Archive for the ‘ The School. ’ Category

After much consideration….

I have decided to post again. I know…the comings and goings are a bit much.

There’s so much hoopla right now about HIPAA this and HIPAA that. I got cold feet. But then, after much prodding and poking from my mother, I realized I have to finish what I started. It would be quite an incomplete chronicle if it finished right before senior year, right? Right.

So here I am.

School started. We spent the first week in skills labs practicing changing a central line dressing, hanging blood, and IV push meds. Finally! The exciting stuff from day 1.

The next week was spent doing our leadership class where we have Quality Improvement project with Geriatric Fellows. I hate to be a bad sport…but I’m not too excited about all this extra work that won’t help me out when it comes to passing the boards. Especially when it means driving all the way to the hospital [along with my 37 peers] to meet with them for one hour. I digress. At the very least, my fellow seems nice. So there’s that.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week were spent in clinical immersion. It was meant to get our feet wet again in a med-surg envrionment since last semester was mommas and babies. It was a great week.

I had some heavy stable patients, and one patient who tried to have chest pain and difficulty breathing at one point. I LOVED being back on the floor doing patient care on my own. The first day we had one patient and the next two days we had two patients. I felt pretty cool since I was one of the few with patients that were considered ’serious’ instead of ‘fair’ or ‘good’. Alas, no ‘critical’ since we are all on a general medicine floor.

Tomorrow is first day of lecture. 8-4.30 is a long day for lecture. Aye yi yi.

So…that’s what you missed!

In other news, I caved and bought the new Kindle 3 and am majorly geeking out over it. It should be arriving tomorrow and I’m bummed that I have to wait ALL DAY for it. AND we’re selling our house. Yeah. 1700 square feet is much to much for these 2 people. Especially 2 people who are anxiously wanting to feed their new-found-grown-up taste for the modern and minimal and open floor plan. Something which this townhouse is not.

I really have the best readers. Thanks for sticking by me. I mean that.

Love,

Laney

Ask A Question

Hey everyone! Happy Father’s Day!

I got a question from Sandy in my comments section that I have heard before. “I am worried though because I am easily grossed out by lots of stuff – blood, bodily fluids, you name it. Will I be able to handle it once I start? Has anyone you know left the course b/c they found everything too gross???”

In my opinion, for the most part- you get used to it. My first clinical rotation at the VA hospital found me dry-heaving over a trashcan while cleaning an incontinent bottom. But, you get used to it. However, I will say that just about everyone has their one or two things they absolutely cannot stand no matter what. Like on floor nurse I know will say that you can throw up on her, poop on her, bleed all over, whatever- it’s not a problem. But she HATES suctioning trachs. The sound of it gets her.

Myself, I could be ankle deep in blood, turn my lips down ever-so-slightly to poop, suctioning is a-ok….but I hate the smell of really concentrated urine. It just turns my stomach. The last time I cared for a patient with really concentrated urine, I had to put toothpaste on my finger and hold it under my nose when I emptied the hat b/c the first time I had done it, I was dry heaving once again. Not cute, right?

As for people dropping out b/c of it, they are few and far between. Usually, the ones who have left that couldn’t handle it had other problems too such as not enjoying nursing and couldn’t handle it in that sense. Or they got partway into the program and just realized nursing was not for them.

You can do it though! One of my good friends at school started off saying she didn’t think she could handle blood and guts and bodily fluids. She’s super girly and still turns a frown when she has an incontinent patient, but she gets the job done just fine.

Good luck!! Keep me updated. How about you guys? Any advice you want to give or observations you want to share on the matter?

Love,

Laney

Officially a Senior

That’s right! Got the word today in my summative conference  that I passed clinicals with flying colors and theory with colors that weren’t flying as high, but still high enough to be made into a SENIOR NURSING STUDENT.

I graduate in December and I’m so excited I can hardly stand it! Let’s celebrate!

I’ve got 3 weeks off before my PNA program and plan on writing and relaxing just a bit. I just woke up from a 5 hour nap in fact. I think my body was sleep deprived. No matter.

Anyways, I also want to thank all my readers/commenters for your support so far. I was telling the husband last night that it’s like my therapy on here. It’s been so healing to know that I am not alone and that there are others experiencing the same highs and lows. So thanks you guys! It really means a lot to know you’re there.

=]

Love,

Laney

Minor Meltdown

I guess I don’t go into my personal dramas too much on here. I don’t know why. I guess my first thoughts after wiping away tears and gorging on junk food isn’t to update my lameness for the world to see. But, I thought about it today. Most days I’m fine, but today there was a minor meltdown. So here I am. But, I don’t want to talk about it like “me, me, me” so I will instead do a case study write up.

Case Study #1

Pre-nursing school Laney was mostly on her A-game. She cooked dinner regularly, had laundry folded and ready to go, was usually cracking a witty joke or three, and had time to go to out for movies/dinner/walks/tennis games/etc.

Intra-nursing school Laney is a wreck. She picks up dinner most nights or asks her husband to on his way home, is usually living out of baskets of clean laundry, cracking many jokes b/c lets face it- she’s hilarious, and will go out to the occasional movie/dinner/walk/tennis game while thinking about how much studying she is going to have to make up for it later.

Intra-nursing school Laney also has a lot of guilt. She will think that simple comments such as “What time did you get up? Oh right, we woke up at the same time” are secret judgments that say “why on earth on you tired if we woke up at the same time and I’m not tired?” She will also have occasional hateful thoughts when people say “Oh I’m so tired, I had an 8-hour shift today” because I had a 12 hour-shift and will have to go home and study after. [That's not a good attitude at all. I know this on some level. Truly. It's ugly thinking and I know it.] Her eye also twitches when people assume that clinicals are not tiring because, in actuality, it’s working an 8-hr shift + school for free. Free labor which does not pay the ever-growing mountain of bills that are neglected on a desk at home. Furthermore, she may suffer from hypertension from all the arguments and complaints from her friends that don’t understand why she can’t go out…again. It’s not from neglect, it’s from the fact that the first day of class, the instructor said “Tell everyone you know and love that you’ll see them in two years” and was not exaggerating.

Intra-nursing school Laney is sometimes a bitch.

Nursing Diagnosis: Emotional Distress r/t (related to) lack of mental sanity secondary to nursing school AEB (as evidenced by) lack of sleep, fits  of crying, glaring, and state of being irrational and/or inconsolable unless near chocolate.

Potential Complication: Mental Insanity, Hypertension, Cardiac Failure, Zero Friends outside of school/work

Good write-up  I think. Pathetic? Definitely. I just keep trying to tell myself that this time next year, I will be a nurse and a much better person. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go grab a brownie.

Love,

Laney

Postmortem

I have to backtrack a little bit. A couple of weeks ago, on my second day of floor orientation as an NA II, I had to do post-mortem care for the first time. What are the odds that it would come up so quickly.

This patient I had seen the previous day as well. We weren’t doing anything for this patient except for comfort care. They had been agonal breathing for a long time and were already pretty much gone. So, I think it wasn’t as traumatic as if it had been a walking talking patient that randomly crashed. It was one of those situations where it was good for the patient, who was needing constant morphine for pain, and the family.

So, here is what I learned about post-mortem care. I don’t want to sound all morbid, but my husband had asked me what all we had to do. I figured other people may be curious too, especially the ones who haven’t had to do it yet. But if you aren’t curious and have no desire to know what happens after death b/c it freaks you out then stop reading and I’ll see you tomorrow! (Good disclaimer, right?) Otherwise here ya go:

You clean and strip the body and get the toe tags that have been prepared by the HUC.

If an eye donor, rinse eyes with normal saline and put saline gauze over eyes to preserve them. If a medical examiner case, leave all the IVs and tubes in.

Go downstairs and get the transport stretcher with box that goes over the top to mask the outline of a body.

Come back up, place body in bag. Make sure there is a tag on the body, bag, and bag of possessions if applicable.

Put box over body, transport to morgue. Take papers to medical records office.

And that’s that. And let me tell you, it was a lot of work. I was sweating by the time we were done. That’s another aspect we have to remember as nurses/students. We help people to get better and we heal the sick, yes. But there are times when we have to help people to die…and that’s sometimes a shock to the system.

That’s all she wrote. Hope that helps.

Love,

Laney

When I Graduate: Psych Nursing

This is long overdue for sure, but here it is finally.

I’m trying to get back into the swing of things since spring break and illness took its toll. But, it’s back to the pros and cons for those still searching for what kind of nurse they want to be.  Today’s topic? Psych nursing.

Here’s what one nurse had to say about the pros of cons from the view of a 4 year veteran.

“Pros: Little to no poop which is A+ in my book. I love being able to see a patient come in completely broken, depressed, manic, whatever and be able to talk with them, help them with their meds, help them get a plan together and be a part of the change where you get to see them become a better/happier/more fulfilled person. I absolutely love it.

Cons: It is very emotional when you keep seeing the same patients over and over and you can’t do anything else for them. If you want to go anywhere else after psych nursing, be prepared to face the stereotype of having no ‘clinical skills’ and you’re ‘just a psych nurse’.”

Working in Nursing School

I got another question via email.

“I’m getting ready to start nursing school and wonder if I should work while I’m there. I don’t have to work technically, but I don’t like relying on my parents to pay for everything even though they said it is fine. What do you think? I know you work on the weekends…”

Well, to be perfectly honest- if I didn’t have to work, I wouldn’t. First semester I worked 36 hours a week plus school and clinicals….and nearly burnt out.

Last semester and this semester, I go to school Monday through Thursday and then work 8am-8pm Fridays and Saturdays. Last semester wasn’t so bad, but I’m already burning out this semester and its only midterms!

They always told us in the first week of school, “Don’t work in nursing school!”, but when you’ve got a mortgage, that really isn’t an option. If you don’t HAVE to work, but maybe want a little extra cash to help out or for spending, I’d suggest getting a perdiem NA position at the hospital you’re interested in working at once you get your RN. Per-diem only requires something like 24 hours a month which is very doable. If you haven’t got your NA yet, there’s always the HUC position.

I’ve come to find that the topic of working while in this level of schooling is a very personal question and sometimes real touchy. I’ve seen divides in first semester from those who had to work and those who didn’t have to work. It was like those who had to work scoffed at those who didn’t have to work complaining about how they didn’t have any time to study.  I know I thought that in like the first month, but you know, everyone’s got their own issues- working and otherwise.

Anyhoo, that was kind of rambling at the end. Sorry about that. Best of luck to you!

How about you guys? Any thoughts on this? Do any of you have to work or do you do it because you want to?

Love,

Laney

PS- Keep the questions/emails coming! You can see other questions answered including those about how many hours to study in nursing school and the worst [and best] parts of nursing school.

It’s March Already

Can you believe it?!?!

I graduate in NINE months.

Woah! I’m ready. And I’m exhausted. Blahhhhh.

Love,

Laney

Mid-Semester Slump

I feel it coming on. The mid-semester slump. My house is messy, my books less organized, my mind is foggy. It’s awful. Spring break is [thankfully] only a week and a half away.

And then, I can pull my life together I hope.

How about you guys? When you’re about halfway in, does your energy dip a little?

Any cures? Fixes?

Blahhhh.

Hope you’re having a happy Tuesday. Clinicals tomorrow = fun stories to come.

Love,

Laney

PS- Looking back at old posts, I found this- which leads me to conclude that dealing with medicine makes for a tired nursing student/HUC/NA. Le sigh.

PNA program

I’m waiting to hear if my application was accepted for the PNA program. I applied to two hospitals and it is extremely competitive. Basically, the program runs for about 8 weeks and it is a paid externship. You get to work hands on with a nurse, like in clinicals, on an assigned floor and get paid to do it. How awesome, right?
At one hospital, there are about 80 positions. At the other hospital, they aren’t sure yet. But last year, there were close to 200 people applying for less than 70 spots. Ahhh.
You got to rank your preferred floors although it is never guaranteed where you’ll be. I chose PICU, PACU, Peds PACU, ER, ICU
[After this last rotation, I wished there was an L&D option too...doh!]
The waiting game is the worst part I think.
Love,
Laney
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