2 hours ago
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Goodness
Goodness- this has been an adventure. I started this blog to record the funny things that have happened in nursing school, but it seems as though it has been pretty serious this last semester. Everyone is tired, there are only 2 semesters left, and we have all been at our wit's end. Also, I have been worried. There has been a hiring freeze at both of our local hospitals with lay offs at the hospital in the next city over- it makes me scared. I know that eventually it has to fix itself, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about how I am going to work after school. I can barely afford to eat right now, and I might have to move at graduation. Goodness.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
It's been a Very Long Time
Sorry everyone for slacking on the blog homefront. Clinicals and school has resumed for the summer semester, and let me express my enthusiasm for being in class three days every week for the entire summer. Granted, the teachers did give us a four day break for the 4th of July. Thank God.
I began this blog to document my way through nursing school, but things have become more and more mundane. However, I did get to an ER rotation last week that peaked my interest. ER is really what I want to do after I graduate. As it was during the day, it was slow in the ED, but I did get to see an OD patient come in. I got there just in time to do his catheter. YAY! This was interesting experience, cathing this IV drug user while the RN's are pushing narcan and watching his O2 sat. This man was 34 years old, but you couldn't tell he was that young. He looked 40+ easily. What kind of sad things happen to people that they end up like this? I am not one to pass judgement, and I believe that if you are, you need to get the hell out of nursing. Intellectually I know that that man couldn't hear what any of us were saying, but one of the RNs says in front of everyone, "What a waste of resources, this is just someone with drug habit that is probably going to end up dying anyway." My face did this: D:
I am an optimist. I believe that people can be pulled from a very deep pit of addiction if that person is willing to work. No one gets better with peope saying shit like that. It is okay to think those things as long as your standard of care isn't effected, but its hard to say whether or not you can think those things and still provide the best care that you can possibly give. It makes me sad that a nurse, especially in the ED, could say that out loud. I am almost positive that the family could hear her. I mean, come on lady, go work on a med surg floor with a bunch of old people if you can't do anything but judge someone during a drug overdose. That's a major part of ER work, is dealing with all sorts of people.
It just chafes my ass.
I began this blog to document my way through nursing school, but things have become more and more mundane. However, I did get to an ER rotation last week that peaked my interest. ER is really what I want to do after I graduate. As it was during the day, it was slow in the ED, but I did get to see an OD patient come in. I got there just in time to do his catheter. YAY! This was interesting experience, cathing this IV drug user while the RN's are pushing narcan and watching his O2 sat. This man was 34 years old, but you couldn't tell he was that young. He looked 40+ easily. What kind of sad things happen to people that they end up like this? I am not one to pass judgement, and I believe that if you are, you need to get the hell out of nursing. Intellectually I know that that man couldn't hear what any of us were saying, but one of the RNs says in front of everyone, "What a waste of resources, this is just someone with drug habit that is probably going to end up dying anyway." My face did this: D:
I am an optimist. I believe that people can be pulled from a very deep pit of addiction if that person is willing to work. No one gets better with peope saying shit like that. It is okay to think those things as long as your standard of care isn't effected, but its hard to say whether or not you can think those things and still provide the best care that you can possibly give. It makes me sad that a nurse, especially in the ED, could say that out loud. I am almost positive that the family could hear her. I mean, come on lady, go work on a med surg floor with a bunch of old people if you can't do anything but judge someone during a drug overdose. That's a major part of ER work, is dealing with all sorts of people.
It just chafes my ass.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
End of the Semester Bliss!!!!
Well, my fellow students and I passed our finals (40% of our total grade and comprehensive!!!) I've packed up my books for the semester, and taken my two B's back home to let my mind rest for three weeks of break. I am so excited to be a senior nursing student, and very happy with my career choice. 12 more months, and I have insurance, a job and peace of mind! :) :) :)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Nursery and L&D
Sorry I haven't been writing much guys. As the semester comes to a close, everyone is just going through the motions to get done. Not much smiling. Lots of bitchiness. Put a bunch of girls in one room together for 8 hours a day, and see what you get. Hell. However, today did make a few of us smile. We began Day 1 of a 2 day rotation through the OB floor. Now, you have to understand, I am not, and I emphasize NOT, a baby person. Yes, I am a woman, yes, I am of child-bearing age. NO I do not want children. I also do not coo, cry, or baby talk over the little buggers either. However, I did watch a live vaginal birth today, and it was amazing. I have never seen a vagina get that big before. I wasn't that thrilled after the kid came out, but the process was amazing.
On another note, while I was in the room, I had to bite my tongue. The doctor swooped in, went sterile, and looked at us three students. He noticed our "ADN" initials on our uniforms. Do you know what he said?
"What does that stand for? 'Another Dumb Nurse'?"
I didn't even know how to respond other than to glare at him. I know I should expect that out of doctors, but I have never experienced this first hand until now. Now, that said. If I had been a registered nurse in that moment, instead of a student nurse who can get in trouble, I would have said one of the numerous, scathing things that I had in mind after that. God gave me two things that I treasure dearly, intelligence and a sharp wit. The sharp wit only works when I get really pissed though. Common sense, on the other hand....I guess that's what nursing school is for....
On another note, while I was in the room, I had to bite my tongue. The doctor swooped in, went sterile, and looked at us three students. He noticed our "ADN" initials on our uniforms. Do you know what he said?
"What does that stand for? 'Another Dumb Nurse'?"
I didn't even know how to respond other than to glare at him. I know I should expect that out of doctors, but I have never experienced this first hand until now. Now, that said. If I had been a registered nurse in that moment, instead of a student nurse who can get in trouble, I would have said one of the numerous, scathing things that I had in mind after that. God gave me two things that I treasure dearly, intelligence and a sharp wit. The sharp wit only works when I get really pissed though. Common sense, on the other hand....I guess that's what nursing school is for....
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Wound Care Center
It was great! Not much to tell, other than if you ever get the opportunity to do a clinical rotation through one, take it! You will learn valuable clinical skills that you will use on any med-surg floor. I observed a dressing change on a multi-tubed Wound Vac, a couple of amputation ulcers, and a debridement that even made my stomach of steel not feel so good. It is definitely worth the time!
Example of Wound Vac applied to arm:
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ms. Sassy
Hope the interwebz is doing well today.
Last week at clinicals, we were a little slow. I had an easy patient that was up with assist with no AMS or anything. I assumed that that meant it was going to be an easy day. Nope. She had COPD with an O2 sat of 75%, which isn't that bad, but if she would comply with the nasal cannula, it would have been a lot higher....also, everything I asked her to do, she was pissy about. Just general nastiness in my general direction. Not a big deal, but she softened me during our head to toe assessment together. I had just completed the physical part of it, and I was asking how her general health status was, how she felt, if anything new had come up since yesterday, etc:
Me: Do you have any pain anywhere Mrs. X?
Mrs. X: Counting the pain in my ass that you are causing me, one.
Me: Well, on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being the worst pain you have ever felt, how would you rate that pain in your rear?
Mrs. X: Fifteen. Now get out of my room.
Deadpan. No smile. It was hilarious. I had to step out of the room after that.
Last week at clinicals, we were a little slow. I had an easy patient that was up with assist with no AMS or anything. I assumed that that meant it was going to be an easy day. Nope. She had COPD with an O2 sat of 75%, which isn't that bad, but if she would comply with the nasal cannula, it would have been a lot higher....also, everything I asked her to do, she was pissy about. Just general nastiness in my general direction. Not a big deal, but she softened me during our head to toe assessment together. I had just completed the physical part of it, and I was asking how her general health status was, how she felt, if anything new had come up since yesterday, etc:
Me: Do you have any pain anywhere Mrs. X?
Mrs. X: Counting the pain in my ass that you are causing me, one.
Me: Well, on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being the worst pain you have ever felt, how would you rate that pain in your rear?
Mrs. X: Fifteen. Now get out of my room.
Deadpan. No smile. It was hilarious. I had to step out of the room after that.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Surgery!
Well, it's been a while folks. Sorry about that. I've got a few things to share though. This semester, we have been doing various rotations. We started out with pediatrics (not my cup of tea thank you very much), we did med surg, surgery, and I go to the wound center soon. Surgery was....interesting. The surgery that I went to was a knee replacement. That was....interesting.
The minute I stepped onto the surgical floor I was swept away, made to change clothes (MUCH more comfortable than our school uniforms), put into a gown and a surgical mask, and put into a room. I got there just in time to....PUT IN MY FIRST MALE CATHETER. It was great. When you do a catheter, it has to be sterile, or you can give someone a urinary tract infection. I wasn't nervous, but breathing my own air in that face mask was fogging up my glasses. I opened the catheter kit, donned my sterile gloves, and went ahead. Now, this is where it gets interesting. You see, you use one hand too....hold the....you know. Okay. Penis. There, I said it. Ha! My understanding that was as long as it was firmly...held...that all was fine. No. Apparently not. The circulating nurse that was helping get the man positioned on the table informed me very loudly that, "Girl, you got a man handle that thing! It'll get away from you and you have to start all over it, really grab it in your fist like a snake!" Suddenly, I felt as though I was at a rodeo and we were discussing pigs, not male genitals. Same thing I guess when you really think about it. Anyhoo, after I had properly grasped the pig snake penis thing, everything went fine after that and the nurses and surgeons clapped like I was at show and tell.
The actual knee replacement was interesting to watch also. It was very brutal and bloody, which I liked. They chiseled, hammered, sawed, hammered some more, drilled scraped and nailed all sorts of pieces in. It was a lot like wood shop, except bloodier. And more sterile. It gave me a better idea of what kind of pain I am treating when I take care of post-op patients. I don't think I want to be a surgical nurse, but it was fun.
HIPPA induced statement: The above x-ray was courtesy of google and in no way had any relation to the patient that I am talking about in the above entry.
The minute I stepped onto the surgical floor I was swept away, made to change clothes (MUCH more comfortable than our school uniforms), put into a gown and a surgical mask, and put into a room. I got there just in time to....PUT IN MY FIRST MALE CATHETER. It was great. When you do a catheter, it has to be sterile, or you can give someone a urinary tract infection. I wasn't nervous, but breathing my own air in that face mask was fogging up my glasses. I opened the catheter kit, donned my sterile gloves, and went ahead. Now, this is where it gets interesting. You see, you use one hand too....hold the....you know. Okay. Penis. There, I said it. Ha! My understanding that was as long as it was firmly...held...that all was fine. No. Apparently not. The circulating nurse that was helping get the man positioned on the table informed me very loudly that, "Girl, you got a man handle that thing! It'll get away from you and you have to start all over it, really grab it in your fist like a snake!" Suddenly, I felt as though I was at a rodeo and we were discussing pigs, not male genitals. Same thing I guess when you really think about it. Anyhoo, after I had properly grasped the pig snake penis thing, everything went fine after that and the nurses and surgeons clapped like I was at show and tell.
The actual knee replacement was interesting to watch also. It was very brutal and bloody, which I liked. They chiseled, hammered, sawed, hammered some more, drilled scraped and nailed all sorts of pieces in. It was a lot like wood shop, except bloodier. And more sterile. It gave me a better idea of what kind of pain I am treating when I take care of post-op patients. I don't think I want to be a surgical nurse, but it was fun.
HIPPA induced statement: The above x-ray was courtesy of google and in no way had any relation to the patient that I am talking about in the above entry.
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