Back to ye olde grindstone....

After a less than stellar start to this semester, I decided that I really needed to buckle down and get into what I am doing.

So, to that end, I have decided to limit myself to two lunch dates per week. The rest of the lunch hours will be spent hittin' the books. I am going to make sure to gather my patient information on Thursday evening, thereby giving me an extra day to prepare a killer careplan. (Not literally mind you.)

Along with this, I am going to be spending all my free time at the university studying. I have been trying so hard to study at home. I 99% of the time wind up falling asleep in my books, no matter where I sit. My son has ADHD, and requires absolute silence to get any of his homework done. I need stimulation (usually music). My husband seems to think that my going away to study means I don't want to spend any time with him. He can't understand that I can not get anything done if he and the child interrupt me every 2 minutes to talk, to show me something, to ask a question. So yeah, maybe I don't want to be with them at that time.

The end is in sight. Just gotta make it through this next 5 months.

W. :)

Tagged!!!!!

I got tagged by Kim at Emergiblog!

Ok, so apparently I am to list my current Top 7 Favorite Songs. Now I was not sure if I was supposed to use from the current songs out there, or my own personal current listenings. So, I am choosing the latter.

Here goes:

1) "Over My Head (Cablecar)" - The Fray
Love the video. Love the song. The song pretty much sums up how I feel at the moment.

2) "Believe in You" - Amanda Marshall
Such an awesome song and singer. She's Canadian, and I was introduced to her music by my best friend. I love her entire 'Intermission' album, but right now this is the song I need to hear most often.

3) "Crazy on You" - Heart
As a little girl, I would gaze at the cover of Little Queen, wishing to look like Ann Wilson (dark hair, porcelain complexion, and black velvet Renn-Faire dress.) I know that this song does not come from that album, however, whenever I hear old Heart I think of that time.

4) "Trail of Broken Hearts" - kd Lang
That voice! Also Canadian. In love with this song since I was 16.

5) "Stay" - Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
My husband always says "You only hear what you want to." This song came out around the time we were dating. It brings back memories of a good time in my life. Young, single, on my own.

6) "Possession" - Sarah McLachlin
Yet another Canadian. Love her. The premise that the song was written under is kind of creepy. However, I love the line "I will be the one to hold you down, kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away." And who doesn't want breath-stealing kisses?

7) "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
I am currently enamored of this song. None of us are completely normal. We are all a little crazy, we just do the best we can.

That was actually really tough. My top list would actually hold about 30 songs. The same ones I play over and over on my ipod.

Thanks Kim.

Now, who to tag? Who to tag?

I pick Nurse Betty, Hoosier Student Nurse, Kim, Jenny, Prisca, Janine and Lorette .

Sitting.......

Last night, I did my first shift as a 1:1 (or in my case 2:1) sitter. I had two women soley under my care.

Busy, busy, busy. I, silly girl, brought my book with me thinking, perhaps that I might be able to study. HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA! There was very little actual sitting while sitting, if you know what I mean.

The first patient kept trying to get out of bed, and I kept keeping her in it. And everytime she'd move her arm, her IV would beep. So, I'd reposition her arm, and reset the pump about a million times.

The second patient was very quiet, at first. She slept, went for a test, and slept some more. Then as soon as the first patient fell asleep, she began having diarreah every 20 minutes. I'd assist her to the commode, and then twice had to change her sheets, because she was so sleepy that she couldn't move quick enough, and insisted on not using a bedpan. I felt for her, really.

However, I took good care of my ladies. They were very happy with me, as were their families. I was told by both sets of families that they were very happy with my care of their family members, and that they think I will make a great nurse, someday. To me that is one of the best compliments I've ever received. Because if family thinks you treat them well....that says a lot to me.

Speaking of someday, guess what I get to do in two weeks?!?!!? Register for my last semester of nursing school. LAST SEMESTER!!!!!!!

Now, let's talk about what burning the candle at every end can do for you.....

You dye your hair, and fall asleep with the dye in it. For an hour and a half.

Yes, that happened to me. Yes, I still have hair. After clinicals on Saturday (where it was discovered that I know nothing, apparently), the husband child and I went out for a family evening. (I've missed that.) Got home at close to 10. After the men folk went to sleep, I said let me dye my hair now. Midnight I start the process. I was to rinse my hair out at 1:15 AM. I woke up at 2:46 AM. I was going to just go to bed when I happened to reach up and touch my head. OH MY GOD!!! It was DRY!!! And CRUSTY!!!!! Crap, crap, crap. Into the bathtub STAT! Maybe my grey streak won't make a reappearance for a while.

I am so glad that our exams won't be oral rapid-fire exams. Because our clinical instructor, Ms. Garner, quizzes us each week on what we have covered in class. I know I will know the answer if I see it on a test, but to pull it out of my brain on the spot, I feel so stupid.

Ms. Garner asked us about the parathyroid, and what does it regulate. Know I know I remember learning about the how it effects bone growth and destruction in A&P. And that was the answer that she was looking for, however when she asked what would you keep at the bedside in a patient being treated for parathyroid disorders, and I answered a glass of milk, she gave me a smack with her papers. (Have I mentioned that she beats us regularly?) I really like her teaching style though. I really wish that she was one of our lecture instructors. Alas, she only works with the full time track.

Not much else going on in my world. Not working this weekend. Going to see Foreigner and Styx in concert instead. Clinicals will be with the human patient simulator at school. 3 hours, no uniforms, no preassignment, and we get to show up at noon! Yeah, baby!

Need to make a study schedule for myself for this semester. I need to quit going out to lunch, and study/lunch instead like I used to. I need to devote one night a week to the library. I am on the dean's list and plan to stay there. Darn it!

Test next Monday.

W. :)

A dilema

What to do? Attend graduation ceremonies on April 28 (that's the date), or go to softball games and see VEU kick Florida Southern's butts. No, really this is a problem for me. I have a feeling that I am going to end up sitting in the stands in my cap and gown. Seriously.

We booked our flights today. Leaving 12/15/06 at 0830 and returning on 12/18/06 at 2330. (My birthday.) Staying in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. We got awesome prices. 3 nights hotel, flights and ground transportation for $905 for the both of us. I am tick-ticking away the minutes.

Today at work sucked overall. Just a lousy day. And then topped off with an argument with my boss. Now I am getting my preassignment ready for tomorrow morning. I have quite an interesting case on paper. Let's see if it's true in the morning. I will leave you with this note from the chart. "Patient must be in restraints at all times."

Yeah.

W. :)

Not just a job. It's an adventure....

Well, to say last night was jumping might be an understatement. I had seven patients: 2 total care (1 of whom I took care of last week), and one very determined to leave man with senile dementia.

The last patient had a 1:1 companion, but she often needed assistance with him, because he was 1) very confused and wanted to go home, 2) pulling out all his IV's and 3) needed changing often because he was incontinent and our hospital is a no-diaper facility. Around 9:30 he became nearly uncontrollable. He was yelling for the police because he thought there were 55 gallon drums of acid burning him, kept asking me for a hammer, kept asking to be sent home so he could die.

The companion called out to me, and the man had hold of her fingers very tightly and was not about to let her go. So, I was trying to get his hands open enough so she could get free, when he kicked me in the stomach. Not very hard, mind you. But definitely enough to back me into the wall.

I acutally started laughing when it happened because all I could think of was Stewart from MadTV. "I don't wanna!!"

Things I learned last night:

1. always check in between the patient's legs to see if they did their business (I had been checking from the side to afford the patient some privacy. I am learning privacy is really hard to maintain in medicine.)

2. stay at least 4 feet away from flailing patients if there is no risk of them falling to the floor

3. PCT's tend to hide in empty rooms, so if you can't find one check the empty rooms first. (I was abandoned alone on the floor several times last night due to this fact. And being the only visible PCT, I was kept running all night, taking care of other tech's patients as well as my own.)

Saturday we had our first clinical at Big City Hospital. We are on an Ortho/Spinal Cord injury floor. After all our specialty rotations where our patient care was very limited, we were all very rusty and out of sorts. We found out that we will not be exploring different areas of med-surg and will be working this floor the whole semester. We were really hoping to see a variety of advanced med-surg (ER, ICU, burns, trauma, etc.), and are quite disappointed. However, the highlight of my weekend had to have been filling out my application for graduation. APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION!!!!!!!!!

Q. Will you be participating in the Spring Graduation Ceremonies?

A. YOU'RE DAMN SKIPPY, I WILL!!!!!

That really put a fire under my butt to get kicking with the reading.

The rest of the weekend was pretty tame. Friday night the Husbeast and I went to hang out at a friend's house and watch movies. Saturday after clinicals and groceries, I went to watch the VEU (very expensive university) Volleyball team trounce our sister university. Then went to hang out with Danielle.

And today, I am exhausted. I get home at midnight on PCT nights, and can't go right to sleep. So I was up till 0200. I wake up for work at 0630. TIRED. Tonight, school.

Got my second paycheck, and I am now half saved for trip to Vegas. Going to go for my birthday weekend. Can't wait!!!

W. :)

They tricked me....

No time and a half for working last night. :(

Last night was my first night on the floor on my own. I really have to hand it to my fellow PCT's, they trained me well, and were so willing to help when I needed it. I had five patients, and also got an admit about halfway through the evening. All of the patients were total care except one, so I was busy. One lady, she would beep me every hour to move her, because she couldn't move herself. I didn't mind, because I wanted her to be comfortable.

My one patient that was not a total care, even did her own I&O, because she is also a PCT, and she said that she was going so often that I would not be able to keep up with her. She gave me all sorts of tips and made my first day easier. It's nice when even the patients help the newbie.:)

So, the first night went well. All was quiet on the 3West-ern front. And this past weekend I have met and worked with some amazing nurses. If you just show a little interest, they are so willing to help you learn, and I am eager to learn. While the hospital is small and the systems antiquated, it is a nice place to work. (or "A Great Place To Work!" if you go by their slogans) While I still vacillate between L&D, Peds, and NICU, I think that I may put in a year in med-surg at this facility to get my feet wet. The staff is wonderful, the nurse:patient ratios are good, and the benefits through the health system are really good. Ultimately, I want a hospital that has all the good things I mentioned, and computerized charting. Definitely, computerized charting.

W. :)

Recommended by 9 out of 10 doctors....

to cure insomnia in nursing students. It's the Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. I sat down at lunchtime to read up on burns. After an hour of reading, I was roused by a coworker that happened to pass by and find me faceplanted into my book.

I'm ok with my decision to have a hectic life for the moment. I actually kind of need my husband out of my hair to better be able to study. Boy child and I study well together. He is content to read next to me quietly or play with his toys while I read. Sometimes we will read the textbook together. He finds some of the stuff interesting.

Husband is actually more disruptive than a 9 year old. Go figure.

Work at the hospital is going well. I have one more shift of orientation, and then I am on my own. I am looking forward to it, but still a bit nervous. I mean, the likelihood of my breaking a patient is small, but that person will be in my care much more than the nurse. I will be rounding to them once and hour. The nurses on my floor rarely seem to actually go into the patients room unless to do something to them. It seems strange that 95% of the time, I find the nurses sitting in the nurse's station. But maybe that is because I don't know better.

We have nurses that work two 12's and two 16's a week. I can't even imagine working that many hours. I guess I value sleep too much. And acutally seeing my family from time to time.

I actually had 2 days off this week, unexpectedly, but not unwelcome. We had the storm that wasn't, Ernesto, give us a breezy day with a few rain showers. I used the time off to help my friend move, and spend time with my family. It was really a nice break. And now I get another day off tomorrow. I may get spoiled from all this vacationing. However, shant rest too long. I am working Sunday & Monday at the hospital. (Time and a half, baby!) Then I get a few extra days to read before class on 9/11.

Thanks for the words of support. From what I am seeing across the nursing student blogiverse, this looks like a tough semester for everyone. Let's all hang in there together, and continue to encourage each other.

W. :)