Quick

New blog is up and running, only 1 post yet but here it is! Enjoy.

http://eattoliveglutenfree.blogspot.com/2011/05/gluten-free-vegan-and-dairy-free-chili.html

Finally, a Senior!

           Sorry all, for the lack of updates on here. The last few months have been hectic! School has just ended and I am officially on summer break. I have a few things brewing for summer, but nothing for sure as of yet ( I will elaborate). I am officially a senior in nursing school now and I am so excited about it! I want to tell you how the last bit of my junior year went...
           My last two months were crazy, we had tons of papers, projects and tests to complete. I felt like my world was running at 150mph and it wouldn't slow down. Clinicals were really eventful, I got to spend 3 days on the Medical-Oncology floor, and then two days on the Intensive Care Unit where I had my first experience with a code situation (where a patients heart stops, lungs quit, or a combo of the two). I got to do CPR on my first patient, and that was a crazy, crazy, CRAZY experience. Talk about an adrenaline rush. Sadly, my patient couldn't be revived so I had not only my first code, but my first death. It was a hard day to say the least, but a great learning experience. I learned so much this semester during clinicals and I finally feel like I could be a real nurse in a year. Yippee! It's so nice to feel competent and know that I have the power in my hands to save (or kill) another person. Its inspiring and scary. Nurses have so much responsibility on a daily basis its ridiculous. Clinicals and class and all of my experiences this semester were huge lesson that were difficult and good to learn.
            Plans for summer include a possible internship at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, OR (my FAV!!). The internship would be in critical care and a lot of students from Portland and elsewhere would be my competition. It would start in July and last all summer. I will apply as soon as it is posted. Other than that I plan to stay in Lewiston and (hopefully) work at St. Joe's Hospital, where I did my clinicals. There are openings in OR, ER, Acute care and ICU/PCU, so hopefully they will hire me on and I will get some more good experience in those departments. I should find out by the middle of next week. Other than that, I just have 4 weddings, and a possible small vacation with Reid to look forward to. I love summer, and my stress level has dropped 50 points since school has been out. It's nice to finally be able to breathe, relax and BAKE! One of my favorite things to do... :)
            Other things on the agenda are to read lots of good books, cook a lot and find some great new recipes and spend plenty of time in the sun. I have been interested in heath/diet/wellness books lately and just finished "Skinny Bitch'. Super interesting read about the food industry, I would highly recommend it (It's not for those who have sensitive ears to cursing or for those who are faint hearted). I am also considering starting a blog to showcase my gluten free, allergy friendly, and vegan recipes that I love along with a review of products that I am constantly discovering. I will post a link to it as soon as I get started on that, and I will update soon about job and internship news. Happy summer !

Burn out (and some pictures)

     Typically, I like to have a really positive attitude. Not saying it's not positive now but I need a break from school! I think it's normal to feel overwhelmed during nursing school, it is hard. Lately, the instructors have been piling it on like crazy. Exams, papers, assignments, homework, evolve assignments, busy work, quizzes, care plans, scenarios, simulation, code review, clinicals...I could go on. I'm starting to feel a little burned out, thankfully after this friday we have spring break. BUT, over spring break we have to read a book, write a paper, do two interviews on an elderly person, write a care plan, do a medsurg assignment, and write another paper. So I suppose it's not much of a break. MAY- can you please get here? I need some time off my butt and doing something fun! Not trying to complain, just getting tired. Thankfully, I don't have a doubt in my mind that nursing is for me, sometimes thats the only thing that keeps me going... keeps me motivated to do well. Wish me luck, and I'll be back soon with more updates.

Group Picture

enjoying simulation day!

Clinical group    

Full Tilt!

Clinicals are going great! We really are taking the responsibility this semester. I have been enjoying it so much. Going to clinicals just reassures me that I am doing the right thing! I was on progressive cardiac unit for 2 shifts last week and it was great, I really like cardiac care. My patient was in for a rule out MI (have a pt stay overnight to see if they will have a heart attack and do tests to see if they have had a heart attack). My patient actually started having a heart attack on my second shift, and we ended up shipping them up to sacred heart, but not before we got to run around like chickens with our heads cut off.. I know it may sound horrible to you but I enjoyed the stress! It was encouraging this last week to have clinicals go so well.. again just reassurance.
Other than that we have our next med-surg exam coming up on friday, and we have a million other things going on right now too... they really pile the assignments and papers on. Wish me luck! I will be back soon to talk about code review and simulation!

Bon Soir!

Winding up...

       Things are really starting to get into gear. Classes are still good, but clinicals this semester are a whole new game... We have a lot more responsibility this semester. We get to clinicals at 0645 am and find out our assignment (which floor we are on i.e. ICU, PCU, Med/Surg, Peds, etc). We head to the report room on our floor and sit down for 30 minutes franticly writing down our report off from the night shift nurses. After we get all of our patient information for the patients on that floor, we are assigned a nurse and two of her patients to take care of for the day... We give all of the medications, injections, do any procedures, prepare patients for test, labs, ect.. it's really all about organization. Then at 1230 we get a "working" lunch where we get drilled about our patients by our instructors, ( were required to be experts) and head back to the floor and work until 1900, then head home and crash! We have to do our charting before we leave as well. Overall it makes up for a verrrrrrryyyyyyyy long day. School is starting to kick into gear as well. We have lots of projects coming up and midterms. Wish me luck, will be checking back in soon! Here's another great picture to tide you all over..

Pictures!

amy and I 

Long term care w/Britt!

party at our instructors place!

 <3 Nursing!

Caitlin and I

The girls and I celebrating post finals!

Xmas group picture

Celebrating Ashley's 21! 

J2 off and Running

      So far there is a stark difference between this semester and the last... I am not stressed to the max, there aren't 5 quizzes and multiple tests per week, and I am not required to spend hours upon hours in lab.. whew. This semester I have classes most of the day monday, then two 12 hour shifts (tues, wed) at St. Joes. Then classes the rest of the week. I had my first clinicals this past week and was in the cardiac unit! It was exciting, and it was cool to learn so much more about the heart, which by the way is so much more complex then I ever knew. I had one patient all day, and it was good. The unit was interesting though, lots of critical care going on. I liked it a lot.. My next stint will be either in ER, Med-Surg, or ICU. I am excited because this semester we don't really get assistance unless we ask, so we actually are the nurse finally! Its a great learning experience.
      This coming week we do our mental health rotation which should be fun. We are headed to State Hospital North in Orophino to visit some inpatient psych clients. I think this will be really fun. We get two whole days there and we find a patient, learn all about them and observe them (which i hear is the best part). I think it should be interesting, and I think the fact that I am experienced in the psych field will help me. All of my classmates are saying " I'm scared, I'm just going to stick close to you all day". hahah. They have no idea. ANYWAY, thats all the news for now. Just getting into the swing of things! Will update again soon!