What I have learned about nursing school thus far...

Disclaimer: Please do not let my words come back to bite me in the butt. These are JUST little observations that I have made...nothing set in stone! Now, let's move forward with my post...

So I have learned that NS isn't really that hard.  Am I right?  Sure, they pile on the work and try to make your mind go in a million different directions.  All of that is great because I am a good multitasker.  I like to make lists and check things off as I go (Hi, Kelsy).  The content however, isn't really all that mind boggling.  Sure I know what a wheelchair is.  I know crutches, indications for the use of a nebulizer, how to round a decimal to the tenths place, etc.  So where is the hard part?  Where is the need for me to lose my social life and study non-stop?  Is it coming soon?  Is it just around the corner?  Please refer back to my disclaimer!

So, five whole weeks of nursing school down the drain. Or should I say "under my belt". Before I say anything else I must copy and paste an email I sent to my Bestie, "Amy" from Tuesday. I must warn you that it is unedited and full of raw emotion. I even had to use A curse word (but I was nice enough to place special characters even in the midst of my anger). Yes, this email was as raw as a field reporter coming live from a battle zone. Here goes

"so I had my Foley cath skills check today.  I did everything perfectly except for my sterile glove touched my unsterile field so that made me fail the whole thing.  When I was done and the instructor began telling me that I failed because of ...I realized the $%&* was next to me.  She was so distracted by paying attention to my failure she had a little smirk on her face.  I wanted to drop dead.  It would have been fine if she hadnt been all up in my business.  I am also mad at the instructor for not being more discreet.  So i had to stand there in shame while he filled out my "Lab Remediation" sheet and tell me about the retesting procedure.  It was all I could do to walk back in the classroom and pack up the supplies that I had just totally failed on knowing how much instant satisfaction it had just given someone.

I walked outside and tried so hard to hold back my tears.  It didn't work.  I was and still am so sad...this sounds like a blog post huh?"

Yep, totally raw. The good news is that I went back later that night and did my "remedial" practice followed by my last chance romance with the Foley. It was amazing. I passed. I figured I wouldn't since I was trying so hard. The next day on Wednesday I had my PEG tube check off and I did great! The most important part was stressing to my patient that their bed must remain 30-45 for thirty minutes to an hour. This is important. So they want die by drowning in their own vomit. Oh yeah, and the formula was also important too. Because without the feeding of formula they wouldn't aspirate. I did realize after it was all over that I never put on the gloves which should have failed me. My instructor luckily did not notice.
Rewind to Monday, September 12, I had another test. I didn't do so swell. I made an 83. I keep making the dumbest mistakes. One question was "what does RUQ refer to?". Right upper quadrant right?? Well this girl wasn't paying attention and I chose Right Under Quadrant. Ugh! Shame on them for putting that on there to screw me up! Haha

So Monday is my first Pharmacology exam. Then Tuesday is our PO med check off and also simple dressing change check off. In a week and a half we will be taking all of our learned skills on our clinical rotation through the local long term care facility. I think that starts on on the 26th. I am pretty excited but nervous about what it will be like!