New favorite

Everyone has a favorite. Whether it was in elementary or high school, or in college, we all have a favorite teacher that meant something to us. I've only had one up until now. It was Mrs. Hughes, my highschool Computer lab/debate/economics teacher. I adored her, and still do. I found her on Facebook recently and we talk.

So now I have another. Mrs. C., so far she has been and will continue to be my clinical instructor, she is currently teaching us for Med-Surg and will in the future be teaching our Nutrition class. She is a little quirky sometimes, but I think that is one thing I love about her. She is stern to a point. She expects nothing but professionalism and our best efforts. She won't even let you test unless your uniform is school policy/professional.

She's only been teaching this class to us for 4 days. I feel like I've learned more in these 4 days from her than I have in the first few months of this course, with all other instructors combined. her teaching style is thought provoking and entertaining. She challenges me like no other and I love that. I'm sure I'll have my days with her when I wish she would just stop talking....but for now, I can't get enough. I find myself excited and can't wait to get to her class the next day. It's the last class of the day, and that sure makes the first class drag out.

So this may seem like a pointless post. I just wanted to document my feelings towards my favorite Instructor so that when I'm cursing her between my teeth in an upcoming course, i can look back at this and say....."you asked for it, you damn suck up!".

Short Update

Nursing myself through recovery after a minor surgery. Still managed to make it to school the very next day, I refuse to miss.
Got our GPA today for first semester. 3.44. Not great, not my best, but I'll take it. Perfect attendance and completed first semester meant we got two shiny pins for our lanyards/badges.

These next two weeks are going to be crazy. A test almost every day between Pharmacology and Med-Surg...so not sure if I'll get to post too often. i'll try to keep up. If i don't make an 85% or better on my dosage calc test tomorrow.....I'll have plenty of time to blog since that will be my ticket out of nursing school.

I got this. :)

Nursing Home Clinical - Day 5

So today was very hard on most of us. Some of us saw noticeable depression in our patients, due to the fact that we had to say goodbye today. They wre spoiled all week compared to the attention they normally get, which isn't much. Granted, for the most part, it's not the CNA's or Nurses fault. Often times it just boils down to economics. Too may residents per nurse, means that one on one interaction is not always fulfilling enough for the pt.

I did my head to toe assessment on Ms. B. today. It was a great day for it becuase she was so alert. Granted, not A&O x 4, only by 2, but enough to where I had a good time with her during and after the assessment.

Me and one other student got to PERFORM a straight line cath today! That is something we are not to start learning until Med-Surge which starts this coming Friday. I have never been so excited to see pee in my lfie...lmao! It was so cool the way the proceedure is done, so fast and simple. Ms. C. said we are one step ahead of the rest of the class now, and can be marked off for this skill already. Score!

So not much else to my day. Now I have to work on finishing my care plan and nurses notes to turn in on Monday, as well as study for the PN 103 final on Monday. ONce I pass this I'm pretty much certified to work as a CNA until I graduate to LPN in Feb. I doubt I'll work anytime soon though. My husband got a new job, so that should pay the bills for a while and i can concentrate on school and family.

Nursing Home Clinical - Day 4

A great day today at the nursing home. I got my patient up and changed, fed and then went to the main dining hall to feed the other residents. Coming back later, my pt was sleeping in her chair again, so I went to help with other classmate's pts.

A wonderful LPN there, I'll call him Ed. He showed us how to clean around a GI tube and the pt was Mr. D, the quadriplegic. This man is wonderful, such a sense of humor. He has mobility of two fingers and he used them today, to extent in playing a joke on us while we cleaned his GI tube. He kept hitting the call light over and over. About 6 different times. He got a kick out doing that to us. Then at one point, he was trying to cough while LPN Ed still had the GI tube uncapped. Ed told him, "Oh no, Mr!" and quickly capped it...lol. Mr. D was having so much fun with us today!

Later, I worked on my pt chart and care plan, then went to another dining room to help do feedings. I've never been to this dining area, the residents there are much more complicated and such a challenge to feed. We got it done though.

Not much after that, we were let out early today because the instructors had meetings to get to, back at the campus.

So tomorrow is my last day. I'm all mixed with emotions about it. :(

A link to share

http://blog.soliant.com/travel-nursing/top-10-traits-every-nurse-should-have/

Nursing Home Clinical - Day 3

This morning we had a good start. Assisted residents with breakfast in the green room. Then I went to see my patient and help her with her breakfast. After that, there wasn't much to do except take vitals on all residents on that wing.
One patient in particular was wailing non stop and begging for someone to come see her. So while my classmate took the vitals of the resident in the next bed, I sat and let this upset patient talk it out. It wasn't long before she was much calmer, no more crying and I assured her I would inform the nurses of her request. All she wanted was to be put back into her bed so she could stop the shaking. I felt so bad for her.

As we were going to the next room, we were stopped in the hallways by a few classmates and told to get our stuff and get back to the conference room stat. Turns out, State Officials were on their way in about 10 minutes and the staff wanted us gone. Student nurses are allowed to be in the units when state is there to do their reviews. However, the DON preferred us not to be, in case State decided to ask us something and we didn't know the answer, they didn't want the facility to get written up for that. Understandable.

So we gathered our things and went back to campus. Once at school, the senior class had a guest lecturer and we were invited to sit and learn as well. He was from SETA, and t here to discuss the importance and legalitites of tissue and organ donations.

So after that, it was lunch time and the instructors let us come home early. Thank goodness, because I am tired!

Nursing Home Clinical - Day 2

This morning started with me and a few others volunteering to feed some of the residents in one of the main dining areas. I got to feed Mr. D, who is a Quadriplegic. He can verbalize and shake his head yes or no, so communicating with him was not entirely impossible. I enjoyed his company, he is a delightful man.

By the time I was done with that, I went to say good morning to my patient that I've been assigned to; Ms. B.
The CNA had already had her out of the bed, dressed and did her morning care. She was just finishing her breakfast when I got there, so I just took her tray, and charted her intake. Then spent a little time talking to her until she fell asleep on me. Am I that boring? LOL, I know...the elder residents tend to sleep...a lot. No biggie.

While she slept, I went to help a fellow student ambulate her patient to the bathroom and then remade his bed while she was in there assisting him. I ended up helping her a few times today with that patient. We both worked on our care plans inbetween tasks.

An LPN demonstrated for us putting in a feeding tube and pusing meds through a GI tube. Very cool stuff. Also got to participate in a Hoyle Lift.

So all in all, today was a better day than yesterday. Tomorrow I'm doing glucose testing on residents, and whatever else comes my way. Bring it on.

Nursing Home Clinical - Day 1

So I've been assigned to a 91 yr old woman who is a Stroke pt with left side hemiplegia. Senile Dementia, Osteoporosis, HTN and Anemia.

It was an interesting day to say the least. We wasted no time getting involved in our pt's care. I had Ms. B. out of bed, in her wheel chair and off to the bathroom, immediately after breakfast. We did her morning care, and I got her dressed and back into her room where she wanted to stay in her chair and watch some t.v. She soon feel asleep there, so I and two other students made rounds and started taking vitals on all the patients for that wing. After a short while, My pt was whisked off to therapy and so I started on my care plan.

The care plan is overwhelming to say the least. This pt has so many risk factors, I could write a book. For a first time nursing student, writing her first real care plan...it's frustrating. I'll get it though, I've got awesome clinical instructors and peers.

I've learned two things from today.

1. My classmates are awesome, and one in particular (the only male in our class) is my hero. I had to call on him a few times today to help me move the pt, because this facility did not have the Gait belts, did not have the walkers, etc. It was very difficult to transfer the pt on my own, and I will never try it again...lol.
2. I've confirmed what I already knew. I will NOT be working in Geriatrics. Even though the residents were very enjoyable (for the most part), It's just not for me. It's to slow, it's not very exciting and the things you see regarding pt care from others, is disheartening to say the least. And we were at a top notch facility.

So 4 more days. Yes, I'm counting. I can't wait until next Monday when we are back in the classroom!

I did gooood

So I passed the CPR with a 93 and I made a 94 on my practicum. I'm rather proud of myself. The whole class, including me, were sweating bullets all day Friday as we were called 1 by 1 into the lab to choose an unknown skill scenario and perform it for our instructor. I was lucky enough to pull a card that had 4 skills on it. yay me. I did fine though. The only mistake I made was in regards to my safety, ergonomics ...I didn't raise the bed enough for my well being (back injuries #1 in nursing). I'll tell you, I won't make that mistake again.

So it's off to the Nursing Home for my first week of clinicals starting tomorrow. I'm pretty relaxed about it. :)

1..2...3..4..breathe..

Today was a full day of CPR. Very fun and I learned a lot. We took the test at the end, but i won't know until the morning if I passed or not. We can't go to clinical unless we pass.

Tomorrow are the Practicums. I'm so nervous. At the same time, I feel pretty confident. I just hope I don't freeze up when I go in there. My biggest concern is that I will forget one or two of my supplies before I start my designated procedure. If I get through half way and realize i have forgotten something, it will throw my whole rhythm off.

I'll update tomorrow or this weekend.

You blow on it

I have some crazy classmates. I love them all, even the immature, hard-ass ones.

One in particular seems to always have me laughing in labs. Ms. T, is a talker. We practice our skills on *dummies* before they let us out to the real world patients. Well, Ms. T talks to these dummies to no end. We have to talk our way through a procedure. Boy does she talk! It's hillarious the things she comes up with.
Anyway...today we got her good. She was talking her way through a procedure of cleaning a Foley catheter. Our instructor, Mrs. C. was explaining the reason we need to have the catheter secured to the leg during this procedure, so to not pull or irritate the cath back and forth in the patients urethra/bladder floor. This got ms. T thinking. So she asks about the balloon part of the cath. How to be sure it's blow up enough, etc. Then you could see the next question forming in her mind..."How do we blow this up?" Mrs. C, having answered this before, and Ms. T. missing the answer probably because of her deep conversation with the dummy, honestly did not know. So Ms. I, another student and Mrs. C, our instructor, both at the same time say.. "you blow on it, like a regular balloon". The look on Ms. T's face was priceless. For that fleeting moment, she believed it. She first expected it to not be true, coming from the other student...but Mrs. C. said it also...so it had to be true, right?

We all burst into laughter as she quickly realized the instructor was pulling her chain.

Mrs. C has informed the class, that when we start Med-Surg in two weeks, and learn how to put in a Foley catheter...that she will be sure that Ms. T., will be the first student to demonstrate. I can't wait for that one!

3 different styles

We've been in nursing skills labs for over a week now and are preparing for our first clinicals starting next Monday. Skills are taught in PN 103 (practical nursing foundations 103) and taught by Mrs D., I'll call her Snow white...(I swear she looks just like her).

Anyway, Snow White is one of my favorite teachers. In the labs, we have been assigned with two other teachers, along with her to practice for our upcoming practicum and clinicals. The two other teachers are Mr. H, and Mrs. C.

We've been told many things about Mrs. C, and since we have yet to have her teach us (She starts with us next week for Med-Surg) all we really had to go on was the "horror" stories. Mr. H, we've had already for math and will have again for Neuro. I was assigned Mrs. C. for clinicals, and while in labs, we are to practice under the eye of our clinical instructor.

I have to say, she is not as bad as they say. She is stern on the points. I like that. I need that. I learn better like that. No games. she even cracks a joke every once in a while. I look forward to seeing how she is when we have her for 6 hours during Med-surg. I wonder if her demeanor will change.

I like all three teachers and each of them has very different teaching styles. Mr. H is strong in demonstration. Mrs. C. is strong in explanation of proceedures AND demonstration. Snow White is strong in documentation and care planning. So if we get all three to teach us in labs..it's a win win sittuation.

Thing is, we are assigned to three different groups, each group that one teacher. So what do I do? I get my procedure done, then wander and sneak in to each of the groups as they are doing the same procedure and I learn from all three teaching styles. My sneakiness is paying off, I believe. I feel like I really have a strong grasp on the material and the skills.

I guess the true test to that will be Friday when we have practicum. That is a skills test. We go to the lab one at a time, pull a paper from a hat and read a scenario from it. We then have to perform t he skill for that scenario in front of a random instructor. It's pass or fail. No grade.

As George Lopez says..."I got this".

Distraction

So there is a hott LPN student in the senior class ahead of me. I was busted by a few girls in the class giving him the look over. I'm married, not blind. :P

To make it worse, I think I went into a blushing frenzy when he sat to have lunch with us. He's a very nice guy...in more ways that one...ok, I'll stop.

Elementary?

Some days nursing school feels like elementary school. I'm referring more to how some of my classmates act towards each other and the drama that gets started. for some reason, it seems to all stem from one particular person, over and over again.

I hate it. I hate how it is dividing our class. We all swore in t he beginning that nothing like this would happen to us. In reality, it truly is every person for themselves. we are paying a lot of money to get to our end goal. So it's understandable, that mentality I mean. I just wish some people could act more like grown ups, rather than children. I suppose stress, pressure etc, brings out the worst in some people....the best in others.

The newest thing going on....someone is stealing stuff from peoples lunch boxes. How silly is that? I mean why? Seriously.

I'm just keeping my goal in sight and keeping my nose clean.