Long Time No Post!

Whoops, it really got away from me for a while, didn't it? I've been crazy busy. Let's see if I can recap.

My clinicals have been going along pretty wonderfully. Peds started out in the clinic - and I got to rule out walk-in clinic nurse from my list of potential jobs! LoL, not that I hated working with the kiddos, not at all. But if the only thing I do with a bachelor's degree in nursing is take vitals and admit patients all day (with the very occasional PPD placement), then thanks very much but I'll pass. It reminded me way too much of working in the pharmacy - people come up angry that they've been waiting, which is completely understandable. But, sir, if your child has bug bites and nothing else wrong, then don't you think an appointment would be a good idea? Yeah, not so fun. Then giving shots - oh man. I never want to make my kids have 9 shots at once! People, for the love of everything holy, pay attention to vaccinations and when they're due! Would YOU want multiple injections in one go? No? Didn't think so.

Going up to the GI rehab floor was something else entirely. I really enjoyed working with those kiddos - and I got to do lots of stuff with the nurse I was following! She really made me explain what I know, and let me give meds. It was a great experience. And the kids I got to work with were JUST awesome. Couldn't talk yet, which made it challenging to know exactly what was wrong when they fussed, but.... well let's just say that I am pretty sure I could be a peds nurse in that kind of setting.

Maternal health clinical has been awesome too. Our instructor is just so enthusiastic, it's really pretty cute. She's convinced I'm going to be a labor and delivery nurse, but I'm going to work with adults first before I consider specializing like that - but more on that in a minute. I saw two c-sections and got to put in my first Foley catheter! Man what pressure. I had my nurse with me (keep in mind this is a super aseptic technique because you don't want to give her an infection!), and then I believe 4 other people trying to tell me how to do this. I would have been perfectly fine if they'd let me do it my way from the start, but I got so nervous with all these people telling me what to do that I had to kind of stare at it all for a minute. Luckily my nurse told everyone else to back off and let me do it the way I was taught. I had perfect sterile field the whole time... hopefully the next time I'll just block everyone else out and do it the way I know how. Oy.

Classes in general are... well they're going. I was incredibly frustrated with peds because our first exam was on material that we actually never covered in lecture (unless we got information in the one class I missed because I was sick). I was going to say something to the prof, but it appears that from here on out we're being taught, rather than having all kinds of guests like the freaking resource librarian (I swear if I see her one more time during lecture time I'm going to pitch a fit). That first exam didn't go as well as I'd like, so I'm currently trying to improve my approach - my hope is that between my oomph and the lectures we're (finally) getting this one will be better. Maternal health is the same deal except the prof is an awesome teacher. So I'm just kind of searching for my footing. I don't have bad grades by any means, they're just not good enough for my standards.

Now, on to the decisions. I've been keeping tabs on what I want to do, and more importantly, what I don't want to do. Mental health is a no go. Peds clinic is a no go. That's all well and good, but that leaves a LOT of open space - and I have to choose my practicum! I've been pretty nervous about making a decision that I don't feel informed about, but then I got a chance to sit and talk with several nurses and I feel better now. The gist of those conversations is this: unless I KNOW that I want to work as a NICU nurse, or even with kids in general, or laboring moms, or any pretty specialized area, then starting out in one of those won't do me any good as far as long term move-ability. However, if I start with adults and master my assessment skills, THEN specialize, I have way more options. So basically, I'm hoping to start for a year or two in adult ICU - unless I have to I'm not starting med-surg, because I hope to go back to school before Randy and I have kids. Accordingly, my choices for practicum are: ICU, OR/PACU, or interventional units (these are my INOVA system choices). My hospital choices are Inova Fairfax, Inova Fair Oaks, and George Washington Hospital.

SO! Now you're pretty much caught up. And now I have to get ready for my one class today. Next time, we won't be scheduling a single class on any one day... un-cool.

Whoa, baby heart. Whoa.

And I mean that. I got to see a newborn with Tetralogy of Fallot in my peds rotation today, and they kept the chest open to prevent cardiac tamponade. Let me just say, hearts are THE coolest invention EVER. And to get to see one actively working? Just. Blows. My. Mind.

This is a short post because I'm tired, and I can't really give away too many more details, but I got to be pretty involved today shadowing in the CICU (cardiac intensive care unit). I keep coming across the question - "What kind of nurse do you want to be?" and I never have a real solid answer. I still don't, but I can totally see myself in the ICU setting. Maybe I'll aim for CICU or NICU (neonatal). It was SO great. I mean, sad, yes. But also just cool. I don't want to sound heartless, but it wasn't hard for me to see past the fact that it was a little baby lying there to just the medical condition and needs. It was slightly shocking at first to see all those wires, but I got over it fast and went right into my fascinated mode. I even got to help bag (ventilate) the infant when it was time for suctioning the ET (breathing) tube.

I am so jazzed! It's a good thing we have a new bed as of today (Tempur-Pedic, heck yeah), or I think I'd be up alllll night! As it is, I'm gonna get some sleep now!

Back to school, back to school, fa la la la la

So. The third of four semesters has begun. So far I've had Health Care Delivery Systems and Peds lecture, and so far I enjoy them both. I have to say that Peds was a LOT of information about assignments, the syllabus, etc, that probably won't stick in my brain because it was overload city, but I'm a good reader so I'm sure I'll find the instructions on my own.

Today I got a break (already) to clean up my apartment. I'm terrible about keeping it as clean as I want, but then it really stresses me out when it becomes too cluttered, and then I have trouble studying because all I want to do is clean. A little bit OCD, to be sure. So my goal for the rest of the program is to attempt to keep my space clear from clutter, which I hope will keep my brain free from clutter! There's still so much to learn, I don't want to get side-tracked by a distracting, all-powerful urge to clean!

Classes ended on a superb note, even though the summer semester was grueling. I am proud of myself for pulling off my goal for summer. My next goal for this semester aims a bit higher, and I think I can pull it off, too.

Our cohort apparently had a heck of a time with the way summer was set up, so now the admin folks want to sit down with us. I want to go just to see what people end up saying. I did my fair share of complaining this summer, and I agree that the arrangement is tough as nails, but I'm not sure what other way it could be set up. I'm sad that so many people had such a hard go of it, and that we lost a few to deceleration. On the other hand, it's a hard route, and it's probably pretty normal that some will find it harder than others do. So I'm a little confused what this big meeting is about. Guess I'll find out if it's scheduled for a day I have time to go.

In other news, I'm wicked excited about our genomics course. Turns out Julie DeLoia, our interim NHS dean, is teaching it. This has me chomping at the bit even more, because she's also a cancer geneticist! Woo! She's had a few R01's from NIH (I'm guessing NCI based on the whole cancer focus, lol), and it's possible she's worked with some of my colleagues. I really hope to pick her brain for as much new info as I can - I understand that this class will be the first genetics exposure many of my fellow students will get, so I know I have to temper myself JUST a bit. I expect we'll cover the basics; my goal is not to complain if it goes to slowly for me! :)

Ok, I think that about covers my thoughts for now. I hope to update this blog more regularly for this semester. Stay tuned!

Summer time, and the living's easy

So, I haven't posted as much as I had planned this summer. Now the semester is over and we're on summer vacation. About 4 weeks of bliss! The semester ended with quite a bang, and I'm happy about it.

Now it's time for rest and recovery - fall brings pediatrics, mother/baby, genomics (yay!), health care delivery systems (hmm, huh?), and at least one more, but since my brain is turned off I can't remember which class it is! lol.

Anyway, I'm chillin for now, then heading to the beach at the end of August (at my birthday, hooray!). Peace out, all!

Grrr!

So I got my pharm grade back yesterday (the fastest yet). I am not pleased. I know that the grade I got is nothing to sneeze at, and I don't want to come across as complaining. But I also know full well that the grade I got does not indicate my ability or the level of preparation I put into studying for the exam. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Now I have to prep for the final, which is ATI. It isn't at all like what we've been doing. I hope that doesn't screw me up.

For the moment, my focus is on med-surg for the exam tomorrow. I'll have to worry about final preparation tomorrow afternoon.

Well, I am certainly not keeping up with this blog as much as I'd like. Quick summary:

I did well on med-surg, which pleased me. I did not do as well on pharm, which did not please me. Fastforward to now - pharm exam #3 is today, med-surg exam #3 is Wednesday. Finals are next Monday and Tuesday. It's down to the wire, and I'm hoping to pull out the hat-trick.

I'm also REALLY looking forward to some decent sleep.

Waiting

We took the second med-surg exam today. Now we sit and wait for grades to be posted, which is really the hardest part. Man, I'm type A sometimes!

Also, I've reached a level of exhausted lately that really annoys me. Sadly, it reminds me of my days with Lyme, so I'm going to get it checked out. I think it's probably just stress, but it wouldn't hurt to know if I need some antibiotic therapy again. I'm hoping against it though, because it's been 2.5 years since my last flare up! Oh well... high stress can make things happen.