Hold on TIGHT!

After my last post I feel bad about not being more descriptive or enthused. But this week was a much better week and I hope to make for the slack in the last one with this post right here. So HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS...cause its going to be a great one! Monday in our theory class we had a lecture about the pain assessment, and honestly it was better than I thought it was going to be. We talk about pain medication all the time but I think its easy for use to forget about comfort care measures that we can take to help reduce pain as well. Our professor did this little experiment with us in which we put a clothes pin on part of the skin of our hand. Then we placed a little ziploc bag of ice in different locations to see what helped with the pain the most. We put the ice distal (more towards the fingers)to "the injury," proximal (more on the wrist/lower arm) to " the injury," and on the opposite hand. There wasn't one method that worked best so it goes to show we can try many different positions/place to help relieve pain. Then also on Monday we had our diabetes lab. The first lab in which we actually got to make another person bleed! (I know it sounds strange but when we are finally able to practice a skill on a real human- that's exciting!) Anyway we talked about different types of insulin and how to count carbs and what types of insulins can be mixed with which. Its all rather confusing but I'm getting it. Then we got to poke each other and measure our partners blood sugar level (hence the blood).

Tuesday I had lab for 3 hours bright and early. The topic for this lab was respiratory alterations. They had 6 stations set up in lab and we were splint into groups of 5 or 6. Each group had a station. For example I was in the group with the chest tube station. Then we had to read about it and learn with some help from the professor all about out topic and how all our material worked. Then after about 1/2 and hour or so each group taught the rest of the class about their station. So we learned about different inhalers and nebulizer treatments, different ways to help loosen mucous secretions in the lungs, different types of suctioning, endotracheal tubes, chest tubes, and different types of supplemental oxygen. For our theory class we had a lecture on respiratory alterations which went perfectly well with our lab early in the morning. And the lecture was packed full of information on pneumonia, COPD, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. After that class I have my nursing research class and we got to play JEOPARDY! However, my team lost in the end, although we still gave it a really good effort and we all got candy in the end!

Wednesday I had clinical at Zeeland Hospital. My patient was a rock star. Not literally a rock star but probably one of the most fun patients I have worked with yet, and I have had some other really great ones too.


I'm excited for my last two day of clinicals next week because I get to be in the OR (operation room for those of you who didn't know)!

That's the end of the ride. I hope everyone is still fastened securely in their seat. You may now unfasten your buckles and exit by clicking on the "X" or back arrow button. Thanks for reading!

Probably the most boring post you will read...if you even read it

Crazy Busy, that describes my life lately in nursing school. Last Monday included a lab with more practice in setting up IV bags and tubing and then we practiced positioning and moving patients. Tuesdays lab included stations that we went through with simulations to discuss the perioperative care and treatment for the patient. Our theory class topics were on diabetes management in both the child and adult. We had a meeting about the 3 visits we have to do with our LEI clients this semester, and then I also had my nursing research class.

Clinicals went very well last week on Wednesday and Thursday. I got to learn so stuff that we haven't have a chance yet to talk about in out lab, so that was both nerve racking and a good learning experience at the same time. My patient was extremely friendly and was always presenting opportunities for me to practice and learn. Not too much to say...just not real into writing this post. Maybe after this week i have more enthusiasm about school.

FUN, FUN, FUN!

So this week we got a little break from classes. GVSU had classes of on Monday and Tuesday because of Labor Day, and thankfully all my classes fall on Monday and Tuesday! However, we still had clinical on Wednesday and today (Thursday). And all I have to say is that clinical was WAY better this week. Both days I was able to work with nurses and aides that were extremely helpful and very willing to teach us new things. Wednesday I got to take care of a patient that had some things in common with me so we got to some small talk, and not only that, he was extremely nice. Today I got to work with a patient who was also extremely nice and had fun joking around with anyone that walked into his room. I got to see the occupational and physical therapy aspect of care for the patient. I also got to help the nurse with the discharge. Then my professor let me go down to the ER. This was a sweet experience, although there was not much going on, and the nurse I was following was the best yet! So lets just say clinical turned around this week. It was great!

Week one of 350/351

So on Monday school started again and all of us nursing students got back into the swing of things after about a 2 week break which seemed to go by way to quickly. So last semester was nursing 320/321 and this semester is nursing 350/351. The numbers don't hold a lot of meaning, just the fact that they continue to go up means that I am progressing through the program! Our weeks are extremely busy. Mondays I have class from 1-6 which includes a 2 hour lecture class and a 3 hour lab class. Tuesday is my long day of classes. I'm at school from 8 to 5. From 8 to 11 I have a 3 hour lab, then from 11-1 I have a seminar class (thankfully this class doesn't always meet every week), then from 1 to 3 I have a lecture class, and finally from 3 to 5 I have a nursing research class. Wednesday and Thursday I am in my clinical rotation. For the first part of the semester I am at Zeeland Hospital from 7 to 3. We had an orientation on Wednesday to go over computer stuff, paperwork, tour of the building, ect. Our clinical professor is very nice. Then Thursday we got to be with our first patient. It was an extremely challenging day and I would rather not go into the details. Having to be up so early to be at the hospital at 6:45 didn't help matters either. Hopefully the next couple of days will go better. Since Friday is my day off from class I will be working every Friday because it is the only day during the week that I have open.
I have been very impressed with how organized the course has been presented by the professors. A much needed change from 320/321, and I believe that this semester is going to be a good in which we learn a lot.