2 MORE WEEKS!!!!

In 2 more weeks I'll be a married man, I've been with my beautiful friend/girlfriend/fiance since senior year in high school....yeah, that long. I love her for everything she does for me and doesn't ask for anything in return. She is one of the most giving people I've ever know in my life and I'm privileged to have her in my life. Come 10/23/10, you'll see a nice titanium ring on my finger and I'll wear it ever so proudly.

Final..ly

So close, yet so far. We're about to finish our first 8 weeks in the program and it's been crazy. I feel like I've been injected with tons of info, no pun intended. There's still so much to do, and so much more to learn. Here's hoping that I can get everything done successfully in just 4 semesters...and not bore my future with every little new cool thing I do or learn in class.

Multitasking....

If you're not good at multitasking, get good at it because you'll need to do lots of things simultaneously in the nursing environment. While taking care of multiple patients, you have to make sure every little thing you do is right, otherwise it could cost you your job, your license, or even worse...someone's life. Make sure you remember the 6 Rights and 3 Steps every time.

Time is precious....

You start your pre-reqs for nursing school thinking, "I can't wait until I get in", then you get in and realize how drastic you must change things. You have to prioritize EVERYTHING, otherwise it will be hell trying to keep it all in check....and this is just the first 8 weeks. Oy! Enjoy what you can while you can, you don't know what you're capable of missing in life.

Real Experience

When I talk to others about my nursing classes, I get excited. I'm excited because I actually have the chance to apply everything I am learning on a weekly basis through our clinicals. I have friends in other programs, who spent the first portion doing all the "book work", and while there is nothing wrong with that- I think I am getting a head start on them, although I have further to go. I am glad that I am given the opportunity to get in there and get to work and already feel more comfortable in these new shoes.

Lift on Three!

This past week we really got hands on. We learned how to transfer patients from the bed to the stretcher/wheelchair/ca mode- you name it. This was no easy feat. We learned how to properly move patients who are much heavier and require lots of teamwork. We got to use a hoyer lift which is similar to a giant cherry picker. This was kinda cool.

We also got to wheel around some of our classmates through the halls on stretchers, which was fun.

Putting On a Clinic.....

So in the wee hours of the morning we wake up sleepy eyed and traveled to Westminister Oaks for our first clinical. Nervousness, excitement and anxiety weren't even the beginning of how I felt. As we walked in we went to the "theatre room" where we had an hour and a half debriefing to prepare us for what we were about to do all day. We were given client information, risk factors and other information to help us throughout the day.
I was the first one out the group to be assigned to a patient. I was assigned to a happy, lovely old lady, who upon seeing me perked up slightly and said, "Wow! I have a man today." The other women patients perked up as well to get a peek and oohed and ahhed- which made me even more nervous.
After she received her medication the day progressed extremely fast and before I knew it, it was lunch time. During the morning hours I was able to capture vital signs and important information, and really had the opportunity to get to know her.
I had a great time with my patient and she made my first experience 100x's better. I hope I get to see her again someday.