Semester break almost over

Yep, time to head back for yet another fun-filled semester of nursing school.  Monday, 0800.  But I start the with the class I've literally been waiting 2 years for, so maybe that's a good sign that it will be a good semester!  I can hope, anyway...

4 classes this semester -- OB, Peds, Global Health, and Nursing Leadership.  I've got my books (cheapest semester yet!  Woot!), getting information off Blackboard as it's showing up...pretty much nothing left to do except start the readings for Monday.  But on this Thursday night, I'm not really feeling like reading.  I've got 3 more days to get it done, I'll procrastinate a bit more while I still can.

Monday starts with OB in the morning, Global in the afternoon.  As I'm sure I've mentioned ad nauseum, I'm so ready for OB.  Both times I was pregnant I read and read and read some more, plus I'm leaning toward OB nursing after graduation, so I'm hoping my previous experience and my interest will make this class one of those where I do well and really enjoy it.  Global...looking over the syllabus and skimming through the book, it looks like it *might* be kinda-sorta interesting.  Plus it meets only 5 times during the semester..twice in January, then once a month for 3 months.  Not sure why, but who am I to complain, right?  Peds...have been through a lot with both my own personal kiddos, again hoping my experience helps.  Leadership...another typical BSN course that we have to slog through.  Meh.  Interested in 3 out of the 4 isn't bad.

3 more days of freedom.  Going to run some errands, have a girls' night with the girlfriend on Saturday night, try to get 3 good 5+ mile runs in...enjoy the feeling of being stress-free for just a little bit longer.

Then, I'm on.  And probably not here as much.  ;-)

Textbooks ordered!

Time to cross fingers and hope they arrive in time to get the reading done before the first day of classes on January 9th.  Thank you, nursing school, for causing me to do something I never had to do as a college student -- worry about getting assignments done over semester break.  Shoot, my first time through college, I didn't even buy my books until I got back to campus the weekend before classes started.

Sigh.

Survived the first 2 weeks

Textbook chapters, ATI chapters, clinical module reviews, and online research articles.  Two med dosage calculation quizzes, a Pharm ATI practice quiz, and a quiz over the clinical modules.  New basic information on IV therapy, pre-op care, post-op care, blood transfusions, and conscious sedation.  Two mind-numbing clinical review sessions, got drilled over what we learned last semester plus new information crammed into our heads.  One Mental Health clinical, one clinical journal written.  13 more weeks to go.

Mental Health still seems like it will be OK...although I've heard some interesting stories from my classmates who went to the children's psychiatric hospital for their first clinical this week.  It looks to be pretty straightforward -- lecture once a week to go over various mental health issues and have post conference from the previous week of clinicals, clinical once a week where we spend 6 total weeks at the psychiatic hospital, 6 weeks at other sites.  I got my schedule, looks pretty good, plus clinicals are finished the week before Thanksgiving.  Actually, except for a last exam and ATI testing, class will be finished by Thanksgiving break.

Adult Health/Med-Surg is going to be my killer class, but if I do well, I will come out of this semester knowing a whole lot.  Our instructor -- the new one I mentioned in my last post -- has lightened up a bit, but she's still pretty much a no-nonsense, don't piss her off type.  I will say that I like her as an instructor...she is teaching us how to think outside of the box, stay one step ahead, be able to pull random knowledge off the top of our heads.  I really need this...and I can tell a huge difference in myself even in just the 2 weeks.  However..a couple of our more...difficult...classmates have already copped an attitude with her, and I think it's just a matter of time before heads start rolling.  As long as it's not my noggin!  We have our first clinical next week, the day after Labor Day.  0645 at the ortho unit at THE hospital, take report at 0700, we're there until probably 1430 or 1500.  My TNI clinical instructor from last semester works in ortho, so I'm hoping I'll see him some and he'll be my patient's nurse at some point.  I know he's the type who will let us get in there and do skills (with direct supervision, of course).

My 3rd class is just a filler...Research Methods for Evidence Based Practice.  1 group project, a few smaller individual assignments, 2 or 3 exams that are all online...just busywork.  Considering I'm well versed in academic research and APA formatting thanks to my Master's thesis/degree, I should do OK in this class.

And I almost forgot...a couple posts ago, MamaDoodle asked me about my Vera Bradley baggage.  I have an older style large cosmetic bag where I keep my steth, scissors, pen light, BP cuff, finger pulse ox thingy (technical term, there...lol), ID, tape measure, pupil dilation chart, and anything else I can't remember that's in there...lol.  This is a retired style that I liked better than the current cosmetic bag and I found it for a good price on eBay.  I also have a Miller bag (another eBay win) that serves as my school bag, perfect for holding my books, binders, iClicker, and various other needed supplies.  Add those to my purse and I'm a walking Vera ad.  I need help  ;-)

Alrighty...I have a long weekend, but plenty of stuff to keep me busy -- catching up with Mental Health reading, working on my first assignment for Research class, reviewing respiratory for Med-Surg...plus I'm kitty-sitting for a classmate, serving Communion at church on Sunday, and taking kiddos to a firework display that was postponed from July 4th due to bad weather.  So much for a "holiday" weekend.  *sigh*

Have a nice long weekend...and good luck to those starting classes on Tuesday!

My last weekend of "freedom"

Until December, anyway.  *sad*

Yep...school resumes Monday.  Course info is starting to show up on Blackboard, e-mails from instructors are starting to come in, my books have arrived.  Oh yeah...and required reading for both Psych and Adult Health in the textbooks, ATI reading, and 2 med dosage calculation quizzes, all on Monday.  I get to spend my last weekend not out with friends or enjoying my last couple of days off...nope, I get to read chapters and review conversions and rounding rules.  Yay nursing school.  :-/

Speaking of books, here's a look at what I will end up hating by the end of the semester.  The Med-Surg, Psych, Nursing Research, and Medical Terminology were new additions, while the others were books used (or at least bought) in previous semesters.  Med-Surg and Psych are still in their plastic wrap, but after the above mentioned reading assignments, I guess I'll have to break down and unwrap them...I guess they're officially mine at that point.  No turning back!

We found out we've got a new-to-our-program instructor for Adult Health this year...and I'm not sure how I feel about this.  The former instructor was our TNI instructor last spring.  She was tough and I wouldn't want to be on her bad side at all, but she was fair and she wanted us to succeed.  Other than our director, she is the most senior on-site staff as well, so she was able to call some shots and such.  The new person...no clue who she is, no clue as to her background, we know nothing.  And I think back to my Pharm class last fall, where we had a new instructor and because we were her guinea pig students, we suffered a bit.  Like to the point of we'll have to learn Pharm between now and taking the NCLEX in December 2012/January 2013 because we didn't really learn it when we took the course.  *sigh*  I know everyone has to start somewhere, everyone has a first semester of teaching or being an RN and all that...just...buh, I don't want another first semester teacher in my nursing school experience.  If that makes me selfish, then I guess I'm a bit selfish.  I'm just hoping all turns out OK.

I guess it's about time to dig my scrubs out from the depths of my closet, get my much loved Danskos out and dusted off, make sure my little Vera Bradley make-up case is stocked with my clinical supplies -- name tag, photo ID, stethoscope, scissors, penlight, pens, etc.  I don't know when we'll start with clinicals and lab, if it will be next week or the week after.  Other than having to write care plans every week, I am really looking forward to clinicals...I so love getting in there and doing real RN tasks.  Although I'm a bit nervous about Psych clinicals... o_O

I suppose I should wrap this up and take advantage of a quiet house (everyone's asleep) and not having to study (it's 0105...I'm not studying right now, not yet) and watch some TV off the DVR or read a non-academic book or something.  I will say a big GOOD LUCK to everyone else who is starting/resuming hell -- I mean nursing school -- in the next couple of weeks.  I hope everyone has an awesome semester!

Until the next time,

Less than 3 weeks to go!

3 weeks from today I'll be a few days into my 2nd semester of nursing school!  Yay...and yikes!

Yep, only 3 more weeks of summer break.  And since my kiddos start school before I do -- my oldest starts 3rd (!!!) grade August 10th -- my last day of summer break is more like August 9th.  Back to getting up at 6 AM, back to corralling kiddos to bed at 8 PM.  The getting up at 6 AM is really not my thing.  Buh.  But I know I'll have some early clinical report times this semester, so I better get used to it.

As I mentioned last time, I got books ordered.  One shipment has already come in -- my Medical Terminology workbook and my Nursing Research text.  Gotta love Amazon Prime...my books arrived the day after I ordered them (I'm so going to miss Prime when my student membership expires later this month *sad*).  I still haven't gotten the 2 books I ordered from the school bookstore...haven't even gotten notice that they're shipped or anything.  I hope there isn't some stupid SNAFU.  Probably should check on that.  Also mentioned in a previous entry, I got my HepB vax.  Good gosh, those suckers hurt!  I got the thing a week ago and my arm is still tender.  I really really really...and some more really...hope this is the last one I have to deal with, at least for now.  I'm tired of being a pincushion.

From my comments on my last post, it appears there are many fellow textbook nerds out there!  Most excellent...glad to know I'm not the only weirdo who stalks the mailman when the books are on their way, but then starts to hate those same books just a few weeks later.  ;-)  And also, thank you for validating my thoughts on the photo-taking, foot-loving creeper.  That was a few weeks ago and I still think "Was that real...did that really happen?  Who does that kind of thing?"  *shudder*  I told the story to a few of my other friends...their reactions were all much the same -- dude was CREEPY.

Not much else going on.  Really need to start making my review notecards...intended to start that this week, just been a bit busy the past few days.  Maybe that will be tomorrow's main task.  I think once I get started and into the groove, I won't want to stop...just got to take that first step.  Waiting to get our formal schedule from our program secretary, waiting to hear back about a scholarship I applied for, waiting to see if I get my financing from The Hospital before my bill is due....WAITING.  And to toss in a bit of superficial vanity, I'm trying to take advantage of the remaining 3 weeks laying out here and there (like Sookie Stackhouse says...I don't drink, I don't smoke...my sunning is my vice), running when I can, walking when I can't run...and plan to dye my hair again the week before school starts.  Between the RED hairs, the tan, and the 10-11 pounds I lost over the summer, I'm shooting for a whole different person than I was in May.  OK, not really...but still.  Told you I was going to be vain, there.  ;-)

And with that, I shall wrap this up.  I do want to say a big thank you for reading my inane ramblings and leaving comments.  I appreciate anyone who stops by  :-)

Later gators

Books and supplies

Since I've seen a few other nursing school bloggers share their piles of books and various supplies, I thought I'd join in and show what a good chunk of our household income has paid for recently!

You can see my large pile of textbooks (and I just realized I forgot my Taber's Medical Dictionary and my APA Publication Manual...they're set aside because they were 2 that *might* have been sent back, but I think I may have to keep them)  Wondering how many of these I'll actually use the next 4 semesters and how many I should have either rented or not bought at all.  I think at least a couple will be used again next semester, so that helps.  Maybe.

Also pictured: my handy-dandy planner, which is my major source of organization regarding school, if I lost it I would be in *big* trouble; my skills DVD's, which are interesting...and will not be viewed when my children are around; plus my new watch, my pink penlight, my pink scissors, and my pink (well, raspberry) Littman stethoscope, complete with its pink and supposedly tamper-proof ID tag.  Do we notice a color theme, here, by chance?  :-)  I still have to get my tape measure and my clinical tote bag/kit thing.  I think when I get those, I'm good to go...?  Until they add something else...

Up tomorrow -- the previously mentioned all-day orientation and the first chance to wear clinical uniform.  I'm going to feel like an imposter wearing real scrubs, but I suppose I'll get past that feeling real quick when we have to wear clinical uniform 3 of the 4 days each week starting next week.

Clinicals start next week.  Labs start next week.  No more just sitting in a classroom.  Yay!

Back to the books.  Happy weekend!  :-)