#clincals

[gettingbuilt-likebigbarda]

I had a lovely experience today during clincals. A pregnant woman came in for us to check the growth of her baby and see if it had turned the right way yet. My instructor asked her if it would be okay for me to scan while she checked her images. The pregnant woman said she remembered me from three weeks ago and that her baby was my first. Then she said, “Get over here and scan your baby.” Her saying that was just really sweet and made my day.

[enaykudisi]

I've spent the last month trying to find shoes for clinicals. They have to be all white and no mesh. I really don't understand shoe science. I wanted something sorta flat, because so many shoes have really think heels so you're standing on your toes all day. Dumb. I also didn't want something with a bunch of arch support, because I think standing on my arches just hurts?? I wanted get work boots because those are usually comfortable, fit good, and have good ankle support. I'm so clumsy n roll my ankles all the time without solid support. But work boots in white aren't a thing. I thought about high top sneakers but wide high top sneakers aren't a thing. I eventually settled on a pair of slip resistant new balance shoes. They have an obnoxious heel, but are supposed to be good for weak ankles, and standing all day.

[studentxnurse-blog]

Ugh

So later today we will be switching to another clinical hospital since it’s our 5th week in this course. And with my crappy luck, I have that professor I had last term that completely and utterly humiliated me. I do feel a bit more confident academically. But I already know that I will blank out just as every other time and look like a fool and she’ll chew me up again. 

I’m thinking of ways to avoid her. But who knows, clinical’s is going to suck for the next 4 weeks. I already know it. 

[knightlynursing]

Clinical Update

So my last post about clinical mentioned that I had Sim lab, and then would be actually in the hospital that next day. My first day in the hospital went well. The first half of the day I was with my instructor and my four going over assignments and expectations, then I separated from my group to go do my clinical observation while the rest of them did some computer training and went up to the flood to receive patient assignments. I chose the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for my pediatric observation day. I was only able to spend a few hours on the floor, and it was an unusually slow day on the floor, but regardless, I still learned quite a bit. It was an overall good day, and I would definitely consider working in a PICU during my nursing career. It never gets easier; you just get stronger.

[misha-fashionista]

Study, study, study!! Is there ever enough time to study??!!

Yes, I'm posting on a Saturday night :) I probably should be STUDYING, but I just can't wrap my head around it tonight. It's been a rough week. I have my own caseload of 3 patients at my clinical. 2 of the patients are 75 minutes and the other is 60 minutes, but it's a struggle to get those minutes out of that particular patient! I also have progress notes to write for every treatment and I have to monitor vitals (with my new gadgets, as seen here ) for every patient, before-during-and after treatment. SIGH!

I've really been working my butt off this week and it's been great, but exhausting! I also had to present two in-services to the therapy department yesterday, as part of our requirements for graduation. My topics were "Congestive Heart Failure" and "Ultrasound for Arthritic Conditions". I think they both went over pretty well, but I spent most of last week preparing for it, so I didn't get as much studying done as I would've liked. Then of course, yesterday was also Valentine's Day....which typically is not a big deal for us, but we still went out for dinner. By the time we made it home, I swear...I was in bed by 8:45pm! Can you believe that?? On a Friday night (and Valentine's night at that!)! But I was truly exhausted.

Today, we met up with my fiance's family for dinner and now that we're home, I'm tired again! Looks like no studying will get done until tomorrow...hopefully!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day, if you celebrate it! Enjoy your weekend and say a prayer that I can get some studying done soon! Thanks in advance..lol

[fashionnzombies]

Clinicals are...interesting...

I have mad respect for CNAs and nurses alike after a week and a day of clinicals in a nursing home.  Tonight I gave a woman a shower, and she had a BM...in the shower. Fantastic. The other night I was sworn at and hit by a resident because she was in so doped up on morphine and in much pain from us moving her. But it really doesn't phase me too much because these people need us. They need us to care and not be grossed out and never judge, because they are losing bits and pieces of themselves each and every day, and that breaks my heart and touches me at the same time.

I gave my assigned resident a "manicure" the other night, which really wasn't anything fancy, but she acted like I had given her the full spa treatment; this sweet old lady had never had a hand massage in her life.  The elderly are so under appreciated, as are those who care for them. In the wing I'm in, there are two CNAs for probably 40-50 residents, and they do EVERYTHING. 

Even though I don't plan to pursue nursing as a career, I will forever bow down to those in the field. 

[opinionsstrictlymyown-blog-blog]

Learning experience

So I am on my second last day of clinicals today! This morning I had a realisation, the whole time I've been here I continually put myself down and upset myself to the point of tears and anxiety attacks thinking I wasn't good enough, when this afternoon I realised you know what I'm not so bad. I always used to beat myself up about messing up giving end of shift reports but after hearing a final year student handover this morning I realised I'm not expected to be perfect, even she tripped up in places when handing over, it's a learning experience and instead of putting myself down about it I need to devise strategies to intercept my own negativity because in the end that is what drags me down. On days when I come in confident and eager to learn I excelled on days were I messed up and got anxious about it instead of getting over it I'd spend most the day giving out to myself and ultimately learned nothing. Negativity is an ongoing theme for the past year and a half in my life I was sucha positive person and I wanna get that back, being negative achieves nothing but anxiousness and bad karma all the best things happen to those who are positive.

[kassienova]

Work...ish...

I'm currently in CNA classes... So this isn't the first time I've been in the class( I did it during HS for three years and wasn't certified) I gotta tell ya' that I have never had a more boring or frustrating clinical rotation. All I can say is I hate nursing homes and I really hope that I can get into the ED.