Always a student...

Well, I've worked on my unit now for a couple of weeks. There is so much to learn. I am working with the nurse educator to get ready for my ACLS certification. There are lots of meds and lots of EKG rhythms to learn. I was pointed to Dale Dubin's "Rapid Interpretation of EKG's". Man, I wish someone in school had told me about this book. It is really easy to understand and gets right to the point.

Earlier this week I went with a patient to watch a double bypass. There is no better incentive to eat right and exercise than to watch someone get their chest opened up because they didn't quit smoking, eat right, or exercise. However, IT WAS TOTALLY COOL to watch! After five hours in the OR, I was able to assist in caring for the patient post-op. I had only done some of the skills once in school, so it was fun to practice checking JP drains and drawing blood from the art line. I am so excited to be working on the cardiac unit. I'm pretty overwhelmed right now, but I haven't seen anything that I can't do with a little practice.

So far the most difficult part of the job is the schedule. Months ago, I accepted gig offers that now conflict with my work schedule. I've either got to get time off or back out of gigs. That's not good either way you look at it. The wife has had to adjust her schedule to pick up the kid from school. I can't wait until my mom retires at the end of April. She has agreed to help us out as much as needed. We're going to need it. Getting into nursing wasn't easy and getting used to a new way of life isn't easy for me or my family. With a bit more time though, we'll manage.

Until next time...

-DV

Interviews

On the job front...I was finally called in for an interview for a cardiovascular ICU in a regional hospital about 45 minutes from where I live. I was amazed to finally get a call. I went in not knowing what to expect and was astounded at the patient population they have. The "team" mindset that this director and his staff have was very impressive. Their educational opportunities are never-ending and it sounds like a really great place to work.

The following week I received a call from the hospice company that I have been volunteering with. They had gotten to know me some from being in the office so much and had me come interview for one of their RN positions.

Both interviews were with a panel of staff members and I walked away from both places feeling very good about how things went. During my interview with hospice, I received a phone message from the regional hospital asking me to call them back. I wasn't very hopeful considering the directors tone of voice. However, when I called them back they offered me the position! WOOT! I told them I'd have to think about it (I didn't want to seem too desperate). The next morning I called and accepted the job. I still have not heard back from the hospice. That interview was three days ago. I will be calling them today and withdrawing my application and letting them know that I will still be happy to volunteer.

So now what...I am desperately trying to review some cardiac information before I start my new job sometime next week. I've already signed all the paperwork, peed in a cup for a drug screen, and gotten another TB test. Hopefully I'll get to start all of my orientations next week.

On an important side note... During my interview for the hospital, I felt like I said all of the right things. I was given several situation type questions and grilled about how I think I would fare in a CVICU setting and everything I said was truthful and appropriate. Normally I would have had real trouble answering questions like this but in such a stressful environment as an interview. A few months ago I was studying the book of Exodus. I have to admit I felt a bit like Moses talking to pharaoh. Everything I said to the interview committee just seemed like the right thing to say. It is amazing how God prepares us for life when we don't realize it.

-DV

Volunteering

So, it's been a couple of months since my last post. The day after I took my NCLEX, I signed up to do some volunteer work. I knew that I wanted to have something to add to my resume and to volunteer somewhere I could have direct contact with people. I figured this might help me get a job someday. I chose Meals on Wheels and a local hospice company. I have been delivering meals about once a week now since I started. I have to admit I am ashamed of myself for not having volunteered for something like this sooner. It is so easy to do and the people I meet are always very appreciative. It only takes about an hour a week and it helps so much. For my hospice, I had to go through 24 hours of training. That is understandable considering the nature of the position. I haven't been assigned a particular patient yet so I've been going into their main office doing some filing, stuffing envelopes and folders...that sort of thing. I did get the opportunity to sit with a patient last week while his wife went out for a couple of hours. It is really amazing how people like this will just open up to you. I'll be able to work on my active listening skills here. I am really looking forward to continuing my volunteer work.

Drum Rollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!

I am officially a Registered Nurse!!!!!!

Woot!!!!

Looked at my states Board of Nursing website yesterday morning and I'm liscened.

I've already changed my resume and everything.

Now, bring on the job hunt.

-DV

NCLEX Update

I took my NCLEX exam yesterday morning. Getting into the exam room was like trying to get into Fort Knox! We’re talking fingerprinting, pictures, palm-vein-scanning and the likes. I was not able to bring anything into the testing room such as a watch, wallet, phone, Kleenex (they provided that for me.) It took me all of about 2 hours including the tutorial. I had exactly 75 questions and then got the blue screen. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw that screen pop up. This is what it said, “You have now completed your NCLEX-RN exam. You were only allowed to complete 75 questions because you are SO not going to be a nurse. Thank you, and good luck in your future endeavors.” Okay, it didn’t say that, but that’s how I felt. Some of the questions were fairly easy, others were really, really hard. I had tons of select all that apply. I’ve heard that’s actually a good thing because you are supposedly ready for the higher level thinking questions. I don’t know. There were meds on there that I had never even heard of, much less know side effects and reactions.

I came home and did the “Pearson-Vue” trick. You know, the one where you try and sign up for another test. I got the good pop up that says you are currently unable to sign up for this test. That’s a good sign, but I’ll feel better when I have that hot little license in my hands.

Moving on…it’s Friday and I don’t have a job to go to, no tests to study for. What am I going to do today?

I have NO idea. Wait I suppose.


-DV

It’s only the most important test I will ever take in my life.

So, why so nervous? It’s just a test. Right? It should be easy. It’s multiple choice! What could go wrong. The NCLEX-RN is finally here. In just a few short hours, I’ll be setting in my own little cubicle with my earplugs duking it out with a computer. One on one. Mono a mono. I’ve been studying for this exam since after New Year’s and I don’t really feel prepared. There is so much information, it’s impossible to feel truly prepared I suppose, but I’m not sure how much better I would be if I had postponed the test. I decided against the big name review courses that cost $500 and chose to take the review online from the Board of Nurses website. I also have a really good NCLEX review book that has a disk full of practice questions with rational. If I could change anything, I’d do more practice questions from the BON website. They actually make up the test right. So, one would think that their questions would be more similar to the actual test. After a while you begin to see a pattern of the type of questions that are presented and how to answer them. Unfortunately, my practice test scores were not very good. We’re talking an overall average of 65%. I believe many of my peers from school were getting similar scores on these practice tests. I did manage to score 75% on the pharmacology section though. Maybe I should consider pharmacy school?

Am I rambling? I’m rambling aren’t I?


Anyhow, I have this crazy test to day that is hard for everyone who takes it. If you don’t know anything about NCLEX, the questions get harder the better you do. If you miss one, the question gets easier, but your overall passing score is determined by your answering the more difficult questions correctly. I have up to 6 hours to complete the exam, so I’m just going to take my time and pretend I know what I’m doing.

Be back in a few…..

-DV

An Update

I’ve made it through the holidays now and I still have no job. I’m not really surprised, but I can’t help but feel a little low when every family member and friend asked me if I had a job lined up. All the general public hears is that there is a nursing shortage. Well there is…IF you’ve got experience. Every hospital website I look at has at least 25 - 100 openings for RN’s, but they will only accept applicants with experience. I heard from a reliable source that one hospital had 15 positions for GN’s with nearly 400 applicants. That’s crazy! I’ll just have to wait my turn.

Speaking of GN’s, that is now my official title! Woohoo! My temporary license takes effect today. I wonder if having that would help my applications. Also, I took my state’s jurisprudence exam yesterday and passed. It’s interesting; some states have this and others do not. It basically covers the legal and ethical issues that come up for nurses. The Board of Nurses apparently isn’t there to protect nurses; they are there to protect the general public from you! So don’t screw up. The actual test was 50 questions (multiple choice). In general it was just a lot of common sense, but there were a few answers I had to look up on their website. Yes, it was “open book/web”. I paid $25.00 for their online study prep course. I’m pretty sure I could have passed without it, but I was paranoid about the exam and had the extra money. It helped I suppose. I was familiar with the information that was on the exam because of it.

One of my readers, Candi, asked if I felt prepared to work in a hospital. Hmmm, good question. A little background…I have absolutely no experience in the medical field. I hardly even knew anyone who worked in the medical field. After two years of nursing school I do feel like I can walk into a hospital with a fair amount of confidence. It’s amazing how much you will learn in a couple of years. However, nursing school is the bare bones! You only learn what you absolutely need to know not to kill anyone. There were so many times I wanted to study a topic more in depth. When I did…I ended up failing exams. There isn’t enough time in school to understand everything about everything. Understand the basics and you’ll do fine. I learned more on my clinical days than I did in the theory classes. Make sure you are prepared for every patient you see. If you get to pick patients yourself, never pick someone with a disease process that you have covered before. You’ll be forced to learn more that way.

That’s enough babbling for now. Oh, I’m studying full time for NCLEX, now. That’s way fun (sarcasm). I’ll post about that another time.

-DV

The Job Hunt

Well, I'm still unemployed. Looks like the hospital I interviewed with a few weeks ago has hired someone else from my graduating class. Today I went online and applied for positions with every hospital in a 25 mile radius. Some are requesting an "internship". Unfortunatly, all of the internships have been filled at this point. It'll be a few more months before new internships are available. I also applied for RN positions with the local prisons :) and hospice facilities. I'm sure something will work out. I just have to be patient.

Yea!!!

I'm a nurse!

-DV

The End...or is it?

I’ve been absent from this blog as of late. It has been a very busy semester. Never-the-less, it has come to an end. I am proud to say that I have completed nursing school! I passed all of my tests with a solid B. I took the HESI exit exam and made a descent score a week and a half ago. Tonight my dear readers, is my pinning ceremony.

As I reflect back on the previous two years, I recall that there were many times of stress and insecurities. There were many times when I felt a sense of accomplishment. Also, to this day, I ask myself, “What have I done?” It seems surreal somehow. As a graduate, I feel adequately prepared to begin learning how to become a nurse. Yep, nursing school simply teaches you the very tip of the iceberg. It certainly doesn’t seem that way when you are trying to read through 5 chapters in one week. It doesn’t seem that way when you have a paper, a presentation, a test, and a required professional meeting to attend. It doesn’t seem that way when you are trying to understand concepts that physicians spend a lifetime studying. Nurses have to learn a lot about a lot of things. It’s not easy. However, even with a family and a job, nursing school is not impossible to get through. It seems that way sometimes, but eventually you make it through. Well, most of us…

I have met many friends in nursing school; many of which are the type of people I never thought I would be friends with. We each have our story…that’s the really interesting part. We come from all different backgrounds for the common goal of caring for other people. Some of the people I met in foundations are long gone. They dropped out for one reason or another. Nursing school is a big wake up call for some people. It isn’t just going into a room and talking to people, cleaning up after them and passing out meds. You have somebody’s life in your hands and you are directly responsible for that life. It’s a bit intimidating to say the least. Some of my friends are going through divorce directly related to the stress, and time away from family that nursing school causes. This makes me very glad that my marriage was very strong to begin with, and that I had never-ending support from my wife and family from the beginning.

The job market for new nurses is extremely competitive right now. I am officially unemployed now, but looking. I had an interview with a local hospital a couple of weeks ago where there were 15 GN positions available and nearly 400 applicants. I’m still waiting to hear from the nurse manager. Fortunately, I don’t need a job to survive (my ever supportive wife is still taking care of that). I have faith that God will put me exactly where I need to be in his own time.

To my readers…thank you for following me through nursing school. I haven’t posted as much as I wanted, but blogging was put on the back burner many times. There are at least a few more posts to come…

-DV

The job hunt and testing

Is that a light at the end of the tunnel I see? Maybe I’m just about to pass out instead and I’m seeing stars. Either way, today marks the half way point for this semester. In just a few short weeks I’ll get pinned and then it’s off to the real world of a working RN. In many ways I am really looking forward to getting to that point. In other ways, I kind of wish I could just go back to being a stay at home dad again. That was sweet. Currently, I’m tweaking my resume for the umpteenth time. I’m sending it out all over the place trying to get an interview. Up to this point I’ve got nothing. There is so much competition out there and not too many jobs. At least not like there used to be. I have to remind myself to be open to any job opportunity (near or far). Also, a little patience couldn’t hurt as well. I’ve been studying the book of Exodus recently. The story of Moses is pretty tough for me to handle right now, because I too want things to happen on my time, not God’s.

Remember that test I was going to take a few weeks ago….I failed. Yep, academic advisement came and went. Remember that I was kind of complaining about my current instructor’s lack of ability to present information? My failing grade of 65.9 was bumped up to 79.9 due to several questions being thrown out and points awarded for multiple answers. I was not the only person in class to receive points like this. Is it possible that this person does not know how to teach? YEP! On a brighter note, I just finished my neuro/hepatic unit with another instructor. She was GREAT! Logical powerpoints and straight forward lectures make all the difference in the world. I made an 86 on the test yesterday. Not perfect by any means, but I knew that I was not in any danger of failing. I’m just glad to know that it’s not just me!

This weekend I’m working on my final paper. It isn’t due for a few weeks yet, but it will be nice to get it out of the way. I can’t stand writing papers. The family is out of town today, it’s early and I’m about to get busy. Wish me luck!

-DV

Supplies, Networking and Testing

I’ve had a pretty good week so far. I was very busy in clinical this week. I’m still on the PCU and the acuity of these patients is pretty high. I’m not sure how I’ll do when I move up to ICU. I am seeing a trend with this hospital, however. I really like the fact that this facility serves an underprivileged community, the nurses seem to really enjoy their jobs, they work well together, and learning is always encouraged. I’ve checked off more skills in my two days on this unit than I have the last year and a half of nursing school. Here is the problem…you can’t find supplies, techs are rare and there seems to be a lot of issues with charting. They are short of unit secretaries, so paper charts don’t get put into the computer system in a timely manner, there is double medication charting and paper care plans that are not computerized in any way, shape or form. I know that back in the olden days, that’s how things used to be all the time, but step into the 21st century people. I don’t know for sure if the low supplies and low staffing are a normal part of this hospital, but I hope things get better as I go through the semester. I’d love to work here come January!

A word about “Meet and Greets”…. Last week I attended a local hospital’s recruiting “meet and greet” at a restaurant close by. For those who are looking into attending something like this in the future, please note that you will NOT get a job this way. There were literally hundreds of nursing students from all over passing out resumes to the unit managers who were hiring GNs for the spring. Unless you already know someone, don’t expect to be able to stand out in this crowd. Besides the fact that I had previously met one of the nurse managers, my time last week would have been better spent studying for the test I’m am having today. Yes, I learned a little about their GN/new RN training, but I have a feeling that the resumes I passed out will never see the light of day. Anybody who knows me knows that I am pretty introverted and not the hob-knobbing type, so maybe I could have done some things differently. For the most part though, it’s better to get in good with the people you meet at your clinical sites. I’d be curious to know if anyone else has had luck at event like this. Anyone?

The test: yep this morning I’ll have my first test of my last semester. It’s over Cardiac/Respiratory. Here is my oversimplified example of a standard nursing question…

Question: What is the sum of 2 + 2? Choose the best answer.
A. 6 - 2
B. Four
C. IV
D. 4
E. Only A and C

Wish me luck!

-DV

It's the "squirmy" little things.

Day one on the floor ended up being a really great learning experience. We missed morning report due to some computer training that ended up being postponed until next week. After listening to a couple of paper presentations we were taken up to our respective floors to get paired up with an RN. I was placed on the progressive care unit with a relatively new nurse. I can say that being paired with a nurse recently out of school ended up being one of the best days I’ve had in a year and a half of clinical. She was able to really remember what it was like being a student. She explained everything to me and let me do lots of stuff during the day.

I was allowed to do trach care, IM’s, IVPB’s, peg tube meds, condom cath, and last but certainly not least…leech therapy. Yep, you read correctly; L-E-E-C-H Therapy. Until Tuesday, I thought that the last time leeches were in use was back in the 1400’s. Apparently, leeches are still used occasionally today as a therapy for wounds with buildup of venous blood and wounds that are not perfusing properly.
Amazingly, the leeches have anticoagulant and anesthetic properties in their saliva. I had no idea! They are a little squirmy, but once you get them out of the bottle, you just place them on the wound and let them suck 15 - 20 minutes and they fall off on their own once they are full. Funny….the Rx says “Apply three leeches to wound for 15 minutes q2h”. Hee, hee! You won’t see that very often.

All of the RN’s were extremely helpful and even let me get a taste of the charting they had to do. With all of the paperwork (computer and hardcopy) they have to do, it’s a wonder patients get taken care of at all. I was allowed to get the initial information directly from a new patient, enter it into the computer, chart the plan of care and get her checked into our floor. I got to see a patient who was posturing. I’ve only seen that in the text books so far.

In addition to the skills I was able to take part in; I was able to talk one-on-one with my instructor about my head to toe assessment. That is always something I get nervous about. I am always forgetting something. She was very thorough and had lots of tips for how I could improve my efficiency. For the first time, I am actually looking forward to the next time I get to give a head to toe assessment next week.

Hopefully next week will go as well as this week.

-DV

Get off your butt and go do something!

Need some motivation to study, eat right, go to the gym, etc.?

This ought to do it.

Gahh! When did I get old?

Gee wiz! Apparently at some point in the last 30+ years I went and got old. Last week when I went in for my TB test my doc had me submit a complete blood work up. It had been about four years since the last one, so I’m like, okay; I’ll get to see my lab results and compare them to some of my patients (It’ll be fun.) WTF…when I go in today to “discuss” my results my Globulin is low, my Alb/Glob is high, HDL is low, Tri’s are high and apparently I have a hypo active thyroid too. And to top it all off I have a sore throat and my wisdom tooth extractions still ache. I get scripts for antibiotics for the throat and hormones for the thyroid. I go back in a month to check things out. Until then it’s eating lean and hitting the gym a bit more often. I'm too young for a cane!

DIE, FAT, DIE!!!!!!!!!

-DV

Every point matters & I’m hungry.

Today was my second day of lecture. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a teacher snob. I have a degree in education so I know what I like. Also, I became a little spoiled this summer listening to my favorite YouTube teachers and Podcast teachers talk about things I need to understand. They are great educators. My current theory instructor pretty much just goes over her PowerPoint’s and doesn’t present the information in a logical, systematic way. Teach-Check Comprehension-Re-teach is not part of her style. So once again I’m on my own for really figuring this stuff out. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a nice person and probably a very good nurse, but an educator she is not.

We had another quiz today. I missed one question because I just wasn’t thinking. (Duh!) and another question for sure. I’m fairly positive that I got all the others correct. That means I’ll get another point added to my score at the end of the semester. Each quiz is worth one point and you must answer 70% correct to receive the point. Now, there are a total of 1000 points for the semester so each quiz is (you guessed it) 1/1000 of my total grade. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but my experience has shown that it is possible to increase your letter grade by only one or two points. Conclusion….study hard for each quiz!

In one hour from now I go to get my wisdom teeth removed. Yea! (can you sense my sarcasm?) I haven’t had anything to eat since dinner last night and I’m starting to get hungry for lunch. Looks like my next meal will consist of water, broth and pudding. Actually my next few meals will consist of that. It’s going to be a rough Labor Day weekend. I’m going to be irritable.


-DV

BTW here are links to some of my favorite online professors. They’re awesome!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/DoctorNajeeb

http://www.youtube.com/user/Campbellteaching

also, check out Dr. Gerald Cizadlo’s lectures on iTunes They’re free and totally awesome too!

Theory Day 1

Rocked the quiz over rhythm strips including times for each wave and interval.

I am also TB free. Thanks for caring!

-DV

The beginning of the end

Alas, here I am in the first week of my last semester. WOOT! I took the summer off just to recharge and spend some much needed time with my family. I applied for several PT/PRN tech jobs but only got one interview. I didn’t get the job, however. At this point I’m happy for that outcome. While I would have liked getting some experience dealing with patients and staff, I am glad to be able to concentrate on my studies over the next few weeks. I did spend a little time this summer reviewing and going over anticipated material for this semester, but not as much as I had hoped. I suppose that’s how it goes; you start out with the best of intentions…

As for today… I believe I got a little too comfortable with my summer schedule and was not looking forward to starting classes this semester. THEN, I went to my first clinical on Tuesday. I am so pumped about being at the “county hospital” that I can’t even begin to tell you. My clinical instructor is going to be awesome. She has a great sense of humor and at the same time will be willing to push me to learn everything I need to learn before I graduate. (Which is December 15th BTW!!!!! Super WOOT!) You can tell that she is really passionate about critical care and making sure that we learn something this semester.

In just a few hours, I’ll be attending my first lecture for the semester. Cardiac! I am looking forward to this unit. I hope I remember something from Adult I last fall. We’re supposed to have quizzes every day so I’ve bee brushing up.

Hopefully I’ll get black to blogging a little more now. It seems like yesterday that I started this blog and now I’ve got just a few weeks left.

-DV

TB, or not TB, that is the question...

Damn... I just realized that my TB test is out of date and Tuesday is my first clinical day. Today is Thursday, hence, I can't get the test until Monday 'cause they have to see the result in three days. Maybe I'll slide by, seeing as how I won't be having any direct patient contact.

Fracking rules!

-DV

Where do babies come from?

I can officially answer that question now that I have completed my “Mother-Baby” rotation. I am very glad to have learned about women’s issues, but I have to say that I am very glad to be done with this rotation. My biggest complaint…the nurses that I had to shadow. With only a couple of exceptions the nurses did not provide a very good learning environment. I recall my day in the nursery when I was supposed to follow the “baby catcher”; she wanted nothing to do with me. I tried to ask pertinent questions, be helpful, all the things a good student nurse should do, but got nothing from her except sighs and short answers. Most of the L&D nurses would ask their patient if it would be alright for a male student nurse to come in and observe. You can only guess what most of the answers were…”No, I don’t think so”. I understand that when it comes to certain procedures, it would be appropriate for a male student nurse to leave or make himself scarce, but if I’m a nurse with a student following me I state that I will have a student with me today to the patient. My last day of clinical I was paired with a great nurse. She was absolutely great. She told the patient who I was and what I was doing. I learned more with my short time with that nurse than I did the entire semester. I really hope that when I get my license that I’ll be able to help students learn what they need to learn.

All in all, I learned a lot this semester (mostly from the lecture classes), but I am glad to be moving on. I am not taking any classes this summer, so I’ve got three months to lounge around and do nothing…..right? Well, I have started on a couple of projects that I’ll discuss next time.

-DV