First Official Clinical Feedback

After three semesters of nursing school, the fourth semester FINALLY really feels like nursing school, because we FINALLY started our clinical rotations.

We finished our public health rotation, and are starting our LTC placements. 

It was a great experience doing public health, and actually stepping out into the world viewed in the 'nurse' role.

I got my written feedback from my first clinical instructor, and the words actually brought tears to my eyes.  Those beautiful words were like a validation that despite all the years of wondering if should make this career change, and confronting all the reasons why I shouldn't change careers (there were many!), it was ultimately the right choice.

I know its been the right decision, simply based on how my family has changed for the better in the past almost two years.  We are all less stressed, we have more time to spend together, everyone feels more relaxed and is able to enjoy the days/weeks/months, rather than simply get through them.  It is a real gift, a real blessing, to be able to enjoy the fleeting time the kids are small. 

So all that to say, is that I knew a long time ago that this was the right decision to make, but my instructor's words underlined that decision as being the right one.  My decision was validated by a medical professional, who will be my colleague in four short semesters.

We had to hand in a critical reflection of our public health rotation.  Her comments on this piece of writing were: 

"Awesome reflection.  Very insightful and thoroughly thought out with an impressive learning plan for future growth and development.  Your quest for excellence in your nursing practice is inspiring and engaging for me.  You will be an asset to the profession.  I look forward to being your colleague some day."
 

Thank you.

Make Health Last. What will your last 10 years look like?

This short video was shown to us in a nursing class yesterday. 

Given that "health communication" and encouraging a fit lifestyle are two of my goals as I study to become a nurse (and even after I become a nurse), I need to share this.

There are factors that are out of our control as we grow older, but there are also many factors totally within our control.

Go for a walk. 10 minutes a day.  No excuses.

www.makehealthlasta.ca (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada)

The Whisper Test

Yesterday we had our second of three clinical rotations for school nursing.  The second session was much easier than the first session.  Yesterday, "our" kids already knew us a bit, and felt comfortable with us.  Their teacher told us the kids were very, very excited to have their nurses coming back.

The goal of the school nursing experience is to do a well-child assessment, based roughly on the Rourke Baby Record Assessment grid.  It was quite the event, trying to glean info about our child, mostly through play! 

As part of the assessment, we had to evaluate their hearing.  Of the two tests we were to perform, one was the "whisper test".  As the name implies, it is a simple test of auditory acuity done by whispering.

I whispered to my child, in the very noise classroom, asking, "Can you hear me if I whisper?"  The child nodded vigorously, affirming that my whisper had been heard correctly.

Then I told my child, "You can whisper something to me too, to see if I can hear it."

My child thought for a bit, then with a shy smile whispered back to me, "I love you."

Yes, I'm so loving being a student nurse.  Being a nurse is THE career I was meant to do.