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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Beautiful quote

I read a beautiful quote that exactly sums up how I feel about nursing -- both my contribution to the profession and how I will be impacted by my patients. 

That latter point has already started in my LTC rotation, but when I think of it, I think I have already also made a positive impact on my patients and their families...my patients won't remember me, given that they're end-stage dementia patients, but their families certainly will.

It's not that "I" want to be remembered by my patients, it's what I did for them that makes it special and important to me.  It's the same idea about how I don't remember the names or faces of my Labour & Delivery nurses when I gave birth, but I remember what they did for me.  And that's what I want to be able to give, too.
"When I think about all the patients and their loved ones that I have worked with over the years, I know most of them don't remember me nor I them.  But I do know that I gave a little piece of myself to each of them and they to me, and those threads make up the beautiful tapestry in my mind that is my career in nursing."

                                                            -- Donna Wilk Cardillo, A Daybook for Beginning Nurses

P.S.  Note to self -- gotta get me that book!!!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Injections!!!

Injections.  Needles.  "Noodles" -- as my kids call them. 

We are now officially trained in how to give all the various types of injections, and are giving 'noodles' during our clinical shifts.  I love giving injections!

I continue to practice at home, honing my skills and preparing for the upcoming lab exam.

No orange is currently safe from receiving an injection in our house!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Stomach of a nurse!

I've just realized that I have absolutely no issues eating my lunch while reading the chapter in my textbook about "skin integrity and wound care".  It is full of disgusting-looking and awful photographs of all types of wounds in various stages infection and necrosis.  (How those patients must suffer with those!!!  I simply cannot imagine.)

I had this same realization a few weeks ago, as my fellow nursing students and I sat around the table at break time, during a clinical shift.  We proceeded to discuss all the painful and hideous-looking conditions that we encountered that morning.  Again, we did it while eating and seemingly as if we were discussing hockey scores (I'm Canadian).  Future nurses, indeed!!!

Yep, that's wound care.  Keep learning.  Keep eating. 

Monday, March 18, 2013

This poster was made for me

I think this poster was specifically made for me...

...however, if someone actually made a poster with this message, it tells me that I'm not the only one out there, who is this way, and that makes me feel a lot better!  Lol!!!


OK, OK....I'm going for that run now!


Source: https://iheartinspiration.com/quotes/fitness/if-you-went-running-when-you-first-started-thinking/#!prettyPhoto

Saturday, March 16, 2013

First patient death

Today was an emotional rollercoaster, as I experienced my first patient death.  He was palliative yesterday on my shift, and today was his last day.  I'm still processing everything that I saw today, from seeing him mobile and active a mere two weeks ago, to seeing him being zipped up into a body bag by the funeral home staff.  Powerful stuff.

Another patient also had a fall today, so I got to perform the neuro assessments according to the facility protocol.  For the first hour, the assessment was to be performed every fifteen minutes.  It was all so new to me, that I barely finished one assessment of vitals, when it was just about time to do the next set of assessments!  I am pleased to say, however, that I got much faster the more times I did it.

With all the goings on, I didn't have a chance to do my medication administration today.  That will wait until next shift.

I almost felt like a real student nurse today!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Still Alive!

These past few weeks have been a blur, ever since clinical rotations started!  "This" is the crazy busy nursing school workload I'd read about! 

There is so much to write about, and so little time to do so.  This reminds me of my first real job -- suddenly I had lots of disposable income to travel (one of my passions!) and just as suddenly, had only three weeks a year to do so.  This experience feels similar -- now I have so much to write about during the clinical rotation, and practically no time to do so.  Such is life, I guess!

There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon...the end of the term is almost here.  I'm jotting down all the neat stuff I want to write about, so it'll be coming here soon...

Yes, I am so loving this experience!!!!