Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Total meltdown day!

Today was absolutely draining!!
I got up at the same time this morning (but was coming from Hattiesburg) so that I could be at school at 7am. I made it about 10 minutes early, which at that time of day is fine because the traffic rush hasn't started.
Today was a scrubs day, and I thought that I had followed the guidelines pretty well. First thing when class started, the instructors really hammered us hard for not following the uniform policy. Many girls had not worn their hair up, didn't wear a watch, or had the wrong shoes (just to name a few offenses). All I had wrong was that I had on the wrong socks (ankle socks are not allowed), but they didn't make too big a deal out of socks. They also fussed pretty hard about people not having their supplies. Fortunately, I had managed to ask the right questions of one of my instructors the day before and found out that I needed to have headphones. I was one of only a few that brought them (whew!).
Today, my lab group worked on vital signs and handwashing. We watched some videos and then went to another classroom to work on our skills. I brought my blood pressure cuff that I had bought through the nursing program and began using it, but I couldn't hear anything on my lab partner. My instructor informed me that my BP cuff was too big. The manufacturer had packaged an adult large cuff (an obese cuff) in an adult regular box. No wonder it wasn't working! She told me to take it back and insist on the correct size! The instructor gave me a school cuff to use and I had to start all over on the procedure. I pumped up the cuff and before I could even turn the valve, the pressure dropped over 20mm! I asked her what I was doing wrong and she said there must be a hole in the tubing, so she took that cuff away and gave me another one. By this time, every other group has taken a couple of turns and the instructor was standing over me! How nerve-wrecking is that! I did everything WRONG!!! I even had trouble finding pulses on my lab partner! I could do all this stuff at home, but not in lab!
**Disclaimer** I know that one day I'll look back at this incident and laugh at myself for freaking over taking BP, but today--it wasn't funny!
I made it through lab, but was emotionally and mentally exhausted! I asked my instructor after class if I was missing any of the paperwork required to do clinicals and she looked it up and said I was. I really didn't anticipate that, but whatever...
As it turns out, I needed the proof that I had an MMR when I was a kid, my TB skin test was documented incorrectly and I needed to have it redone (or fight with the Jefferson County Health Dept to fix it), and she said I was overdue on my 2nd round of HBV. I was so rattled! I knew I had done everything (and done it correctly) but I had no proof. Not to mention, when I went for my 1st HBV, the Health Dept told me that I had to have my 2nd round HBV within a month of the date they listed. My instructor told me that I had to have it ON the date listed. She was freaking me out because I thought I was over due and had to have it redone. If someone took my BP at that point, it would've been through the roof!
As it turned out, I got my second round HBV (my arm is SOOOOO sore), got my first round HAV, and did decide to get my TB redone (didn't want to fight with Jeff County--Emily, some things are just worth paying for). I called Momma and she said she has my MMR certificate from when I was a kid and will get it in the mail as soon as possible. I went after school to the uniform shop and they said they've had a big problem with those BP cuffs being mis-labeled as a smaller size. They had swapped out so many that they were completely out of them, but the manufacturer was shipping some and they were to arrive tomorrow. They asked if I would come back tomorrow and assured me that they would give me the correct BP cuff.

None of these things, by themselves, were very big at all; however, together, all these things added up to a pretty rotten day. Many more days like this and I'll understand completely how people drop out. I have no intention of dropping out at all--especially over piddly stuff like this, but I do understand how people get frustrated and discouraged.
Just taking vital signs was stressful enough.......but I can do this! I'm going to do this!!! Bed baths and bed making tomorrow!

Please pray!!

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