There's a Light at the End of This Tunnel...

As you can tell the end is near. I can't believe I've made it this far. I'm very close but the pressure of the 1st Semester is starting to move in with all the crap that I still have to do!

• Clinical was kinda mellow this week. I did however get to administer insulin! I did it right this time!!! I WIN!!! Friday was the first day I did not give an injection at clinical. Oh well, my patient left right after 10am so I had the rest of the morning to accumulate my information for my big paper.
• Oh Lord, the BIG PAPER! Which I totally slacked on, pulled an almost all nighter on. It ended up being 23 pages long. I don't think it was longer than my exegesis I did for PBS II, but it ranked among the top. I have no idea what my grade will be but I'm hoping at least an 85%. That concluded my papers for the semester! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!
• I had another quiz in skills lab. An 80% for me. Either I'm getting stupider or they're getting harder. I think they are getting harder. I tested out flushing nasogastric tubes and giving meds in them. I also tested out on tracheotomy suctioning and replacing the dressing on them. Those were supposed to be scary skills but they weren't that bad.
• That's all I have to say about that.

13 weeks down! 4 weeks and 3 semesters to go!!

Slacking on the Blogging...

I'll admit it, I'm blogging a little late. I will try to remember the key elements from the last week!

• This was the week that killed me. Literally. I was so ready to die. Over the weekend I had a sore throat and a stuffy nose. At first I thought that it was allergies but oh no! I got the full blown flu! Flu shot my ass! If anything, that GAVE me the flu. Nursing majors have been dropping like flies and I was one of them. I worked the weekend then Monday. Monday night I was working on my Pharmacology Worksheet and I pretty much passed out. My bones were cold, everything hurt. I ended up staying home on Tuesday. I missed skills lab and pharmacology. I missed a quiz and testing out of skills. It sucked. Needless to say, Wednesday I went back to school but felt so much better cuz I NEEDED sleep.
• So in skills lab I retook my quiz from Tuesday on Wednesday and got a 79%. That quiz was really hard. Then I had a second one that I took and got a 95% on it, whew! I also tested out of skills for irrigating a urinary catheter, obtaining a urine specimen from a catheter, irrigating a colostomy and placing a new colostomy device. Lots of stuff but I got it all done!!
• Clinical meant giving 2 more subq's of Lovenox! I am getting to be a shot expert, well, in the stomach.
• I also had my process recording to write for clinical. I have to admit that that was the most retarded paper I've ever written. I had to have a conversation with a resident from long term care then write it out verbatim and comment on the non verbal language. Then I had to write what I did well in my communicating and what I needed to improve it. It was beyond stupid and I got a 92% on it. Thank God that's over!
  
  12 weeks down, 5 weeks and 3 semesters to go!

Sterile Technique Gets Me Everytime!

I still can't believe I'm on the downward slope of the hill! And what I can't believe about that is I'm so far passing all my classes! There are so few weeks left, however those few weeks pack a HUGE punch. I have more assignments, tests, papers, test outs and craziness than all of the 11 completed weeks combined! Just one day at a time!

•  The best thing that happened this week happened in Fundamentals.  We got our Midterms back, as in we got to see the test and look at which ones we got right and wrong and not just a percentage.  As I looked it over I realized that one of my answers that I had right on the hard copy of the test was marked wrong on the scantron. Either I messed up filling in the bubbles or the scantron messed up. I told my prof that I'm mad at myself for screwing up, and she said, "I'll give it to you!" I was like "Seriously?! I PASSED!!!!" So I bumped my score from a 78% to an 80%. I passed the midterm! I was very pleased!
• I had a paper due on a case study for Fundamentals. I didn't get it back yet, but according to the grade book I got a 97%. I'm happy about that!
• I didn't have any quizzes in Sills Lab this week. PTL!
•  In clinical I got to give my first Subcutaneous Injection!!! (or 3!) Everyone else in my clinical group only gave oral meds. I also got to watch an MRI and a GI Endoscopy. So I had a great clinical week!
• I finished my week off by writing my entire Cultural Assessment Paper, a Care Plan, and Journal. It takes sooooo long to do these clinical busy work assignments and when you add working the entire weekend to the mix, you are ready to die!  Mostly because I'm sick so it just makes everything 10 times worse.
• Now the worst part of me week: We tested off on inserting and removing catheters! I failed this skill. Skill wise, it was flawless, however I touched the outside of the carton with my sterile glove, twice. I knew I did it, and if I would've said something like "I touched the carton, I need to change my gloves" I would've passed. But dummy me didn't say anything and I failed. That meant I had to go into skills lab and retest out and I did fine. All three skills so far with Sterile Technique, I've flubbed somewhere, but this time it got me. Now I'll never screw up on sterile technique again.

11 weeks down, 6 weeks and 3 semesters to go!

Midterms & Acute Care Clinical!!

Well, kids! I have made it through Midterms. I have learned a few things and I have a few things to share.

• First and foremost, I need to learn how to not favor studying for one over the other. I have always had this problem and since pharmacology makes more sense, I spent the better part of my time studying for this one. 
• I got a heads up that the pharm midterm was basically verbatim from the midterm worksheet. I studied off of that one alot but I also didn't want her to change the test when it got to us so I also studied other stuff too. That test was on a computer so we got instant results. It was pretty much verbatim off the worksheet give or take 5 questions. I got a 98%. Not to brag, but I was happy (I say that with a big grin on my face.)
• My first Skills Lab quiz went well on the eyes and ears assessment. I got a 94%. The second one was on Medication Administration. I got an 87%. Not my best test but it was a hard one. So I was pleased.
•  I got to test off on 3 skills this week. IM Injection, Injection Sites and Mixing Insulin. I got 100% on the IM, 95% on the Sites cuz I stumbled over a few things (I blame Midterms, my head wasn't on Skills) and 95% on Insulin cuz dummy me, said I had to have a 34 unit total and then only pulled back to 24 units. I'm lucky I didn't fail that one.
• My Fundamentals Midterm, uh that wasn't so good. Like I said I favored studying for Pharm over this one so that was issue #1. Then the first round of students took it. The prof had to hand grade them cuz she thought the scantron did it wrong. Either it did or everyone bombed it! I still don't know. From what I heard, many of the students ended up with a score in the 70 percentile range.  Remember, for Nursing classes, a solid 80.00% is passing and it has to be on exam/quiz grades alone. A 79.99% is failing. No rounding up. Now my classes turn! Since it was paper we had to wait to the evening to see our grades. I worked up the courage to look at it (this coming from the girl who waited over a year to look at her final grades one semester). I got a 78%. FML!!!! One wrong too many. I failed it. My test/quiz grade is an 80.55% meaning I'm passing by 0.55% which is passing but I have to step it up.
• Now on to Clinical!!! Acute Care!!! Hospital!!!
• Orientation on Thursday was a lot of information especially since we do all the charting on a computer program that looks circa 1993. Takes me back to Plover/Whiting Computer Lab days!
• Unfortunately our instructor became ill so our orientation was cut short. 
• Friday we had a sub instructor and she was really cool! My first patient was awesome and very eager to cooperate. She said that I could be her nurse any day and that since she didn't have a daughter she was adopting me. 
• Clinical ended with a lot of shock. We have a huge paper and exam at the end that our instructor never told us about! So I became a bit overwhelmed, but as one of my classmates says, one day at a time. It's true, I just work one day at a time and chug my way through.

So my week started crazy and ended crazy. I'm just glad to be over midterms cuz they were insane!!!
Now I have 10 weeks down and only 7 weeks and 3 semesters to go!!! Next week is November, there is a light at the end of this tunnel!!!

2nd Semester? Already???

This week was a very different week. I only had one day of classes!  This is because we had advising and registration. It's like, really? Already? I don't even know if I'm going to make it to 2nd Semester! 

• Tuesday we had a regular day of classes. So skills and pharmacology.
• Wednesday was advising!
• We found out a little better what 2nd semester is all about. First of all it is divided into two separate eight week sections.  Why? Because 2nd semester has the pediatric clinical rotation.  Only one of the hospitals in the area has pediatrics so the goal is to get 48 students through that rotation in a 16 week period.  Each clinical has 8 students in it for 6 total groups. Since we can't do peds all at once we're all split up. Alas, 2 different groups.  Makes sense? Don't worry, I'm still confused too!
• So we found out which of the two groups we were in. I was hoping we could choose, but of course they choose for you. I got placed into group ABC. Which means I have pediatrics first. I'm PISSED!!! Cuz that means I have to drive all the way to Marshfield in the dead of winter. Thank you! I really don't believe their whole "we take into consideration where you live to place you in clinicals" philosophy. Cuz if they did, I'd have that rotation 2nd time around in March.
• So I talked to an adviser and shared my concerns about the January driving and she said to email the head instructor requesting a group switch because she agrees with my logic. All I got for a reply was "everyone has to drive and I can't make any promises" So I took that as toughen up or ship out!
• The second 8 week period is med-surg so that should be interesting. Word on the street is that the current 2nd semester students that just got done with it had 7 fails. Peds had 3 fails. Those are not good odds. 
• The rest of my week consisted of studying, studying, studying! Why? Because this next week is Midterms!!! Comprehensive Midterms! 1 of those in each Pharm & Fundamentals. Then I also have 2 quizzes in lab, one on each day. So I'm going crazy (hence the lateness of this entry).

This week, my friends, has brought us to the half way point and beyond.  I'm officially half way done with 1st Semester! I am in shock that I have made it this far and am so far not failing. I'm very impressed with myself.  I really believe it has something to do with the sister I asked for prayers from along with the sisters she works with and the children she minsters to in Peru. I also have countless others praying for me. It's definitely God's grace which is helping me through, cuz He knows there's no way I would be doing this on my own.

9 weeks down, 8 weeks and 3 semesters to go. I'm an eighth of the way through!!! HUZZAH!!!!

Injections and Roller Coasters

This week we are down to single digit weeks that are left in this semester. 

• I gave my very first injection on a real person!!! I was so nervous. Not only about sticking the needle in, but then pushing in the plunger too! I did an intradermal injection of saline. This is the type of injection that you would get for a TB test. I was able to get the ''wheel'' under the epidermal layer. So I did good. The next time it shouldn't be so bad.
• I had 2 quizzes this week. Fundamentals, which I got an 85% on, so not bad but not good either. And Pharmacology I got an 87.5%. I need to step up the studying.
• I had my last Long Term Care clinical day! Thank God it's over! I also had an article presentation and I think I did pretty well. So I'm hoping I got an okay grade on that.
• I had a second presentation for Fundamentals. It was my group presentation. We did very well and got 95% on it. So I'm happy that's over.
• I took a day off yesterday and went to Six Flags with David, Cory, Kassandra, Matthew and Jimmy.  I rode a ton of coasters. It was awesome! Not to mention it's Fright Fest so it's all decked out for Halloween. One of the creepers got me and I jumped. I also screamed my head off on the coasters (more for fun cuz that's part of the thrills! My throat doesn't feel so good today.  The only coaster I legitimately was scared on was Vertical Velocity, when I was riding it toward the back of the coaster you go so high up backwards it feels like you're going up and over. It freaked me out a bit. The second time I went on I rode closer to the front and it wasn't as good cuz you don't get that scary thrill like you do when you ride to the back. I was impressed with myself cuz I had always been terrified of Raging Bull, or going up the first lift. So when I went on it the first time I actually didn't even freak out about it. So the second time was awesome! I love roller coasters!  It was a great way to get my mind off of everything for a day

Time to get back to school, and I now have 8 weeks completed! Only 9 weeks to go!!

Busy Busy Bee

So this has been a very busy week. Now with classes 4 days a week and working 2 days a week, I feel like I don't have time to think. AHH!

• This week in skills lab is our first attempt to take the math test. The math test is about conversions and such so that you can calculate how much of a drug you are to give based on the doctor's order and the type and concentration of drug you have.  We practiced this weeks ago and I did very well. We were told that we have to pass with a 90% or better. It is only 20 questions long so we get up to 2 wrong. If you fail, you only get 2 more opportunities to take it. This is accompanied by extra tutoring and whatnot-nothing that I had time for. If you can not pass it in these three tries, you fail Skills Lab.  So when I went to study for it the night before just to refresh my memory, I was like what the heck! I'm not getting it! Why? Cuz I was rushing and not reading the whole question or not using my calculator. Well I made sure I took my time and I PASSED!!! I got a 95% and the one I got wrong was because I didn't read that the question said how many to give in a 24 hour period where I had only one dose. All my math was right!
• Clinical was still boring. I really didn't know what to do. Besides taking vitals on my resident, helping feed people and taking blood glucose readings, it was boring. So I'm looking forward to being done. Only one day left of Long Term Care, thank God!
• We started learning about injections in Skills Lab! Now this is what I've been waiting for! We practiced filling a syringe with insulin, using filter needles and finding intermuscular injection sites. I will not be looking forward to stabbing someone in the ventrogluteal, dorsalgluteal or vastus lateralis sites. That I think would hurt like a bitch!

Well I'm now 7 weeks in and I only have 10 weeks to go! Oh yea and three other semesters!