Board of Nursing Review

Today our school took a field trip to the Board of nursing, review hearings. I am amazed at what goes one at these and I hope I never, ever have to go before the board!

There were nurses there from other states requesting approval to sit for Fla NCLEX. Nurses who had their licenses revoked for reasons ranging from drug and alcohol abuse, to med errors. Nursing students who had just passed nursing school, waiting on approval to sit for the test but having to go before the board first because of prior criminal or health histories.

Get this. So many were denied the right to sit for the NCLEX for years from now because of a new law FL. just passed on July 1st of this year. It states that if you have any felony drug charges or convictions, medicaid-medicare charges, fraud charges, etc....that you wikll be denied your license or the right to sit for your NCLEX until 15 years from the date of your probation termination. So many new nursing students were denied. Students whom just passed school in April and May, applied for their seat for the NCLEX and even though this was done before July 1st....they were still denied because today was the day they would have had their approval to sit for the test. I feel so awful for them. Many of them had things in their past for 12 years ago to jsut 3 years ago, but have gone through various programs and kept clean records, changed their lives around....now they have to wait. One lady has to come back before the board in 2017 to get her license. All that hard work, for that. I would be devastated.

So, I learned a lot. Most importantly I learned ....keep your nose clean, dont do anything to close any doors for yourself because they may never open again....and if you ever have to go before the BON....be PREPARED.

Time will tell....

It's been a hard week. Cardiac final was today and that's proven to be my toughest class. Even when we did the general A&P, I struggled with it. Now as we go more in depth into each system, it's still the hardest I've dealt with so far. The heart is a complex, yet extraordinary muscle. I'm happy to say I did pass my final, but not without some blood, sweat and tears.

The tears came today, in private. We lost a fellow student, who failed the class by two points. It's always hard on me when we lose someone. All my classmates have become like a family to me. Even though I'm doing this for myself, We're all in this together. This girl always sat behind me. So we bonded, made a good friendship. She would always have negative comments to say about herself, myself and others would remind her to think positive, and do our best to boost her spirits when she was down. We asked if she would come back with the next nursing class that should start in October, or the one for February. She's not sure. She's deflated and defeated today. I can't imagine. I miss her already and hope she does come back. She was a horrible test taker, but by God, she was an excellent nurse, and proved it in clinicals. Time will tell.

Another student, one of the only two guys we have....spent his last two days in and out of ER. He's having signs and symptoms of heart problems. He's had a history of health problems, so he's in my thoughts tonight. He works already as a PCT in Dialysis at a local hospital, and he's going to be an awesome nurse. We need more male nurses in this field, so I hope he gets better and comes back to carry on.

We go to Board of Nursing tomorrow. Our school gets to go witness other nurses go before the board and testify on thier own behelaves as to why they deserve to have their nursing licenses reinstated. It should be interesting. I'll update on that when I can.

Hiatus

So I took a hiatus for a week. It was not planned though. My cable company was doing improvements to the lines in our area and I lost internet/phones for a week. lovely, huh? I also caught a nasty cold during this time, so i suppose it was good timing since i've spent most my days in class, come home, study, fall asleep with nyquil. yeah. Good week.

Anyway. I'm at a crossroads again. GU class final was yesterday but i won't know my grade until Wednesday probably. I have a test in cardiac Wednesday, then a final for that on Friday, I believe. Clinicals in between all this.

Starting Human Growth on Wednesday and Respiratory sometime next week. I think I'm just having that feeling of "I don't know if I'm coming or going". Maybe it's just the cold meds. hmm.

Anyway....that's all the update i can muster tonight. Ciao.

Stressed over tests

Clinicals were simply unamazing this week. My two patients spent the majority of time at one procedure or another. Meanwhile, I just floated between fellow classmates, helping where I could.

So now I'm bogged down in homework and tests for the remainder of this week. Cardiac class has me sweating...I'm not sure how I'll make it through it. keeping fingers crossed and praying.

Monday, I'll be officially a junior classman. The new class of student nurses comes in, the senior class just graduated last week, so that bumps us up. We're no longer the new kids on the block.

Burn

One of my biggest fears has always been my children or myself getting burned in a kitchen/grease fire. Well, today my patient was a 35yr old mother of three who has 3rd degree burns over the entire circumference of her left leg. Splatter burns on the right leg and on her back and lower abdomen. It's a miracle she did not have worse injuries.

She was cooking french fries for her 4 yr old, stepped out of the kitchen to check on him in the other room. The smoke alarm went off and she went back to the kitchen to see the pot on the stove in flames. In her panic, she pulled the pot off the stove and while stepping back with it, she tripped and fell. She told me that her 4 yr old was so traumatized, seeing his mommy "on fire", and that just broke my heart, because I have an almost 4 yr old, I'd never want him to see something like that.

This woman was so strong though, she puts her child in his car seat and drives herself to the emergency room. Passing out once she got through the doors. People, if something like this ever happens...call 911.., I suppose she was just reacting on pure adrenaline at this point.

She will recover ok, with lots of treatments over time. Right now she is just in so much pain and morphine drip is doing nothing for it. They are trying other pain meds for her, and she is going through all the side effects of that. She's had a rough day...it was quite busy for me. She was in such good spirits though and such a sweet patient to spend my day with.

All in all.....a decent, but tiring day. Back to campus tomorrow for my first tests in Cardio and GU.

Just another clinical day

So I lucked up today by the fact that Ms. Loopy pretty much stayed at one end of the floor I at the otehr. She did come around once or twice, but pretty much jsut stood there observing and not saying anything. I can deal with that! Some RN students from our school were there and they were in the midst of leadership training, so they got to be our charge nurses today, and again tomorrow. Kim was mine, and I must say, she did a fantastic job. She's going to make a great RN.

I had tow patients, one 62 male with liver failure, going on transplant list and the Doc and nurses are trying to convince him to have TIPS procedure done. He has many worries, but is considering it at least, better from the flat out refusal from earlier in the day. My other patient a 2o yr old F, incomplete abortion. I admit to having reservations before going to the floor, I sucked it up though and did my job. She is a wonderful girl, so young....so much life ahead of her, all I can do is wish her the best. She is dealing with a lot of pain right now, physical and emotional.

So, i'm back to the floor first thing in the am....I can't wait. I love this.

Back to classes

Today was first day back to the campus. It was so hard getting up this morning, and so hard to leave my kids after spending the past 10 days with them, sleeping in. Reality bites.

So I started cardiovascular with Mighty M as the instructor again. I had her previously at the start of my college courses, for anatomy. I adore her. She has a very sarcastic sense of humor, and treats us as equals. First day with her was already a blast. I look forward to a few other future courses with her as well.

Genito-urinary class was another story. A new instructor to me. Ms. Loopy. I swear she is. A few of us students have even gone so far as to wonder if she may be under the influence of something. Her teaching style is very s-l-o-w...and she is not exact at all as far as which of our books we are actually to study from. So we are using all three and taking lucky guesses. Her power points are the only thing she is fast at. She whips right through them and doesn't give us time to take the notes. Now as nursing students, you have to adapt to these types of things. Be fast, pay attention, retain what you heard, etc. I swear though, this teacher seriously does NOT give you the chance. We have all figured out that we are on our own if we plan to really learn anything from this course. What worries me more, is we have Ms. Loopy for our upcoming respiratory class, and....drumroll please.............she is my new clinical instructor.

Clinicals start on a new wing in the hospital tomorrow...God help me!