very first clinical day... one I've kind of dreaded for a while. LOL I am not sure why because it's at the hospital I work at but something about having your professor breathing down your neck and such, it's just nerve wracking.

I got up at 5am to be at clinical by 0630 even though we were supposed to meet at 0645. I did not want to be late. It's just wrong at the amount of people that are out before the sun rises. It seemed like it was 0500, not almost 0700. Anyway, we met up with the instructor who brought us to a conference room to discuss our patients. My patient was a 32 yr old woman who had a myomectomy so it was a gyne patient that I've been used to the past 4 years of working at the hospital. LOL I lucked out but kind of wished I had had a different patient because it's something I'm used to.

It was hard for me because when I'm at work, I have a schedule in my mind of when I need to do things, what I need to do and when they should all be done. Well, everything needed to be verified before I did them so I had to hunt down my instructor before attempting anything. I introduced myself to the patient and began a head to toe assessment. Little did I know, my instructor would have to check me off again so I'd have to go BACK into the room and explain to the pt that there was nothing alarming in the first assessment, I just need to redo because my instructor needs to observe. I did well... forgot a few things but nothing major. I don't even know if my instructor noticed because afterward outside the room, she said I did a good job. Yes.. something positive was said in nursing school. It's truly a miracle. :-) 

I then later completed a set of vital signs with my instructor on my patient. Did the tympanic temp which is easy. Then my instructor and I both took pulse and respirations... she felt one arm, I felt the other. We both got the same thing. WOOHOO! Then, the craziest thing happened... I took the blood pressure manually. They have a double stethoscope so the instructor can verify what the student says. It is hard to tell what the number is on a manual sometimes but I had said 113/63. My instructor said to verify it with the tech who has an automated machine. She took it and I nearly passed out... it read 113/63. I could NOT believe it!! That never ever happens! Those automated machines are sometimes so off and who's to say my lil' ol reading was even close?! I was awed. LOL 

I helped one of my peers get her patient's bed changed and she was so funny. I was talking to the patient as I was making the bed and she said 'how do you talk and do this at the same time??' I guess when you're used to it, it's second nature. Then the same girl's patient needed to get up and walk but he was sitting on the bed, not really wanting to get up because he was exhausted. Because he was trying to cough something up, he could not lay down for fear of aspiration, so he was a bit ticked off. I was helping her and had said to the patient "How about we go for a short walk, try to loosen up whatever is in there and maybe then when you get back to your room, you'll be able to take some pain medication and a nice nap? Sound good?" He said "Yeah, ok" and we went for a walk. She looked at me like 'how did you do that??' I like having that experience with patients but I'm sure this was the easiest clinical in my next 2 years. Eeek!

Busy busy!

We had our third Patho exam yesterday. It.was.awful. We all walked out of there asking ourselves 'did we all study the right things?' I am certain I failed MISERABLY. Grades should be in tomorrow. :(

So I haven't put anything here (and I'm not sure why) but my friend at work had met this guy who was in OB for his paramedic rotation. She had called me and said that she found the perfect guy for me, gave him my number and search for him on Facebook. I thought she was crazy but tried to search him on FB, not finding him. A week after this whole thing started, he had friend requested me on Facebook. My stomach got all jumpy. :-P I added him and sent him a message the next day, saying I was glad my friend didn't scare him off. :) We've been communicating via FB messages lately. I sent him a message Saturday afternoon and am still waiting for a reply. The weird thing is, I see him online (totally not trying to be a stalker but you can see people who are on FB chat. LOL I'm anxious to get a message back! I'm totally shy about asking him out... but two of my friends say to just message him and say 'I'm on spring break next week, if you're interested in getting together for coffee'. I cannot physically get myself to do it!! He DID however 'like' my activity and 'like' my status. How ridiculous is it that that made me smile?? LOL Little things, people, little things! It's kind of exciting... 

To be continued... :)

Meanwhile, I start clinical Thursday. I am so scared! My main concern is I won't wake up in time and will be late my first day. It freaks me out! I'm going to have to set 3 alarms to make sure I'm up by 5am. Ugh. It's not being with the patients that scares me, it's making sure I do everything according to nursing school standards. Pray for me! Then it's SPRING BREAK BABY.

Passed!

So this final... we're supposed to have the grades by tomorrow but we were all hoping they'd be up sooner. Well, kind of hoping and kind of petrified... like you want to know but you don't. I had this feeling that my professor was going to tell us our grades were up when I was at work so I emailed myself the link to Blackboard. Well what do you know, I got an email at 2:26pm as I was pulling into the employee garage. I tried to get to Blackboard but couldn't. I was FREAKING OUT. I got to the lounge on MBU and my friend tried with her phone and was able to get it. I could have passed out I was so relieved. I'm not even happy I don't think... just so relieved but scared for another 8 weeks. Just another check off of the list... onto the next thing. I joked today with a friend that I should have taken a photo before starting the program and then a photo after to see how much I age... like they do with the presidents. I'll bet it'll be a lot. 

I talked with Lilly today and had such a great conversation about faith and God. It was so great to talk to her about that. She had left me a voice mail yesterday, about a card I had sent her, that made me start to tear up in the locker room at work. When you do something for someone that touches them in such a way, it is all worth it. This is a prime example of 'the little things'. People don't need fancy expensive things to know they're cared about. I was also touched tonight by a friend of mine in nursing school who messaged me on Facebook saying she couldn't sleep because she didn't know how I did on the final and that if I needed support, she would be here. How sweet is that?! :)

Thought for the day

"Most of the time, there is very little pressure placed on babies. Assuming they are progressing within a normal window of development, every smile, every wave, every crawl across the kitchen floor is cause to celebrate. You may be envying the way babies are encouraged and celebrated. If there is something you are struggling with, you don't need an outside cheering gallery. You can be your own fabulous audience. Don't place heavy burden on your shoulders now. Simply progress at your natural rate and celebrate every very small accomplishment."

And that is my horoscope for today, brought to you by my Blackberry. Speaking of celebrating every little accomplishment, I so hope I can celebrate passing the first 8 weeks of nursing school. We have our final for NUR 110 at 9am tomorrow and I need to pass! I studied for 3 hours at the library this afternoon after class was finished at 2pm. I'll continue studying tonight and hopefully get to bed within a reasonable hour. I am so exhausted today. The beginning of the week is always so crappy and it looks like it'll be the entire week starting next week since clinical starts next Thursday from 7a-1p. I am keeping a positive attitude :) Or trying to at least... Melissa, who is third year, is going to meet with me Monday after my Cadiology Patho exam and go over head to toe assessment with me so I know what the heck I'm doing in clinical. I am so grateful that she's doing this for me. I'm hoping it'll be easier once I see someone doing it rather than just hearing it. 


I have such a busy next couple of weeks so I'm trying hard not to think too far in advance but it's impossible not to! After tomorrow's final, I need to start studying for Patho. I work tomorrow afternoon and in between my final at 9am and work at 3pm, MUST work out. Because of this damn final, I have been focusing my time on studying and not getting a chance to work out and I hate that. :( I also work Thursday and Saturday too so anytime in between work will be work out and study. Next week I have my Patho exam, meet Melissa at noon after Patho and dinner that has been rescheduled probably 4 times already with Julie. Tuesday starts our new NUR 111 class from 8a-1150am and then Lab from 1-5pm (eek). Clinical first day is Thursday from 7a-1p... I still need to buy a watch with a second hand. Then that weekend I work. Is it just sad that I am looking forward to Spring Break that next week just so I can have time to clean and organize myself for these next 8 weeks? I'd love to be going on vacation somewhere warm but that ain't happenin'. I do work the Wed and Thurs of spring break but that's ok. I need the money! 


I can do it :)

Fun but busy times.

I've completely procrastinated in studying for my NUR 110 final. I just do.not.want.to. I'm doing a study group tomorrow morning with the usual ladies so I think that's kept me ok with it because I do well when we do the groups. Is it bad that I'm just looking to pass it? I need to pass, that's all. HA! That's all... 

Other than that, things have been pretty tame around here. I've had so many things lately that just irritate me in the news that I have stopped watching it. I watch The Kardashian's or Kendra instead. At least I don't leave, feeling depressed and scared of the world ending... just that I wish I had more money. LOL 

I'm still continuing my training for my breast cancer walk. Exactly 12 weeks from today!! I am really so excited about it. I'm going to have to buy another photo card and maybe another battery so I'll have 4 batteries (because there isn't a place to charge them) and I wont have my laptop to transfer photos and delete to make room on the card. Must.prepare! I just hope I am able to raise enough money. I am on their message boards and have already talked to two people that are walking and live in Chicago. One of the girls and I are planning on meeting up soon so that should be fun. April decided to do it with me so that should be...fun. 

Tonight was much needed fun though... one of my friend's friends from Flyball had contacted me and said she was going to be in Chicago for a bit so we figured out somewhere to get a quick drink before she had to pick up her friend from O'Hare. I also was able to give her some tips from my cousin who works as a TSA agent. We had great conversation, it was nice to just sit and talk. I love it! On the way there, my GPS fell off of my windshield twice and scared the bejeesus out of me. Seriously, I thought something hit my car... twice. LOL Oy!

 

Clinical Orientation Today!

I had nursing clinical orientation today at NCH. Funny that I've been working there for 4 years and had to have orientation... but it's necessary. We got student badges and had to wear our uniforms. I felt like I had a big ol' blue tent on. The shirt sticks out everywhere and is so big! LOL The fabric softener helped a bit though and you'll never believe this... the pants are too long! I need to have my pants hemmed!! Never in my life would I think I'd say such words. :-P 

Anyway, because I'm a dork (and man do I look exhausted)...

Ok so even though I joke about the uniform and such, I feel so happy about it. I have worked so hard to get this far and that embroidery that says 'Harper College Nursing Student' on it means so much. Heck, I was just happy when I got my student ID that said Nursing Program on it. It was like an initiation... like 'You've arrived'... yeah I still have a long way to go but I've hit my first check. :-) Yay me.

Yay March!

March means it's one more month closer to May which means it's one more month closer to summer. WAHOO! I met with my mentor today to go over PO medication administration and then, unbeknownst to us, we had to sign up for a testing time to get signed off on the skill. My mentor had signed us up for a tentative time today so we decided to go which was probably better for me. This way I had little time to be nervous. I practiced some and then at 1:40pm went in the simulation hospital and did it. I passed :-) My Patho teacher also rescheduled our exam on Cardio which was seriously a major blessing as next week we have our NUR 110 final and then we would have had the Cardio exam. Cardio itself is just crazy so I am tickled he moved it.

Tomorrow I have my clinical orientation at NCH. I am so glad I have my first clinical at NCH. At least that's a little familiar to me and leaves me less anxiety about my surroundings. My uniform is all washed and ready (the uniform, I swear, is so stiff that it's flame retardant LOL). I put so much fabric softener in the wash with it so hopefully that'll soften it up.

Have I mentioned how much I'd like to be on vacation somewhere right now? UGH.