Anemia

Right now, I am so bogged down in anemia is isn't funny! We're studying 5 types of anemia and based on the facts I have, 4 out of 5 could apply to my circumstance!! I've got to read more CV!!!!
This weekend, we had a missionary to China at church. He and his wife and their 2 beautiful girls stayed with us Sunday night. I was so disappointed that I didn't have more time with them, but I had a paper due yesterday. I didn't get my paper done on Sunday night, but I had until 3pm yesterday to turn it in. My day yesterday looked like this: I got up early, went to class, got my clinical assignment for this week, went to the computer lab and finished my paper. I turned my paper in at 2:45pm (a whole 15 minutes to spare, thank you very much), drove the hour home and immediately sat down and began researching my patient's conditions and drugs to do my daily plan for today. I finally went to bed at 11:00 last night (the more I did on my daily plan, the more I found to do and the bigger it got), but I was so wound up and so anxious (about what I don't know) that I had a hard time going to sleep. I kept thinking of things I needed to review before clinical today. In the end, I put a notepad on my bedside table and when I'd think of something I needed to do, I'd write it down (in the dark) and deal with it in the morning. At least I could quit worrying about forgetting stuff.

Got a test back yesterday--82. It is still passing, but it's the lowest grade yet. It was on fluids & electrolytes, death and dying and post-op. I thought that most of it would be on F&E, so that's where I put most of my study time--and I didn't miss a single F&E question. The problem: Most of the test was post-op. I gambled wrong. I still didn't do bad. I'm not ashamed of my 82, but I need to do better next time. The next test is our first CV test though--Yikes!

So, now I'm trying to revise my daily plan for tomorrow and get ready to be checked off on giving my meds. That's pretty exciting! I get to give another SQ tomorrow! At least there's some kind of silver lining!

Stay tuned...

Lez and Miranda

Okay, so everybody, meet Leslie (blonde) and Miranda (black hair). They are the two people that I have gotten to know the best since starting nursing school. Before the Nursing convention in Tupelo last week, I knew Miranda and I knew Leslie, but Leslie and Miranda didn't know each other. Well, they hit it off pretty well and so my circle of friends is growing. How cool is that--I'm starting to get to know people and make friends outside of church. For a year and a half, the only people I've known have been the people I go to church with.
Today we went to the nursing home and gave flu shots. I love giving shots! I got to do 2 shots, but that was enough to have that skill checked off for school.
I have a test on fluids & electrolytes, death, dying and grief and post-op care tomorrow. I have to go study now!

Talk at yall again soon.
Lad

--There, are you happy Leslie (and Emily)?

You can't just bury them in the backyard!

I'm really trying to keep yall informed about the funny lines that come out of nursing school--I could write a book! (Risk for elevated temperature!) So my subject line this time is one of those! We covered death and dying yesterday in class. It was okay, just dull. I have not been around someone as they passed away so I was interested in the content just to know what happens. I can't very well prepare my pt's family for death when I've never experienced it (bad choice of words) myself. So this girl in class who talks a lot (not me) was asking all these questions about what you do with the body of the deceased and she commented that some people don't want their loved one to go to the funeral home. Our instructor responded with--you guessed it, "Well, you can't just bury them in the backyard!" I can think about that little comment and just laugh! Good times....
I'm beginning to have a sleep disturbance. I had to be up this morning at 4:15am to get ready to leave home in time to meet my carpool (Leslie & Sabrina) in Hattiesburg and make it to the hospital. Well, I went to bed at 10:30pm. I woke up and sat straight up in bed and realized that my alarm clock hadn't gone off. I was sure I had overslept. I jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom to get ready to get in the shower. I realized that I didn't remember turning my clock off, so I went to check the alarm. What time was it?????----12:30AM!!! So back to bed I went. And lo and behold I did the same thing again at 3:00am. What is up with me? I think I was stressing out so much about oversleeping and missing clinical, that I woke up every 2 hours.
So, we had hospital clinical again today. I think I had a good day. I was able to answer a couple of spontaneous questions from my instructor. Any time I get an answer right, I feel a little less inadequate.
Tomorrow's class is on fluids and electrolytes. There is a ton of work involved in preparation for class tomorrow.
Thursday early, I leave for nursing convention. I'm so excited. A few days without school. No paper to write over the weekend--happy days are here again!

I'm trying to do better at posting more often. Please bear with me. Sometimes (like yesterday) I just have more to do than I have hours to get it done.

Til next time, blog-fans!
Laddie

Time's fun when you're having flies!

I can't believe October 2 was my last post! It seems like just yesterday that I was writing blog posts. Sorry Leslie--I'll do better from now on.
I have so much to catch everyone up on! So let's start at the beginning of this novel, shall we...

Midterm: Finally got my test back--95!!!! Hooray! I'm tending to be better at theory (lecture) than I am at clinical/lab. Not that I'm BAD at clinical, but I do way better at theory tests. I'm just glad midterm is over. We can finally move on. I knew that as soon as midterm ended, we'd be able to get to hospital clinicals.

Hospital clinicals: NEW INSTRUCTOR!! I like her--more info on her to follow. I have been looking forward to the hospital since we started on Day 1. We got our assignments on Monday afternoon. Evaluations are this week, so I'll see how they think I'm doing. On one hand, I really want to hear what they have to say, but on the other, I don't want to hear it. I think I'm my worst critic. I'm harder on myself than any one of them has been. I have to write a paper on this clinical experience. It will be a full blown care plan. I got my last care plan back and I brought my grade up 3 points, to a 91! I was so relieved. I fully expected my grade to drop. I'm sure they graded harder this time than the first time. I worked harder on this on than the last though.

Let me tell you, I'm tired of white uniforms!!! When I get out of school, I don't ever want to see a white uniform again! I hope all you nurses out there remember me when you have students on your unit. Be nice to them for me!

For now....
Lad

It's just like bungee jumping!

Okay, so I know that I haven't posted since Wednesday (Leslie!), but I've been swamped. After clinical Wednesday, I had to write the paper, then we met my dad and sister in Tuscaloosa and I got my car back from my dad. Then Dave and I stayed in T-town until Saturday night and drove back with our friend Eddie (missionary in Kenya). Since midterm was monday, I studied a bit over the weekend and then took my test yesterday (which I think I did well on, but we'll wait and see) and that brings us to today.

Today was SHOT day!! I have been looking forward to this day for a while! I have been very nervous about shots and figured that this would be my make or break point. We had a wonderful class time and laughed a lot (shooting water at each other when the instructors back was turned) and then finally at the end of class--after playing (learning how to draw medication from ampules and vials) with needles for 4 hours--we gave shots. I was cleaning my partners arm with the alcohol swab and she started freaking out and crying--I HADN'T EVEN PICKED UP THE SYRINGE YET!! Crazy! Anyway, I think giving shots is like bungee jumping! The first time is really scary, but after that you can't wait for the next time!!

I must say, all in all--today's class was the best yet! We needed the laughs that we had today. After midterm monday and a paper due today plus shots, we were stretched so thin, I'm surprised that we didn't snap.

I'll write more soon. Stay tuned!