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.

Vital Signs.....Check!!!

So this week we went over how to check for proper vital signs and assessing a patient. I was aware of how to do it before, but it was nice getting a chance to refresh and make sure I was still doing it right. I finally was able to use my stethoscope and got to listen through a very expensive one as well, what a difference!

I must say, I feel I have the best group of the bunch, I can't wait until we start clinical this week!

Wednesdays are killer, class and lab...phew. I am two weeks closer to the finish line though and that's what matters. 

To Nurse or Not to Nurse... That is the Question

If you were to tell me that I would be on my way to becoming a nurse three years ago, I probably would have said, "no way." At that point in my life I had no idea of what I wanted to do with myself, but nursing was not in my forethought.

It wasn't until about a year and half ago that I decided I wanted to become a nurse. All my life I have always wanted to help people, and I knew that my career would be in a field that did just that. I had spent most of my young life thinking that I would become a doctor...and when I initially came up to college I actually intended on doing so. But a funny thing happened- life.

After having a long discussion with my then girlfriend/now fiance- we decided that nursing would suit me and my personality. It would allow me to truly help people and feel like I am doing something to make our society better (and it wouldn't take eight years and over a $100,000 of student loans.)

The reason to apply to nursing school was simple. I feel a nurse is a person who helps holistically; they aren't just there to make the problem go away. They are with a patient from beginning to end. They have the opportunity to really interact with the person(s) who they are helping. They have the satisfaction of seeing someone's life change for the better. My philosophy of nursing is simple: I want to be there to help people better themselves- mentally and physically.

My plans are to become a nurse anesthetist. En route to this long term goal I would like to work in the operating room or emergency room so that I can gain all the experience possible. When I was younger I had the opportunity to volunteer in both the operating and emergency rooms, so I am familiar with the potential scenarios that I may encounter and I am proud to say that I was more intrigued with the situations, than disgusted- no puking here!

So there it is. Follow me through my journey and here's hoping for some "sonny days of nursing school."