And half a month later...

I'm neglecting a lot of things this semester, this blog is one of them.  I've just been so busy with practicum and other stuff, and it really doesn't look to get much better any time soon.

Practicum - only 6 more shifts and I am finished with my hours!  I'm still enjoying being on telemetry, although I haven't seen any major cardiac patients yet.  Oddly enough, the most pressing issues I've had with my patients so far was hypoglycemia - 2 different patients were down in the 30's, so they got a little boost of IV D50 - and I've had 3 alcoholics in for chest pain issues.  Not really sure why they got sent to us, none of them had major cardiac issues going on, and they could have easily gone up to the floor that generally handles the detoxers and been on remote telemetry...but not my decision.  But I did start an IV the other night, and was *this* close to starting another one.  And this will sound a little morbid, but I watched a patient die on the tele monitor.  It was a patient on another floor on remote tele, and while I was sitting near the monitors, I heard the alarm ring.  This patient was brady down in the 30's, but would go back up to the 50's, then would alarm back down in the 30's.  Then the monitor showed asystole, but it wasn't actual asystole at that point, it was just a really long break in between impulses.  So I watched awhile longer and the impulses really widened out and were getting fewer and fewer...showing an agonal pattern.  Then asystole again, this time it stayed flat.  So I watched the monitor show NSR to SB to agonal to asystole.  All this happened over the course of maybe 10 minutes?  Kinda sad, knowing that a patient a floor below us had died and there was nothing we could do but watch.

School - Hating it.  Ready to be done.  Frustrated with all the stupid stuff we have to do, the ridiculous guidelines and assignments and such.  OVER IT.  72 more days until graduation and I hope I make it without strangling someone!  I've had my bad days in other semesters, where I feel a little overwhelmed, but it usually passes.  This semester it's not really passing...which sucks!
The good news is I'm getting information for ordering my nursing pin this week, plus we should be getting information on getting our senior pictures taken soon.  I'm excited about getting my pin, even though I won't really get it until December.

Not much else going on...school takes up a disproportionate amount of my life and I'm ready for that to change.  I hope December gets here quickly!