Long time, no post

Geez...it's really been 2 months since I was last here? *sigh* I'm a bad blogger...

In my defense - if there really is a defense - I've been busting my ass at work lately. I swear every pregnant woman in the general area has been due the past 2 months because we have been swamped! And it's been worse lately because of the impending hospital move (I plan to write up a separate post about this very rare experience) since most doctors are getting their patients' scheduled inductions and sections done before the "no elective procedures" window closes.

But I am now off orientation, now the real deal. I still ask a ton of questions, still ask a lot of advice on how to handle certain patient situations, but I've noticed that I'm starting to figure out what to do on my own, I just ask for validation. I'm much more comfortable in the OR for c-sections, doing much better getting induction patients admitted and going on their pitocin, doing much much better finding that elusive not-in-labor-yet cervix that's way posterior and at a -3 (or -5...) station. I've had patients on mag, observation patients, postpartum patients when Mother-Baby is full and we hold them in L&D, inductions, sections both pre- and post-op, can get and give report much better, can talk to the docs on the phone much easier (even at 3am when I have to wake them up)....I'm getting there!

So this is the last week we'll be in our current building...I have only 2 more shifts before we move. And I work the very last night shift in the current building before it closes. That is going to be kinda weird...since that building is where my 2nd daughter was born, where I went to nursing school, where I did my clinicals, where I've worked the past almost 5 months...and after next Saturday, it will be just an empty building. Yes, the new building is beautiful and will have so many nice upgrades that will be fantastic once we get used to them...but still... (ok, gotta save stuff for the dedicated hospital move post!)

Until then, I'm going to enjoy my nights off this week and hope we all get through the craziness next weekend as we move patients, equipment, EVERYTHING from our current building to the new building. YIKES.

Sleep shifting

FINALLY preparing for night shift!

I've been at my job for 10 weeks and I guess I'm deemed OK enough in my skills and such to be able to go to nights. I'm ready to be on nights...days just do not jive with my sleep-wake pattern. Plus I'm ready to have a bit of a slower pace so I can focus on learning the WHY's of what I'm doing and start gaining some confidence. There's just no time to really do that on days, especially as busy as we've been the past few weeks.

Anyway...job still going well. I've had a few days where I came home and felt completely inadequate, but most days I've had at least one "Hey, I did that right!" moment. I served out my 2-week OR rotation where I learned how to circulate, chart, and do recovery for c-sections. I'm not really a fan of the OR, but I will admit I've really caught on to that whole routine. There is a set routine and you don't really deviate from it...in the room, prep the patient, surgeon cuts, water breaks, baby out, placenta out, close wound, do instrument counts, clean up patient, go to recovery. But it goes at a really fast pace (some OB's are faster than others...) and I don't have much time to think, just follow the routine. And I'm always afraid I'm going to miss something or bump into the sterile field area and screw that all up...it's nerve-wracking!

One interesting highlight was spending a day in outpatient surgery to get practice on IV starts. It was kinda cool to be on a different unit and see how their days go, plus I really rocked the IV's. Over the course of the day I attempted 6 and was successful with 5. The one I missed...an 89 yo tiny little patient with tiny little veins the size of a human hair. The nurse tried but didn't get her, so IV Team was called. They told me not to even count that as a miss, since she was an almost impossible stick. So yeah...I had a pretty good percentage that day  :-)

Other things I've been doing have to do with the new hospital. I've had several training sessions...department tour, whole hospital tour, device training, phone system training, monitor training...with lots more to go. I know I have 2 sessions scheduled in April already, with more to come, I'm sure. We're getting closer to move day...62 days! 2 months!

Anyway...I've killed a little time here on this all-nighter night. I'm staying up until about 7a and then sleeping all day so I can hopefully be awake and functional for my first night shift Sunday night. I know I'll adjust to my night schedule once I get used to it, but it will take me a week or so to really get back to it.

Happy weekend...or what's left of it!

Practicum hours completed!

All 210 required hours are now logged!

I did my last night shift last Saturday night.  It was definitely bittersweet...I wanted to be done with my hours because it significantly frees up my weekly schedule, but at the same time, I am going to miss my experience on the floor.  I really do enjoy direct patient care and cannot wait to get back to it in a few months.  But then, I'll be getting paid for it!  Always a bonus.

So now what am I going to do with all this free time?  Well, we've got our community project that we're presenting next Thursday...and I have my 3rd critical care exam on Halloween...and a huge research paper due November 2nd....plus random busy work items.  So much for "free" time.  But I have to do this for only 55 more days.  I can swing that.

So on the job front...we were told to go ahead and start applying this month.  I haven't yet because there aren't any jobs at The Hospital that I am interested in.  But I keep watching the job postings and hoping for something that sparks my interest.  The only listing on there right now that I would consider is an L&D job...night shift, 2 shifts a week.  I was hoping for 3 shifts a week, and while I have an interest in L&D, that's not the highest on my list.  But a job is a job...so I may go ahead and apply and at least get my name out there.

Other news...we ordered our nursing pins a couple weeks ago and they came in this week.  Squee!  And we got our pictures taken this week as well...but no Florence Nightingale dress and cap look for us  :-(  We actually looked like sorority girls...hair did, makeup on, and a black velvet off-the-shoulder drape.  Not that there's anything wrong with sorority girls...but darn it, I wanted to look like an old skool nurse for just once!  Oh well.

And now I get to enjoy my first non-clinical weekend since before Labor Day!  I'm actually awake and getting things done today instead of sleeping...will be home tonight relaxing (well, probably working on my paper...but still) instead of at the hospital...will get to see my kiddos' soccer games instead of sleeping.  I might as well enjoy this while I can because soon enough I'll be back on a similar schedule...but with a paycheck  ;-)

Happy Friday, Happy Weekend!

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!

Practicum update

...and I've managed to get 63 hours done already.  I'm just under 1/3 of the way through!

It's been interesting so far.  My preceptor is great, she and I get along well (which is always a good thing, makes it much easier), and she can see that I take this role very seriously and am not just going to be a hot-shot know-it-all type.  I definitely do not know everything, far from it, but I apparently know enough of what I'm doing that she's letting me do some of the patient care activities on my own. Nothing major or invasive...she's front and center for anything like that, I don't even try to go it alone on certain tasks...but she'll have me do admissions, plus assessments, PO med passes, any comfort measures, and I do most of the required charting myself.  Knowing Epic has really helped...thank you again, Externship Hospital!

Other classes are going OK.  Didn't do as well as I had wanted on my cardiac exam, but it was my fault, really.  She told us what to study, and I focused on EKG/dysrhythmias too much and not enough on the drugs and treatments.  The questions I missed were drug questions and if I had paid more attention to that section when studying, I would have gotten a lot higher score.  I'm bummed, but I'm not going to let it ruin my semester.  I know what to do for the next exam, so I hope my score will be better!

Other than that, not much going on. I'm definitely keeping plenty busy with school!  So ready for this semester to be done.  It's really hard to believe that with the end of this semester comes the end of nursing school.  Seriously.  I mean, I start applying for nursing jobs NEXT MONTH.  How insane is that?  I would *love* to have a job lined up by graduation...that would be so awesome.  I would be able to work as an RN-A (A for applicant)...getting RN pay (!!!), doing RN work, just with a preceptor until I get my license.  I've got my fingers crossed that the ideal job opens up!

Before I sign off, I wanted to answer a couple of questions from my last post (and I will admit I am really bad about this...I do read all comments on my posts and I'm thankful for the words of support and encouragement...I just really suck at verbalizing that appreciation in subsequent posts!)

Azmomo2 -- yes, this is the only clinical component we have this semester.  Once we get our 210 hours done - at least 155 have to be direct patient care, the remainder can be direct patient care, observational hours, professional hours (attending unit meetings, conferences, classes, etc. with our preceptors) or other miscellaneous hours - we are finished.  Being WEO and getting 36 hours almost every week, I will probably be one of the first of my class to be finished...right now I'm looking at being done in mid-October.  I'll miss patient care, but it will be nice to be able to really focus on my other classes.  I requested night shift hours, and cardiac was one of my preferences.  Looking at the units my class got placed on, telemetry is definitely my first choice!

Heather -- I would have loved being on NICU, but it wasn't an option.  We do have the option of taking up to 12 shadow/observation hours with a different unit (if it can be worked out), and I requested an observation day with my hospital's Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.  My future career goal is NICU (well, as of right now)...but I know it's tough to get in there, there isn't much of a turnaround, and I want to get some general skills and knowledge built up before I go into a specialty.

Curlygirl -- Welcome!  Glad you've found my journey through nursing school interesting.  :-)

On that note...I have some busywork to get done - have to stay up late tonight, sleep tomorrow, because I have clinical tomorrow night.  I hope it's an interesting night!

Laters  :-)

I got my practicum assignment today!

I'll be on the cardiac telemetry unit at THE hospital, night shift (7p-7a), weekend option.  Probably starting my first shifts next weekend, depending on my preceptor's schedule.  EEK!

I'm so thankful I got night shift hours, very satisfied with the tele unit, but a little on the fence with the weekend option part.  Granted, I'll get probably 36 hours every week, which will help me get through my required hours quickly...and other than weekends my preceptor has off, I pretty much know my schedule already...and none of my practicum hours will interfere with classes and exams (although it will cut into my Sunday night library-campout studying night).  But I'll be in clinical every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, then sleeping every Friday afternoon, Saturday, Sunday, and most of Monday...no relaxing weekends for awhile...and I'll have to miss weekend activities with my kiddos, and with soccer starting up next weekend...perfect timing!  :-(  But it's temporary...as soon as I get my hours logged, I'm done.

So now that I know my assignment, the next step is waiting until our director gives me permission to contact my preceptor and set up a time to meet n' greet and get schedules coordinated.  Then let's get this thing going...I'm ready to get back to direct patient care!

In other news...it's now the middle of the 2nd week of classes, day 8 of the semester...and I've been to class only 3 days.  I'm really liking this schedule!  All day Wednesday for critical care class, and select Thursdays for Transition to Nursing Practice class...and that's it as far as face-to-face class times for the rest of the semester.  Then with my weekends for practicum hours...I have my weekdays free!  Well, relatively, since I'll have plenty of school work and studying to do.  But still!  I can make this work  :-)

So I passed my med dosage calculation quiz last week (no problem!) and have learned a crap-ton about EKG's.  I'm really looking forward to being on the tele unit so I can see and hear some of these disrhythmias in real patients.  They make sense, mostly, but I think seeing the monitors and strips will really help tie it all together.

Now time to read up on more cardiac stuff and get my weekly journal started.  Off tomorrow, although studying disrhythmias with a classmate for a few hours, then all day Epic training on Friday.  Yay...8 hours of training on a computer system I already know how to use!!

Laters  :-)

Last Day of Freedom!

And technically it's my last day of summer break, ever.  Like REALLY ever.  From grade school to college, I had summers off.  My previous career was teaching, so I had summers off.  Then I was a stay at home mama and had summers off.  Then I was a student again and had summers off.  That pattern ends today.  Now THAT is a sobering thought.

Anyhoo...I head back to school tomorrow for my final semester.  First thing up is a med calc quiz in critical care class.  I used to stress about these quizzes...not so much anymore.  I'll review my conversions and will probably take a look at pediatric dosing and fluid volume calcs, just in case.  I don't foresee peds questions, but you never know.  I'll be in class all day tomorrow and then for a few hours on Thursday, then off on Friday.  I could get used to this schedule...but as is common with nursing school, it will change a million times over the course of the semester.  And we just roll with it.

I've gotten my reading done for tomorrow - cardiac dysrhythmias in textbook, plus dysrhythmias and pacemakers in ATI book - and will review med calc stuff later tonight.  I'm ready, let's do this.

On that note, I'm off to get a few miles done and think about anything other than school for just a few more hours.

Peace out, homies

Haven't been around much...

...but I'm still alive and kicking.  Keeping busy with my externship, the kiddos, and just life in general.

The externship: I'm a little over halfway done with the 10 weeks (already?) and I'm still enjoying it. I've changed colostomies, put in straight caths, emptied hemovac drains and foleys, changed surgical dressings, and other very much un-glamorous things...but the one thing I hate the most?  CHARTING. I understand the necessity of it, but OMG, I just hate it. I'm a lot faster at it than I was before, but still...it's monotonous and boring and the one thing I do not look forward to at all each shift.

Regardless of how much I dislike it, learning Epic and having to do the charting each shift will definitely help me out with precepting in the fall, plus with my job after I graduate. And I think about my classmates who aren't externing this summer...they are going to be so behind this fall! For the past 3 semesters in clinical, we've cared for only one patient, have had limited IV/PICC experience, haven't gotten to do many procedures, and haven't really had a chance to set a good routine. Thanks to being tossed right into the fray by my preceptor this summer, I now know how to manage up to 5 patients a shift, I've gotten a vitals/assessment routine down, I've learned a lot of pharm, know which drugs require additional assessments, have become a pro at almost anything related to IV meds (well, as far as getting them set up and going), know how to draw labs from a PICC and change the caps, plus have learned a few new skills. And I know how to handle 12-hour shifts, deal with night shift, and can do back-to-back shifts. Yes, I've had some rough shifts, some patients (and family members) who aren't my favorites to deal with...but I still feel like I'm right where I belong, doing what I really am meant to do :-)

As far as academic school stuff....erm...yeah. Haven't opened a book this summer at all. Guilty as charged. Maybe I can read a little in the couple of weeks between the end of my externship and the start of classes...

BUT...I found out I didn't make the Dean's List last semester...instead I made the Dean's Scholar List! WOOT! And I can apply to graduate starting July 15th. And you better believe I will be on the school's website on July 15th filling out that information! I GRADUATE in just a smidge over 6 months! And that means I take NCLEX in probably a little over 7 months!

On that note, I'm off to enjoy not working tonight :-)

Semester 3 is half over!

Now that just seems unreal.  I'm really down to a semester and a half left in nursing school?  Wow...

Anyhoo...I'm officially on my spring break!  How did that work out?  Well...due to some changes in clinical schedule (thanks to THE hospital recently going live with their new electronic records system, all hell breaking loose there, and our Peds instructor making the decision to pull us from hospital clinical sites this week..), I was finished with the week after Tuesday's classes.  WOOT!  So I actually get 3 extra days tacked on to my spring break this year.  Cannot complain.

BUT

Like any good nursing student knows, you may be on spring break, but that doesn't really mean much except that you don't have to show up for classes or clinicals for a week.  You still have studying and assignments and reading and all that jazz.  Case in point: I have to submit my prenatal teaching lesson plan by Tuesday morning...which means I really need to have it ready to go Monday night...but Monday afternoon I have a interview for a summer externship position...and I don't want to be working on my lesson plan before I go to my interview....and then my birthday is Sunday and I don't want to be doing any work at all that day...and I'm going to Kosair Children's Hospital on Saturday...so I need to have my teaching plan finished by Friday night.  I worked on it a bit today, will really slog through it tomorrow and Friday, hopefully having it ready to go by Friday night.  And that's just my teaching plan...I have a Peds exam (cardiac, GI, and GU...nothing like 3 heavy topics in one exam!) the Tuesday after we get back from break, so that mean I'll spend the remainder of the week catching up on reading and making a study guide.  Not to mention I have ATI practice exams for Peds, OB, and Leadership that I need to get taken and checked off.  So...spring break?  Huh?  :-/

That's about all that's going on right now, at least that's all my focus is focused on for the time being.  It's sad...I used to be all gung ho about working ahead, staying ahead, getting assignments done early, studying early.  Now I go one day at a time, I rarely work ahead, am usually finishing up assignments and studying and study guides the night before they're due.  Don't ask me when our next OB clinical day is, I have no idea if it's not this week or next.  Don't ask me where I'm going for Peds clinical the week after spring break, I have no idea.  It's not that I'm apathetic or slacking...I just don't see the need to exert the energy to stay ahead.  I'm happy with meeting deadlines at the deadline.

Alrighty...time to do at least a little work on my teaching plan.  Those of you on spring break...ENJOY!  At least as much as you can  ;-)

Later gators!

5 weeks in...I think??

I'm too lazy to get my planner out and count, but I'm pretty sure it's the 5th week of classes.  And things are going fairly well.

The high point of the semester so far was my day in the NICU yesterday.  THE Hospital has a Level 2 NICU, so while there is nothing majorly super serious there (those little ones get sent off to Kosair's, which is a couple hours from here), it's still nice to have the experience in the NICU.  I didn't really do a whole lot but observe, taking part in some very basic interventions.  But what I really loved...I got to see a c-section.  And it was, hands down, one of the coolest things I've ever been allowed to see.  I was in there as a "guest" of the Nursery RN and NP, but the L&D RN's and even the OB were so nice and explaining what was going on.  It was awesome!  After yesterday, I am more sure that my future is in OB nursing...maybe not so much in L&D, but I'm thinking NICU/Nursery (they work in both and float back and forth as needed) or Mother-Baby.  Each time I think about another area I might want to work in, I always come back to OB.  Must be a sign  :-)

Other big news...I'm applying for student nurse extern positions for the summer, at THE Hospital and a bigger hospital that's about 45 minutes away.  Both are 10 week programs, 24 hours a week.  And both offer the chance to stay on as a NA after the program is over...and I'm *REALLY* hoping they might offer a foot in the door to employment after graduation!

Anyhoo...school stuff beckons, as usual.  Working on my clinical assignment after being in the NICU yesterday, as well as reading and working on study guides for upcoming exams.

Later  :-)

One week in...

So I survived the first week.  My overall take on this semester: I'm going to be plenty busy, but it doesn't seem to be the same level of insane busy that last semester was.  4 classes, 2 with clinical rotations...exams and projects and care plans and clinical worksheets.  But still, things seem less intense.  And the clinicals...OB in L&D and Nursery/Mother-Baby...peds in the NICU, a ped's office, on the peds unit in The Hospital, outpatient OR...plus I might get a day of shadowing at Kosair's Children's Hospital NICU or PICU.  Even if I don't get to touch a thing and all I do is just watch, an opportunity at Kosair's will be priceless!

I was reminded of being oh so thankful I'm past Med-Surg.  Tuesday after they'd had their first class, the cohort behind me looked panicked, scared, almost already beaten.  I got caught in the hallway talking to a few of them...not caught in that I didn't want to talk, but caught up by their questions.. "How much did you have to read?  How did you do on the exams?  What was clinical like?  How did you do on ATI?  How much time did you spend on this class?  What was your final grade in the class?"  They were firing questions at me left and right.  Oh those poor souls.  I feel bad for them, I do...but just like we did, they'll have to buck up and get through it if they're serious about it.  Not to say that the classmates we lost weren't serious...hell, I won't get into that whole situation in the event someone were to stumble across my words here and...well, I don't want trouble.

ANYWAY

Getting right into the swing of things this week...Peds and Leadership classes on Tuesday, Peds clinical on Wednesday (0630!! Woohoo!) and OB clinical orientation on Thursday.  Already completed one main assignment for Global Health, got my case studies and reading done for Leadership...have some reading to do for Peds for this week and for OB for next week...seems like I'm getting back into the groove fairly well.

And on that note, the reading beckons.  Good luck to everyone starting classes this week!

Later.

Officially finished with 2nd semester!

So I was finished with finals a week ago...but the grades are now posted, so I consider that official.  Mental Health - A (98%...BOOYAH!), Research Methods - A, Med-Surg - B.  Wish I could have gotten that 3rd A, but all things considered, I'll live with the B.

And by all things considered, I take into account that our program offers Med-Surg as one class, in one semester, for 8 credit hours.  I sat in lecture for 3 hours on Mondays and 2 hours on Wednesdays, clinical for 6-7 hours on Tuesdays, in addition to the 10-15 hours each week I spent on clinical work (pre-clinical prep, post-clinical worksheets, care plans, and journals) and the lots of hours of reading the textbooks and ATI chapters.  And the fact that 3 of our 16 class members did not pass Med-Surg and will not be moving on with us to 3rd semester.  :-(  So hell class from hell, plus some classmates not doing so well...that B I got is acceptable.

So I guess I'm officially a 3rd semester nursing student!  I'm a college senior!  Again!

I'm on break until January 9th...nothing school-related that needs to be done.  Well, other than seek out and order textbooks and hound Blackboard to find out what I need to pre-read before classes start.  But that's nothing new.  It honestly feels really strange to have nothing to do, school-wise.  Since August I have been spending hours on end doing something - reading, writing careplans, looking up drugs, writing up study guides, memorizing lab values or toxicity levels - and to quit cold turkey is kinda weird.  I'll be sitting in my recliner and kind of panic, thinking that I should be doing something...but then I realize I don't have to.  I think I'm traumatized or something.  PTSD r/t recently completed semester of nursing school aeb random moments of panic from feeling like reading, studying, or learning content needs to be taking place.

So while I'm doing nothing, I may not be around here much either.  Not that that's a huge change from when I was in school.  My poor bloggit- blog has gotten neglected the past few months  :-(  But those in nursing school or who've been in nursing school...y'all know that's perfectly normal.  Nursing school consumes your life.

On that note, good luck to those who are still working on finishing up another semester...congrats to all those who are finished with another semester...SUPER CONGRATS to those are graduating!  And if I'm not back before then...have a very Merry Christmas!!

Later gators  :-)

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

Textbooks ordered

...and I'm $400 poorer from it.  *sigh*

But...I ordered books!  New books are heading my way!  I can stalk the mailman!  *squee*  As much as I begin to loathe my textbooks as the semester progresses, I do love getting new books.  Skimming through them the first time, seeing what all I'm going to learn about, smelling that new book smell.  Yep, I'm a nerd.

I also bought a couple bundles of spiral ringed index cards so I'm ready to start going reviewing last semester in preparation for this semester.  I've got so much to re-learn, y'all, it's not funny!  It's actually a little scary how much I really don't remember.  Normal lab values, normal vitals, ABG's, drugs, skills, conversions for drug dosage calcs...yikes.  I'm hoping it all comes back fairly easily...I mean, if I think real hard, I can remember some things right now, without looking them up.  And looking back, as much as it was a PITA at the time, the video assessment final for Health Assessment...that really cemented some assessment procedures into my brain.  I really should practice those as well...recruit my friends to be patients.

And that reminds me...like every other female nursing student, I get my fair share of reactions to people finding out I'm a nursing student.  You know what I'm referring to...usually coming from guys, comments like "Hurr, you can practice skills on me" and "Where do I sign up to volunteer for a bedbath?" and "I need someone to take care of me".  Yeah, I've heard them, am used to them.  BUT, I will admit I did come across a new one recently....  So I was being introduced to some people that I didn't know, but knew the people I was with.  Polite conversation followed, blah blah blah, normal stuff.  Something came up about someone's gall bladder issues and nerd that I can be, I harkened back to my Patho class and rattled off the typical gall bladder symptoms and the whole "fair fat female and forty" thing.  Blank incredulous stare followed, then I mentioned I was a nursing student and all was OK again.  Another person in the group (a guy) said "Oh you're a nursing student?" with a bit too much interest, the proceeded to pull out his cell phone and take a picture of me before I really could register what was going on.  He said he had a friend who loved red-headed nursing students and wanted to send him my picture.  Ummm...what?  He then said I might want to take off my shoes so he could take a picture of my feet because apparently this friend also loves women's feet.  Oh hell no.  At this point, I was starting to back away slowly and wanting to get the heck out of there.  Creeper's vibe was *just* a little bit too creepy for me.  So yes...being a nursing student got my picture taken and sent to someone, and it got a shoe removal request.  Click, check, click.

And finally, from the comments on my last post, Nighthawke mentioned if it would be a good idea to look into what all vaccinations are required by respective schools...YES, very good idea.  It might take awhile to find your childhood vax records, either from your parents, your school system, or your pediatrician's office -- in my case, the hospital that my pediatrician was affiliated with doesn't exist anymore, so I had to submit a request to the hospital that kind of absorbed them and hope and pray they had my records from 30+ years ago...and they did.  Depending on what you had or didn't have, you may have to get some vaccinations, some titers run, TB skin tests, etc.  Titers can't be run until a certain time after vaxes are given, and some vaxes, like the HepB, are in a series with several months from start to finish.  I would assume most schools offer temporary vaccination compliance verification...like if you're working on your HepB series, for example, they'll say that it's in progress so you'll be considered compliant for clinicals.  They'll work with you, but I know it would have been so much easier to walk in with all the vaxes and titers completed...instead of still wrestling with HepB almost a year later.

Alrighty...on that note, and judging by the fact that it's 0200 local time, I think I need to wrap this up and think about getting some sleep.  Keep cool...it's still icky hot out there.

Later

Textbooks and tuition bills...and sniffing babies

So I haven't done anything with blogger since my last post on July 4th...and apparently there has been a redecoration around here.  The format is a bit different...not bad different, I'll just have to do some looking around.

Anyhoo...

Still plodding along through the summer...but nursing-related things are starting to pick up.  Found out our main campus' book lists have been released and I'm assuming those are the same books we'll be using at our satellite campus.  Time to start the cheap textbook search!  Fortunately we already have the majority of the books from previous classes...just need to pick up a couple for Adult Health, one for Mental Health, and one for the other class (I can never remember what it is...something to do with EBP).  Adult Health requires our old Community Health text from last semester (which I sold thinking I wouldn't need it again...blech), but if we do really need it, I'm renting it.  I barely used it for Community, why would I need it for Adult?  *shrug*

I also got my o-fish-ull tuition bill.  Yikes.  Having to jump through the typical hoops related to paying said bill, so that's been giving me something to do the past couple of days.

And I remembered I have to get my 6th (yes, 6th) HepB vax in another couple of weeks, then a titer check a month after that.  Good gosh, I hope this 6th vax does the trick and my titer is high enough.  I really don't want to find out what I have to do if it's not.  And with this comes the tap dance of getting my temporary clinical compliance.  I think my clinical compliance is set to expire sometime this month...not a big deal since I'm not in clinicals.  But I'll have to request another temporary compliance after the vax...I'm hoping they'll issue it for a couple months until I can get the titer results back.  If not, then I'm going to have to be bugging the clinical compliance person in Louisville a couple different times.  I think she's tired of seeing my name on e-mails.  :-/

Classes start in 6 weeks...

Oh, and before I forget...from the comments in my last post...NP Odyssey asked why us women smell babies. This question made me laugh, because while I can't speak for all women, I will say that it does seem to be a woman thing to smell babies.  Or maybe it's a mama thing.  Either way, we just do it.  Why?  I really don't know.  Maybe us females are pre-programmed to smell babies as part of a leftover instinct thing when humans' sense of smell was utilized for survival skills rather than just sniffing things we like to sniff..?  Or maybe we're just weird and like to sniff babies.  Anyone else care to answer?  :-)

Stay cool y'all...it's hot out there.  Later gators!

Dean's List!

Got an e-mail yesterday saying "Congrats, you're on the School of Nursing's Dean's List..."  I knew I had met the GPA requirements for it, but it's still nice to get the actual e-mail saying so.  Now, the trick is to stay on the list...or, if possible, get myself on the Dean's Scholar list.  I want to graduate with honors again  :-)

In other nursing school news...some classmates are getting together for lunch next week and I'm looking forward to it.  I miss my people!  I know not everyone will be there...one classmate is home in Uruguay for the summer, others are in back in their respective hometowns...but I know 3-4 of us so far are planning on going.

I'm enjoying the stress-free life of summer break, but at the same time, I'm missing the routine of school, being around people my age and with similar interests, and carrying on conversations with people older than 4 and 8.  Someone please remind me of this mention of boredom in about 4-5 months when I have care plans due every week, when I'm cramming a crapload of information into my brain for an exam or trying to learn new skills and get checked off on them for clinicals, and am averaging 2-3 hours of sleep each night.  Because you all know it's going to happen that way!  :-)

Other stuff going on...got the bathroom re-do I mentioned last week just about finished, still keeping up with my exercising/weight loss (was down 6 pounds since Memorial Day weekend...a week of not-so-good-for-me eating and typical hormonal weight gain bumped me up a couple pounds, but I've already dropped one of them), trying to keep kiddos entertained and not bored, and hanging out with friends as schedules allow.  Such a rough life  ;-)  School starts in 8 1/2 weeks!

And before I forget...good luck to those who are preparing to take the NCLEX, and mucho congrats to those who have taken -- and passed -- it!  Very awesome for y'all!

I've become boring...lol

At least regarding my discussions about nursing school.  Having the summer completely off is giving me nothing much to talk about in that vein.

The only thing nursing-related I have to mention is that the local hospital has a Nursing Assistant job opening that would fit with my schedule -- medical, 7P - 7A, 48 hours biweekly.  I could totally do 2 nights a week this summer, no problem there.  The only thing that has me concerned is keeping up with that 2 nights a week once school starts back up in the fall.  I just don't know if I can do that...my only "free" nights (as in, nights that don't fall before a school day) are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.  Not sure if I could work out my schedule like that...and I don't want to work a night before a school day.  I wouldn't handle that well at all.  I don't know that the hospital would hire me for just the summer.  If they would do that, hey, no problem there.  Dilemma.  I would love to get my name in the system and keep up with at least some skills over the summer, not to mention earning a regular paycheck would be nice...just don't know if it can work out.  Guess I should look into it a bit further...

But yeah, that's it, that's all that's going on with anything nursing right now.  My scrubs are washed and hanging in the closet, haven't been touched in a few weeks...my much loved Danskos are sitting on a shelf in the closet, just waiting...haven't touched my school bag or books...haven't used my stethoscope or BP cuff (although I probably need to start finding human "patients" so I can keep current on auscultation and such).  It's odd...something that was such a huge part of my time for the past few months isn't even on my radar right now.  I miss it  :-)

Mad Men update:  I got through season 2, need to start season 3.  There isn't such a sense of urgency to get them watched as quickly now -- I was at Target a couple weeks ago and they had all 4 seasons on sale, 50% off each season.  Too good of a deal to pass up, so all 4 seasons of Mad Men are now in my possession.  No more having to coordinate my watching schedule with library deadlines and waiting for a fellow Mad Men-loving library patron to return the disc I need.  So...may have to get started on season 3 tonight.  The season 2 finale was a pretty good cliffhanger and I want to know what happens next!

Alrighty...other stuff is beckoning.  And the 4 yo is wanting lunch. I swear, these kids...they expect you to feed them regularly...sheesh...  ;-)  Continued good luck wishes for those taking finals, starting summer classes, graduating (lucky ones!!), and starting new and/or summer jobs!

Peace out

I officially survived my first semester!

Took my last exam this morning -- Fundamentals of Nursing ATI exam -- so now I am off for the summer.  A huge weight has been removed from my person and I can now do things like sleep, sit and not have to think, rest my brain cells, and did I mention sleep?  I'm also hoping my cortisol levels drop back to the normal range so I can quit looking at myself in the mirror expecting to see a moon face and a buffalo hump.  OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration...but still.

My grades...I have 1 officially confirmed A, 1 more A that hasn't been officially confirmed but is indeed an A, 1 expected A that might swing back down to a B..but I'm thinking it's an A, and 1 B that might possibly swing up to an A..but I'm thinking it's a B (edited to add: officially confirmed, it's a B).  Would have like that 4.0, but 3 A's and 1 B is not shabby. That'll get me on the Dean's List, and considering one of the A's is a 6 credit hour class, that should bump my GPA up nicely.

Major plans for the summer?  Not thinking about anything school-related until late July...well, once I get past confirming my grades, that is.  Also looking forward to reading (other than books having to do with assessment, community health, fundamentals of nursing, drug dosage calculations, nursing diagnoses, etc.), giving full attention to TV/movies, doing things with my kids, spending time with my friends, cleaning/de-cluttering my house (well, maybe not that one so much)...basically all the things I haven't done since January.  I've been hearing enough people talk about "Mad Men" that I'm curious to see what it's all about...so I got the Season 1 DVD's from the library and plan to start watching them.  If nothing else, I can look at the gorgeous Jon Hamm for awhile!  :-)

I'm already registered for next semester -- Adult Health (med/surg), Mental Health, and Nursing Research for EBP (I think that's the formal title).  Somewhat looking forward to Adult Health in that we'll be doing 8-hour clinicals with rotations in ICU, ER, and various other med/surg areas...but the downfall is care plans will be due every week.  BLECH!  I got a 98 on this semester's care plan, so apparently I know what to do, I just don't really wanna have to do it every week.

The high from rocking my ATI exam this morning -- Level 3!!  Awesome!! -- is starting to wear off and the sucky non-pattern of 2-3 fragmented hours of sleep the past few nights is making itself known...in other words, my eyes are getting very heavy and I'm start to feel like I've taken a muscle relaxer or some other sedating kind of medication.  Before I start typing gibberish, I think it might be time for me to wrap this up and maybe catch a quick bit of sleep.

Hope everyone is rocking the end of their semester! 

No more clinical until fall!

Last week we did our final clinical on the hospital floor...today was the final Community Health clinical.  I went to one of the Head Start preschools...and hoo boy, was that an experience.  I admire school nurses for their work, because someone's got to do it...but I am pretty confident in saying that it will not be me.  But, I had an interesting morning, plus I got to leave a bit early due to their schedule...so I went home and soaked up some natural vitamin D.  :-)

Still marking things off my to-do list...but it's showing more items marked off than not!  Care plan is due Friday, finished it last night, need to send it off and be done with it.  Assessment final quiz has to be done before tomorrow afternoon, will most likely get it done tonight after kiddos go to bed.  Next Wednesday is skills check off for 4 skills -- Foley insertion/removal (which I rocked in practice yesterday, even though it had been a few weeks since we first learned the skill), trach care and suctioning (not a fan), NG insertion (not too bad), and sterile wound dressing (not loving wound care).  I hope I draw Foley and NG...I know those 2 the best.  Plus a group presentation, skills DVD quiz, 1 more in-class exam, 2 ATI exams, and the Assessment video...and I am FINISHED until August!

Found out some most excellent news this week -- I happened to finally check my transcript, only to discover I got an A in my Patho class last fall...when I thought all along I'd gotten a B!  I checked on Blackboard...my grade was still listed as a 92.08%...93% is the cut-off for an A.  Not sure what happened in between Blackboard and the grades being turned in, but I'm not going to turn it down!

2 weeks from now, I will be on summer vacation.  Hoping my cortisol levels drop back down, I can actually enjoy things I haven't gotten to do the past few months -- reading something other than textbooks, hobbies, shopping, seeing friends and family -- and can get back on a normal eating and exercise pattern.  I so need the summer off  :-)

And with that, it's time to haul kiddos to soccer practice.  Happy (Almost) Weekend!