Most Awesomest!

I have the most AWESOME clinical group EVER!!  I look back and feel "shortchanged" compared to last semester.  Here is a great example of why it is the BEST:

Me: "Yes, I did live in Alaska..."
Group Members: "WOW!  What was it like?  Did you love it? etc..."
Me: "Yes"
Group: <laughing, giving feedback, etc.>

An example from last semester:

Me: <talking to myself>
Group Members: "She is such a stupid &#&$@(* B&@*$"
Group Members: <Rolling eyeballs at the sight of my existence>
Group Members: <Loud, obnoxious, hateful bullies!>
Me: <inhibited learning experiences which do not amount to the $25,000 in tuition that I am paying>

Seriously, I am done with the last semester chatter.  If you miss it, an archive is located over to the right --->

I am now focusing only on the positive experiences that are going on.  It is time to move forward!  So to start things off...yesterday we took a tour of the hospital with our instructor.  I love traveling through the internal arteries of the hospital (staff hallways).  It's funny because even though it is staff only, you always see some stray person roaming around, lost.  The HIGHLIGHT was our visit to the cooler.  Yep, upon MY suggestion we had the opportunity to possibly see a toe tag.  Lucky enough for the person who hasn't had their tag placed, there was no one home.  Now I consider it to be totally out of the nurses scope of practice to want to visit the morgue/autopsy room, but when I mentioned it my instructor lit up like the 4th of July!  She was so excited that I had asked, and in the end, so was the rest of my group.  The Autopsy room (currently vacant) was just like what you would see on TV.  Grayish/Blue in overall appearance, a table in the center with pipes leading down to the floors, drains, a fridge for organs, etc.  Definitely a cool experience, but hopefully I will never grace that place with my presence (or lack thereof).

Clinical shall begin!

Tomorrow morning at 0630 begins the new clinical rotation for spring semester.  I made it into what I am going to *predict* to be a really great group.  No bullies.  Bully is at a completely different hospital and I am very thankful for that.  So, without further delay...my predictions:
1.  Everyone in my group seems to be very adult.  Not in an adult film sort of way, but in a way that makes them not seem like a bully to the naked eye.
2.  I predict this rotation will prove to be gory.  I will be starting IV's, and may God bless the people who I perform it on. (Seriously, say a prayer for them)  The skin is truly not as tough as it looks on the outside, especially when you have an overzealous nursing student coming at it with a sharp.
3.  My skills need to be brushed up on.  I have forgotten my Head to Toe Assessment, Foley Cath insertion, PEG feedings, etc.  Again, keep these people in your prayers.
4.  My group unanimously voted to work through lunch and get out of clinical at 1330 rather than 1400.  My stomach, or what is left of it, begins speaking to me around 1100.  By 1130, I will be running on stored fat.  Not much left of that!
5.  Most of all, I anticipate the awesome patients that I will encounter.  That is really the best part of this whole nursing thing.  Sitting in class, dealing with drama, and tiptoeing around rigid instructors is nothing compared to actually being with someone in a time of need and having them eager to assist me in learning.

...So no real qualms with starting clinicals.  The nursing home and my experiences there will forever be engrained in my mind and I shall be forever grateful to be in a hospital where hand sanitizer and gloves are available for each and every patient, no matter the cost!

Back again!

These blog posts are getting WAY too far and few between!  But, at least I have a few things to ramble on about.

Bullying:  Yes, I am being bullied.  The semester has started and the Bully just cannot help herself.  My husband makes a good point about her though: "Why does she have to say and do mean things to you if she isn't happy in her own life?"  Now, dear husband, this is not the easy-way-out thought that I am looking for because I like to ponder on things.  Men are just way too simple.
~~~A little history on this bully: She called me a "B" in conversation to some other students while I am sitting right there in front of her, in clinical conversation she refuses to speak to me when I speak to her, not he last day of class she stood in front of my desk and said to another student that she hopes I do not make it back next semester because we need some "fresh faces", also in a recorded lecture (which I still have) she raised her hand in class to ask "How can I get one person out of my clinical group that I do not like?". 2012 rolls around and she is interrupting conversations I am having with others and telling them what a HORRIBLE clinical group she had last semester (she did that twice, on two separate occasions), and then on Friday she stands in the parking lot with her arms folded staring me down as I drive past.~~~
Now, I am trying to figure out what makes a person like this tick...and why is she treating me this way?  I feel powerless because short of being a tattle-tale, how do I handle this in a legal, ethical manner with the faculty, and I wonder if I should?

**Dermatologic Update: I went to the dermatologist this past Friday.  He examined me, asked 1,000,001 questions, and in the end had no clue what my condition is.  So, I guess as a troubleshooting method he put me on Doxycycline, which is a Tetracycline antibiotic with some pretty stinky side effects to include nausea, and sensitivity to sunlight.  I have also noticed such symptoms such as a generalized burning feeling in my skin, and chapped lips.  It sucks.  Also prescribed was a topical ointment called gentamycin sulfate.  Not much to report on that one.

Nursing School Update: (Because that is why I am here...)  Today I passed the following skills:
1) IV initiation & insertion
2) IV Piggyback setup
3) Subcutaneous Injection
4) Intramuscular injection
5) IV push medications

The first skill check-off went horrible!  I was just starting an IV!  Putting a needle and catheter in some dummy's arm!  Easy right?  Well, I flubbed!  I started sounding off my 7 Patient Medication Rights and was SO nervous that I could not realize that a simple IV insertion is NOT necessarily a medication.  But I passed.  I set up my Piggyback in a flawless manner and appropriately spouted off my 7 medication rights (Because a Piggyback DOES hold medication!!).  The rest are just history.  I passed them all.

I am ready to start my clinical rotations next week!  Tuesdays and Wednesdays 0630-1330.

Wow, I'm BACK!!

I thought it was time to update.  I have been putting it off for 9 days it seems.  Going this long without posting gives me many things to update on!  I will make a list and expand from there.

I had my sutures removed from the first biopsy, and last Friday January 6 I had an Ultrasound Needle Guided Biopsy.  It was no JOKE!  I went in thinking that it would be a simple needle needle stick (hence the term "fine needle aspiration) but it ended up being much more invasive.  For over an hour I was repeatedly stabbed with this "rod" jabbing in and out.  Over and over again.  At one point my local anesthesia had worn off and I felt some pain.  The doctor administered the local once again and I was fine. They were able to retrieve three good tissue samples for pathology.  I think the instrument they used was called a "core needle".  It was a loud, obnoxious tool.  Once in place it made a wretched clamping noise as it bit down on my tissue.  It hurt my feelings more than anything.  So, in summary, I had a 3 sutures complete with steri-strips, a mammogram immediately followed, and then I visited the lobby and filled out comment cards for Dr. No Bedside Manners.  I had nothing positive to say about him.  And in my current condition I didn't have many positive things to say about anything!  I still have bruising and soreness and can only sleep on my right side.

The results for that biopsy should be back tomorrow, January 13.  I also have an appointment with a dermatologist at 1540.  That should be interesting.  I'm pretty sure he doesn't get to see the likes of people like me all the time.  He should have a good day!  :-)

Monday was the first day back in nursing school.  It is now Thursday and I still feel like I am on Christmas Break.  I am totally not into it.  I could care less.  I guess I need to get past these Fluids and Electrolyte chapters and then I will be truly happy.  On a positive note, we started initiating IV's, intramuscular injections, SubQ injections, and hanging IV's with IV piggybacks this week.  I soaked the floor.  I really need practice.  That's tomorrow!

I was talking to a Psychologist early this week.  This is totally off the subject, but we were discussing why men and women cheat.  He says that men cheat because they can.  Women cheat because they are deeply hurt and are essentially signaling through infidelity that they want out of the relationship.   I thought that was pretty interesting.  Makes sense actually.

So I must sign off for now...I will post TOMORROW with biopsy results and details from the dermatology visit.

Suture Removal tomorrow!

So tomorrow is the dreaded day of suture removal.  I have, to my recollection, never had sutures removed before.  This may prove to be interesting.  I'm skeeered!!

I have been really busy doing nothing, nothing, and more nothing lately.  I am bored to tears.  I am so bored that I really haven't even focused on my current health issue.  I am worried that Monday I won't have enough homework with nursing school to keep me occupied.  I wish that it were possible to get in another class.  I need to take Statistics, but I really don't think that it will fit into my schedule.  I could very well take it at night, but do I need to screw up my nights more than they already are?!?  We have tutoring for one kid on M&W nights, then dance on Tuesday and gymnastics Thursdays.  I am booked.

So needless to say, I am ready to get this 2nd Semester show on the road!!

More tomorrow...maybe we will have biopsy results by then.