Resetting the Bar

Okay, I finished my 3rd exam today. I did better than before, but there goes my hopes for an A in theory class. Now, we're hoping for a B. I'm not too disappointed, but it would have been nice to pull a 4.0 this semester. I have to wonder if it is even possible for me to make an A in this class. I'm studying my tail off as it is and I just can't seem to get it. Today's grade was an 82. Now that's not terrible, but just thinking about all of the time I've put in makes it seem not quite worth the effort...you know? There is just so much information to try and grasp. I feel like if I were to spend about 12 hrs a day studying, I'd get it. But who has that kind of time. Life steps in sometimes gotta get the kid from school, make dinner, run errands. Oh the days of being a single college student. I thought that when I was getting my first bachelors degree in the arts that I worked hard. NO WAY! Having been on both sides of the road now, I can see that "artists" in training have got life pretty easy. Not that people in the arts don't work hard, it's just very different.

I've got work to get caught up on now; chapters to read, meds to look up and a final to begin getting ready for. Better hop to it.

-DV

Study, Study, Study

I've been reviewing nclex questions for three days now. I have got to do better on my next test this Wednesday. There seems to be something going on inside my brain. Previously, I would work through nclex style questions and average about 40-50%. This time around I'm averaging about 80%. I hope I can do as well on the test. My hopes for an A in theory class are quickly diminishing. I made a 90 on the 1st test and a 76 on the 2nd test. There are only two more test to go and in order to make an A I've got to do EXTREMELY well on them.

After visiting with my instructor and a good friend who teaches nursing at another university, I've found that basically I need to think more about the nursing process and how it relates to the information I am learning. I've adopted the following motto...."If it looks like a nurse, walks like a nurse, and acts like a nurse...." you get the idea. This is much more difficult than it sounds. I need about 48 hours in a day to get comfortable with all of the information I am sifting through. Hopefully some of it will stick. (So glad I don't have to wear the same garb nurses had to wear 50 years ago! My hairy legs wouldn't go well with the knee length skirts.)
Back to the books.

-DV

They like me, they really like me.

I had a really good day in clinical today. My nurse preceptor told me that a patient I had earlier this week who was very particular and somewhat demanding had told her that she was very complimentary of me. YEA! She said that she was very comfortable around me and did not have any problems with me providing her care. Stuff like that always makes you feel good about what you are doing. The thing is, is that I didn't think she was really that demanding or particular. She just wants to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. I have to admit that I pretty much see all of my patients in the same way. Once today my preceptor was telling me about a new client that she thought was going to be difficult to take care of. I went in to the patients room with the nurse and admittedly the patient was a little rough around the edges. She stated in a demanding tone that she wanted a bath. While I was a little put by her tone of voice, I could only think about what she must be going through right now. Who knows why she is demanding? After attending to this patient for a short time, I think that with a little more time with her that I could get her on my side as well.

Later today I was able educate a clients family about the importance of wearing protective clothing (gown and gloves) when entering a possibly infectious room. A couple of my peers were with me and they had started the conversation with the family, but the family was obviously not interested in gowning up. When the opportunity came for me to say something, I think my peers were impressed with my ability to convince the family that the protection may be worth the time and effort.

Kudos for me today.

Today was a good day. I hope I have more like this.

-DV

Okay, I'm better now.

I was able to vent a little several days ago. I still feel like my clinical instructor leaves something to be desired, but I have seen some improvement.

Our next test is in a couple of weeks. I'm swamped with the reading and I'm not sure if I'll ever get ahead. As it is, I'm just staying caught up. It's really a shame that I can't spend more time studying the information I am reading. I pretty much just gloss over the info and then try answering the questions. While that does get some of the information into my little brain and helps me pass the exams, it doesn't make me feel any better when I'm going in to see my patients and I am fairly clueless about what is going on with them. I can only hope that my knowledge base will improve with time "on the job".

Looking at the calendar, we've only got about six more weeks left in this semester. It's going by very fast (sometimes). I'll be registering for my mental health theory/clinical in a couple of weeks. Summer classes scare me! There isn't any time to actually learn anything. It's almost just going through the motions during the summer. Get the credit and move on. Formal education ticks me off sometimes. Sometimes I wonder if things wouldn't be better like they were in the olden days when you had a one-on-one mentor to learn a trade. It just seems like I'm doing my best to get a piece of paper and not doing my best to learn. Surely other people feel the same way. Right?

On the bright side of life...I had two really good patients last week. One was an elderly woman who said that I looked like her grandson. She was very sweet. I am pretty sure that if I were taking care of her on a regular basis, we'd have a great relationship. The other patient was a female middle aged school teacher who was very pleasant to be around. I'm very glad to find out that most patients in the hospital I am at are receptive to a male student nurse. I've seen more objections from the staff nurses and students than the patients this semester.

That's it for now. I'm tired. Going to get some shut-eye before I get up and go on a quick run before class tomorrow morning.

-DV

Walking a Thin Line Today

I'm headed in for clinical this morning. My instructor has a "review" today, so we're supposed to be on our best behavior. I hope we get to give an evaluation today because I am ready to vent. I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick that isn't very long to begin with.

You know what they say, "You get what you pay for."

-DV

2nd Test

AGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I am so freaking tired of this. The first test I took a few weeks ago I made a 90%. Not too bad. I studied, did all of the reading, answered nclex questions out the wazoo and I made some stupid mistakes, but still got an A on the exam. Today after busting my butt every day, reading, answering nclex questions,reading, doing objectives, reading, working from the online and CD resources I end up with a big fat 72% on my second test. Did I mention that I did all of the reading? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG????????????

There is just too much information to grasp in a short amount of time.

If anyone has suggestions for studying SMARTER not HARDER. Please let me know. I don't know if I can put in any more hours.

Very frustrated with nursing school right now.

-DV

Not a Virgin Anymore

I finally did it.....Yep. I gave my first injection today to a real live person. It seems so technical during the lab practice that we do. I've got a list of about 50 steps to follow during my lab check offs for injections. When you get into the real world, it doesn't really seem that difficult. You still have to take the same precautions, but I suppose it is a little more fluid when you are in the field.

This week in clinical has been pretty exciting. I am always a little nervous the night before clinical, but when I actually get in there and start working, I get so caught up in all of the things I'm doing that the nerves don't really seem to get to me. All is want is for the patients I'm working with to feel better. I'd like to think that that is a good sign that I am going into the right field. In my previous career, the only thing I thought about was about how well I could perform and how what I was doing was going to effect me. I feel really good about thinking about other people and how I can help them. I still get a little nervous about doing some procedures, but it's really a heightened sense of wanting to learn my craft well. I can see how that little bit of nervousness will go away with time and experience.

I've seen so many things that I thought would gross me out, but it really just makes me feel for the patients. I am very glad that my family and I are in pretty good health, and that we are not going through some of the things my patients are going through.

I'm still not too sure about how my clinical instructor is going to turn out, but for the most part I feel like when I'm out with the techs, cna's and rn's that I'm learning what I need to be learning.

I'm looking forward to more time in clinical. :)

-DV