This morning I was greeted by an elderly woman who really needed to get out of the hospital, so she thought. When I got to the floor and finished report a sitter in one of the patients’ rooms was getting off duty and had to leave for another job. The staff nurses really had no one available to watch the patient and they finally asked me if I could stay with her for while they drew up the meds for her agitation. I was happy to oblige and ended up staying with this patient for about 45 minutes. The only way she would not try and crawl out of the bed was if I was holding her hand. After getting her sedated and the bed monitor turned on she was happily resting, but she still wanted me to hold her hand. I would try and let go, but she would awaken and get very agitated again. Eventually she was so drowsy that she just couldn’t bring herself to try and get out of bed after I let go, but I still stayed with her. Soon after she started resting, her husband came in to visit. He spoke with the staff nurse for a minute and then sat down with his wife. He spoke with me for a few minutes while he sat. Come to find out, he was going to take her to a nursing home after she was released later that day. This couple had been married for nearly years and he had taken care of her by himself for the last several months. She had fallen three times prior to her admission and he was able to catch her. The fourth time caught him off guard and she ended up in the hospital. I cannot imagine what this man had to have been going through. I could tell that he was distraught by the situation, but he was holding himself together very well for the time being.
While I was sitting with the patient, I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance to my grandmother who passed away three years ago. After I met the husband and found out that they had been married for so long, I thought about my wife and how I would feel if we were in the same situation. It is very difficult to keep your professional demeanor when you sympathize with the patients so much. I am curious to learn more about this part of nursing. How should one react to such situations? What is appropriate to say and do for your patients? When does human compassion override facility and professional duties? I think that the only real way to learn this is to be in a facility with experienced nurses who are caring, compassionate, and respected in their positions.
In addition to my early morning experience I was able to be fairly productive with my time today. I completed an assessment on my patient (barely…I forgot my cheat sheet today. I’ll try again on Thursday.), and was able to learn a lot from both staff nurses in my hall. It is really hit or miss with the staff at this hospital. Some are great teachers and others just want to get their job done without some “kid” following them around. What was my greatest achievement today? I was able to dc an indwelling catheter. I was supervised by one of the staff nurses and this time........I DIDN’T PASS OUT. Some thing to be very proud of I’m sure.
-DV
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Knee Deep
Geez,
There just aren't enough hours in the day. I wake up early and if I'm lucky it's a MWF and I can go run for half an hour before class. If not, I'm on my way to the hospital for six hours. I find that I am spending about six hours a day studying outside of class and clinical and I am just barely staying caught up. I felt really good about the information I had learned during the first week. There was a lot of A&P review on the GI system. I feel like I know that stuff pretty well. It is the critical thinking that gets in the way. I can tell you where everything is and what it does, but when it comes to making decisions based on that information things get a little cloudy. With that in mind, I have my first exam for the semester on Wednesday. I've been able to put myself into a pretty good position for studying. My reading is not only up to date, but complete for this section. I will not have direct patient care next week in clinical due to my RT rotation, so no care plans are due. I've also completed four case studies that are due on Thursday. So what's the problem? I was called in to work this weekend and next. I've got rehearsals and concerts to get through. Now, I'm certainly not complaining about being able to make a little money, but I really want to do well on this exam. At this point it is just a matter of studying. How many NCLEX questions does it take to make an A on Exam One? 1......2.......3.......? :) I guess we'll see.
Lately, I've been contemplating my future career. I go back and forth on the decision to get a tech job somewhere. I want the experience and the opportunity to get my foot in the door. At the same time, I'm pretty swamped as it is. Also, I still don't know where I want to end up in nursing. After last weeks real life CPR training I can see why a lot of people want to go to the ED. It is pretty exciting working in an environment like that. Occasionally I think about CRNA as a future career. The pay is great of course, but will I enjoy it? I'm looking forward to seeing some of that type of work later this semester. I also think about becoming a nurse practitioner. Before going to nursing school I thought about trying to get into medical school. I still have thoughts about that once in a while, but the amount of schooling required just doesn't fit in with my family life. I really admire the people who are willing to make the sacrifice to go to medical school. It takes a lot of dedication. I'm also the tiniest bit jealous. But I am enjoying my life as it is. Now I've got to go and be the best that I can be. Time to study for about six hours before rehearsal this afternoon.
-DV
P.S. Any readers out there want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment. :)
There just aren't enough hours in the day. I wake up early and if I'm lucky it's a MWF and I can go run for half an hour before class. If not, I'm on my way to the hospital for six hours. I find that I am spending about six hours a day studying outside of class and clinical and I am just barely staying caught up. I felt really good about the information I had learned during the first week. There was a lot of A&P review on the GI system. I feel like I know that stuff pretty well. It is the critical thinking that gets in the way. I can tell you where everything is and what it does, but when it comes to making decisions based on that information things get a little cloudy. With that in mind, I have my first exam for the semester on Wednesday. I've been able to put myself into a pretty good position for studying. My reading is not only up to date, but complete for this section. I will not have direct patient care next week in clinical due to my RT rotation, so no care plans are due. I've also completed four case studies that are due on Thursday. So what's the problem? I was called in to work this weekend and next. I've got rehearsals and concerts to get through. Now, I'm certainly not complaining about being able to make a little money, but I really want to do well on this exam. At this point it is just a matter of studying. How many NCLEX questions does it take to make an A on Exam One? 1......2.......3.......? :) I guess we'll see.
Lately, I've been contemplating my future career. I go back and forth on the decision to get a tech job somewhere. I want the experience and the opportunity to get my foot in the door. At the same time, I'm pretty swamped as it is. Also, I still don't know where I want to end up in nursing. After last weeks real life CPR training I can see why a lot of people want to go to the ED. It is pretty exciting working in an environment like that. Occasionally I think about CRNA as a future career. The pay is great of course, but will I enjoy it? I'm looking forward to seeing some of that type of work later this semester. I also think about becoming a nurse practitioner. Before going to nursing school I thought about trying to get into medical school. I still have thoughts about that once in a while, but the amount of schooling required just doesn't fit in with my family life. I really admire the people who are willing to make the sacrifice to go to medical school. It takes a lot of dedication. I'm also the tiniest bit jealous. But I am enjoying my life as it is. Now I've got to go and be the best that I can be. Time to study for about six hours before rehearsal this afternoon.
-DV
P.S. Any readers out there want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment. :)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Oh...you're a male.
Today I was pretty excited about getting to meet the patient that I would be working with this week. I was able to get all of my preliminary work done without any problems. Going in this morning, I met the staff nurse who was nice enough, but not overly concerned that I would be around today. I also met the PCT that was on my hall as well, she was very helpful. While I was getting report the PCT had gone into my patient’s room to answer a call light. A few minutes later she stepped out and asked if someone could help her for a minute. I quickly volunteered and told her that I would be working with that patient today anyway. The PCT said that it was somewhat of a personal issue and that the patient did not like males. Apparently I had picked a patient that was not going to have anything to do with me this week. At least that is the impression I got from the PCT. So, the staff nurse goes in to help her and I am left outside to wait like a good boy. I have to admit that I was a little put out by all of this. I am a pretty likeable guy and I had to deal with this same problem last semester in Foundations. It seems that I may be confronted with this problem for the rest of my career. I was determined to go into the room and make a good impression with the patient. When the ladies finally got out, I went in and proceeded to get to work on my assessment…
I was comfortable getting my assessment done after talking to the patient for a while. I went through about 65% of what I was supposed to do for my head to toe. The other 35% was lost somewhere in my brain. It is going to take a lot more assessments for me to remember everything that needs to be checked. Later my instructor came in and went through an assessment on my patient with me. This was one of the most beneficial things that could have been done for me. Afterword we went into a room and went over the findings and discussed how to go about making sure that a complete assessment was done and how to do it well. This is the first time a clinical instructor has done this with me, and I cannot wait to go back on Thursday to try again. I feel so much more comfortable going into a patient’s room and doing my assessment. I really wish my foundations instructor had done this with me (a few times would have been nice). I would have felt a lot better about things. I also feel more comfortable about bringing in my “cheat sheet” to make sure that I have covered everything.
…by the time I had worked with my patient for a while. We were both comfortable with each other. She was beginning to talk to me about her personal issues regarding her illness when we were interrupted by the PCT for the patient’s bed bath. (There went my process recording, but I digress.) I told the PCT that I would be more than happy to help. Then I explained to my patient that I would only help if she were comfortable with my being there. (This is where I had what I like to call, one of my “Jedi Moments”.) The patient stated, “Well normally I would say don’t bother, but you might be able to help her.” I feel like I had been able to make the patient comfortable with a male nurse(ing student.) I cannot be sure if the PCT was initially uncomfortable with me or if the patient would not have been comfortable with a male nurse or if I was really able to change the patient’s perception. Either way I did what needed to be done today.
I was comfortable getting my assessment done after talking to the patient for a while. I went through about 65% of what I was supposed to do for my head to toe. The other 35% was lost somewhere in my brain. It is going to take a lot more assessments for me to remember everything that needs to be checked. Later my instructor came in and went through an assessment on my patient with me. This was one of the most beneficial things that could have been done for me. Afterword we went into a room and went over the findings and discussed how to go about making sure that a complete assessment was done and how to do it well. This is the first time a clinical instructor has done this with me, and I cannot wait to go back on Thursday to try again. I feel so much more comfortable going into a patient’s room and doing my assessment. I really wish my foundations instructor had done this with me (a few times would have been nice). I would have felt a lot better about things. I also feel more comfortable about bringing in my “cheat sheet” to make sure that I have covered everything.
…by the time I had worked with my patient for a while. We were both comfortable with each other. She was beginning to talk to me about her personal issues regarding her illness when we were interrupted by the PCT for the patient’s bed bath. (There went my process recording, but I digress.) I told the PCT that I would be more than happy to help. Then I explained to my patient that I would only help if she were comfortable with my being there. (This is where I had what I like to call, one of my “Jedi Moments”.) The patient stated, “Well normally I would say don’t bother, but you might be able to help her.” I feel like I had been able to make the patient comfortable with a male nurse(ing student.) I cannot be sure if the PCT was initially uncomfortable with me or if the patient would not have been comfortable with a male nurse or if I was really able to change the patient’s perception. Either way I did what needed to be done today.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
It Starts Again
So, I've actually been in class for two weeks now. I'm just getting back to my blog. I've studied more in the last two weeks than ever. It's going to be a crazy ride, but I LIKE IT! Here is my journal entry from today's clinical. Today was the first day to actually take care of patients for this semester. I think you'll find it interesting...
Day one – check. I had most of my pre-clinical work complete, but I was still a little insecure about the quality of the work I had done. Yesterday, I had to use another student’s log on information in order to access my patients chart. I felt rushed because I didn’t want her to have to wait for me too long. I was able to get the basics and went home hoping for the best. I could have been a little more thorough, but I suppose it was enough to get me started. I was very glad that when I got to clinical this morning, my instructor had my log on information for me. Monday will be a lot better now that I’ll be able to spend as much time with my patients chart as I need.
As always, I was a little nervous about going up to the floor today. However, I do think I am getting a little more comfortable “going to work” in the hospital setting. I’m not a total newbie. Because the students are pretty much assigned to different wings on the floor, I am pretty much on my own. That’s a good thing. It forces me to take the initiative in finding help and getting things done. I was able to get report from the staff nurse and I even gave her some information on labs and an endoscopic procedure that had been done the day before. I’m really surprised that she didn’t seem to know about the endoscopy. I was about to check out my patients chart and look for new meds and orders when a code was announced at the other end of the hall; thus started the exciting part of my day. Along with the other students, I went over to check out what was going on. I was really surprised at the organization and cooperation that was going on in a room filled with about 10 people. The nurses were giving chest compressions, calling physicians, calling family members, charting, giving meds. All of this seemed like a carefully timed act. I was standing out of the way watching when one of the nurses asked if there were any student nurses around. My immediate thought was, “Hey, I’m a student nurse….” I walked up to the door and was asked if I wanted to do compressions. “…..SURE!” I gloved up and made my way to the other side of the bed and started. The adrenaline was really pumping. All I could think was to give the compressions at the right speed and force. After a while some of the other students came in and we rotated for another 15 or 20 minutes. Then, it was all over. The physician called the time of death. Afterword there was a huge let down. The other students were visibly upset after the family arrived. I didn’t really feel sad or upset when I went back to work with my patient. It was just something that happens sometimes even when you do everything that you can to help. Tonight when I was able to sit and go over my experience with my wife is when I really felt something. I could feel the emotions begin to well up. The loss of a life, even if it is a complete stranger, is a very difficult thing to observe. I suppose my reaction can be a good sign that I can hold it together when I’m on the job when I need to be professional and giving support to patients and their families. However, I can see how this sort of thing could really be a heavy weight to deal with if you see it on a regular basis.
The rest of the day was pretty slow. :) I am going to review some assessment material this weekend so that I’ll feel more prepared next week. I do NOT feel prepared right now. It’s going to be a long weekend….
-DV
Day one – check. I had most of my pre-clinical work complete, but I was still a little insecure about the quality of the work I had done. Yesterday, I had to use another student’s log on information in order to access my patients chart. I felt rushed because I didn’t want her to have to wait for me too long. I was able to get the basics and went home hoping for the best. I could have been a little more thorough, but I suppose it was enough to get me started. I was very glad that when I got to clinical this morning, my instructor had my log on information for me. Monday will be a lot better now that I’ll be able to spend as much time with my patients chart as I need.
As always, I was a little nervous about going up to the floor today. However, I do think I am getting a little more comfortable “going to work” in the hospital setting. I’m not a total newbie. Because the students are pretty much assigned to different wings on the floor, I am pretty much on my own. That’s a good thing. It forces me to take the initiative in finding help and getting things done. I was able to get report from the staff nurse and I even gave her some information on labs and an endoscopic procedure that had been done the day before. I’m really surprised that she didn’t seem to know about the endoscopy. I was about to check out my patients chart and look for new meds and orders when a code was announced at the other end of the hall; thus started the exciting part of my day. Along with the other students, I went over to check out what was going on. I was really surprised at the organization and cooperation that was going on in a room filled with about 10 people. The nurses were giving chest compressions, calling physicians, calling family members, charting, giving meds. All of this seemed like a carefully timed act. I was standing out of the way watching when one of the nurses asked if there were any student nurses around. My immediate thought was, “Hey, I’m a student nurse….” I walked up to the door and was asked if I wanted to do compressions. “…..SURE!” I gloved up and made my way to the other side of the bed and started. The adrenaline was really pumping. All I could think was to give the compressions at the right speed and force. After a while some of the other students came in and we rotated for another 15 or 20 minutes. Then, it was all over. The physician called the time of death. Afterword there was a huge let down. The other students were visibly upset after the family arrived. I didn’t really feel sad or upset when I went back to work with my patient. It was just something that happens sometimes even when you do everything that you can to help. Tonight when I was able to sit and go over my experience with my wife is when I really felt something. I could feel the emotions begin to well up. The loss of a life, even if it is a complete stranger, is a very difficult thing to observe. I suppose my reaction can be a good sign that I can hold it together when I’m on the job when I need to be professional and giving support to patients and their families. However, I can see how this sort of thing could really be a heavy weight to deal with if you see it on a regular basis.
The rest of the day was pretty slow. :) I am going to review some assessment material this weekend so that I’ll feel more prepared next week. I do NOT feel prepared right now. It’s going to be a long weekend….
-DV
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Rest Time
So I finished my summer term and ended up with an A in clinical and a B in theory. Once again, there is just too much information in a short amount of time for me to get the A I wanted in theory.
I am looking forward to some time off from school. I am headed out of town this morning for a few days with my family. I'm sure we will have a good time.
Since I finished my summer term, I've been applying for tech jobs at all of the local hospitals. So far I've come up with nothing. I have to wonder how many people are applying to these jobs. There are so many people like me who want to get into a position like that, yet there really are not that many jobs out there. I was talking to some classmates a few weeks ago who said that they had just been hired and had been applying for positions since March. If this holds true, maybe I'll be able to get something before Christmas.
This fall I'll be taking my Adult semester. I really hope that I can learn a lot. I feel pretty ill-prepared for the nursing world right now. There is so much to learn in order to really be able to help people who are sick. I am amazed at the knowledge that the nurses have that I meet. It makes me wonder if I'm in doing the right thing by going into this field. I have to wonder if I am learning everything that I should be learning. Guess I'll see when I land that first job.
I was surprised to learn that I have been awarded a grant for the fall and spring semesters. Woot! I would not consider myself financially needy, but I'll take the money anyhow. I was thinking that if I applied for financial aid I might be able to come away with a scholarship of some sort or maybe they would offer me student loans. (Student loans are evil BTW) So, the grant was a total surprise. Yes, I'll let the government pay for my education!
On with vacation. When I get back, I'll look into doing some more review in A&P. That can never hurt.
-DV
I am looking forward to some time off from school. I am headed out of town this morning for a few days with my family. I'm sure we will have a good time.
Since I finished my summer term, I've been applying for tech jobs at all of the local hospitals. So far I've come up with nothing. I have to wonder how many people are applying to these jobs. There are so many people like me who want to get into a position like that, yet there really are not that many jobs out there. I was talking to some classmates a few weeks ago who said that they had just been hired and had been applying for positions since March. If this holds true, maybe I'll be able to get something before Christmas.
This fall I'll be taking my Adult semester. I really hope that I can learn a lot. I feel pretty ill-prepared for the nursing world right now. There is so much to learn in order to really be able to help people who are sick. I am amazed at the knowledge that the nurses have that I meet. It makes me wonder if I'm in doing the right thing by going into this field. I have to wonder if I am learning everything that I should be learning. Guess I'll see when I land that first job.
I was surprised to learn that I have been awarded a grant for the fall and spring semesters. Woot! I would not consider myself financially needy, but I'll take the money anyhow. I was thinking that if I applied for financial aid I might be able to come away with a scholarship of some sort or maybe they would offer me student loans. (Student loans are evil BTW) So, the grant was a total surprise. Yes, I'll let the government pay for my education!
On with vacation. When I get back, I'll look into doing some more review in A&P. That can never hurt.
-DV
Monday, July 5, 2010
The Apocalypse
FINALLY!!!!! A patient with some character! WOOT!
Today my rotation sent me to the acute psych unit at the hospital. This is where the patients go to detox, get on their meds, sober up, and come back to reality. I was so glad to finally get to this unit. I was able to get past the three locked doors and into the unit. After finding the charge nurse, she took me on a mini tour of the floor. There was plenty of office space for various physicians, nurses, and meetings. Then I was able to see the patient rooms. I was surprised to see them rooming with other patients; there were 2, 3, or 4 to a room. After the tour, I was just in time to attend the interdisciplinary team meeting. The nurse quickly went over each of the 19 patients and the physicians and social workers took notes. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but it was insightful none-the-less. Then I went to the day room to pick out a patient…
“Gabriel” was a male. He seemed very nice and very open and willing to talk to me. I can only wish that he had been the patient I had spoken with for my process recording. “Gabriel” was an angel sent from God to warn the people of the world that they were evil. He could see the souls of those around him. (I had a good soul, thank-you-very-much.) “Gabriel” went on to talk about some of his grandiose delusions and how he found out who he was only three weeks ago. There was a lot more about his relationship with God and Satan, but there is just too much to put down on paper.
Here’s the thing that really got me. Usually when someone starts making up stories and saying things like this, a person can just tell that it is fiction. You laugh and go on. “Gabriel” IS an angel. He truly believes this. What is difficult to understand is that there is an interwoven mesh of reality and delusion. Much of what he said about people in the world today was based on fact. Some of the statements he made, I would agree with whole heartedly. After a while I was truly captivated by his story. Being a Christian, it was difficult for me not to challenge his theology, but I was good and realized what not to say to him. I really tried to work on my therapeutic communication, and while there were a few blocks, I realized what I had said afterword and tried to stay on track. I feel like I am getting better, but I still have a long way to go.
After lunch I went to look up “Gabriel's” chart to find out what his diagnosis was. Initially he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. For a while he was functional and going to school while he was on meds. Then during a matter of a couple of days he crashed. Now he is admitted with schizoaffective disorder. Apparently, the physicians don’t really know what is wrong or what triggered his sudden decompensation. This is the really scary part of nursing for me. What do you do for a person like this? His meds just don’t work anymore. He’s completely delusional and doesn’t seem to be getting better. I spent a lot of time in his chart today trying to find some answers, but came away with almost nothing.
Today was an exciting day in my mental health clinical rotation. However, it was also my last full day for this summer semester. I am really disappointed that I didn’t get to spend more time in the acute setting. This is what I’ve been waiting for all semester and now it’s over. I think it’s a shame that I only get to spend six weeks in a class that is so interesting and relevant to all areas of nursing.
As I mentioned in another blog entry, I’m not sure that I see my self going into mental health. However, I think with more time in the acute care unit I might become more interested in following that path. I have noticed that the staff nurses don’t really do very much. They’re kind of like “Nurse Vending Machines”. They give out the meds when it’s time. They discharge and admit patients while filling out loads of paperwork. There really isn’t very much therapeutic interaction with the patients. I suppose that’s why you would want to go into the practitioner levels of education. If I go into mental health nursing, I’d want to help patients in a more direct manner. I guess only time will tell.
-DV
Today my rotation sent me to the acute psych unit at the hospital. This is where the patients go to detox, get on their meds, sober up, and come back to reality. I was so glad to finally get to this unit. I was able to get past the three locked doors and into the unit. After finding the charge nurse, she took me on a mini tour of the floor. There was plenty of office space for various physicians, nurses, and meetings. Then I was able to see the patient rooms. I was surprised to see them rooming with other patients; there were 2, 3, or 4 to a room. After the tour, I was just in time to attend the interdisciplinary team meeting. The nurse quickly went over each of the 19 patients and the physicians and social workers took notes. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but it was insightful none-the-less. Then I went to the day room to pick out a patient…
“Gabriel” was a male. He seemed very nice and very open and willing to talk to me. I can only wish that he had been the patient I had spoken with for my process recording. “Gabriel” was an angel sent from God to warn the people of the world that they were evil. He could see the souls of those around him. (I had a good soul, thank-you-very-much.) “Gabriel” went on to talk about some of his grandiose delusions and how he found out who he was only three weeks ago. There was a lot more about his relationship with God and Satan, but there is just too much to put down on paper.
Here’s the thing that really got me. Usually when someone starts making up stories and saying things like this, a person can just tell that it is fiction. You laugh and go on. “Gabriel” IS an angel. He truly believes this. What is difficult to understand is that there is an interwoven mesh of reality and delusion. Much of what he said about people in the world today was based on fact. Some of the statements he made, I would agree with whole heartedly. After a while I was truly captivated by his story. Being a Christian, it was difficult for me not to challenge his theology, but I was good and realized what not to say to him. I really tried to work on my therapeutic communication, and while there were a few blocks, I realized what I had said afterword and tried to stay on track. I feel like I am getting better, but I still have a long way to go.
After lunch I went to look up “Gabriel's” chart to find out what his diagnosis was. Initially he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. For a while he was functional and going to school while he was on meds. Then during a matter of a couple of days he crashed. Now he is admitted with schizoaffective disorder. Apparently, the physicians don’t really know what is wrong or what triggered his sudden decompensation. This is the really scary part of nursing for me. What do you do for a person like this? His meds just don’t work anymore. He’s completely delusional and doesn’t seem to be getting better. I spent a lot of time in his chart today trying to find some answers, but came away with almost nothing.
Today was an exciting day in my mental health clinical rotation. However, it was also my last full day for this summer semester. I am really disappointed that I didn’t get to spend more time in the acute setting. This is what I’ve been waiting for all semester and now it’s over. I think it’s a shame that I only get to spend six weeks in a class that is so interesting and relevant to all areas of nursing.
As I mentioned in another blog entry, I’m not sure that I see my self going into mental health. However, I think with more time in the acute care unit I might become more interested in following that path. I have noticed that the staff nurses don’t really do very much. They’re kind of like “Nurse Vending Machines”. They give out the meds when it’s time. They discharge and admit patients while filling out loads of paperwork. There really isn’t very much therapeutic interaction with the patients. I suppose that’s why you would want to go into the practitioner levels of education. If I go into mental health nursing, I’d want to help patients in a more direct manner. I guess only time will tell.
-DV
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Go Towards the Light
There is a light at the end of a short tunnel. Today I finished gathering all of the information I needed to complete my clinical assignments. I’ve got pages of care plan notes, notes from a lengthy conversation I had today for my process recording, and now I’ve got to do something with it all. I’ve got to take this information and be able to present it in such a way that others will know exactly what I want them to know. After the previous four weeks, I’ve found that to be much more difficult than it sounds. Also, like the long semesters, as I near the finish line I tend to get ready to rest a bit too soon. I’m ready for summer break. This will be my first semester off in 1 ½ years. Yea! I’ve just got to push toward the end and complete everything the best I know how.
My day today was good and bad. First, this morning was somewhat of a bust. I went onto my unit to find that ALL of the patients were in group meetings. There was nobody on the floor. I went back to the computer room and worked on gathering some more information for my care plan. Fifty minutes later I went back onto the floor to wait in the day room for the patients to come back. Most of them did not come back because they were going bowling. I ended up “shooting the breeze” with the nurses for nearly two hours. One was the regular staff nurse, but she was pretty busy and had no qualms about telling me so. The other was a new staff nurse in training on that floor. We actually talked a lot. The cool thing was that this nurse was a male nurse. He had been in psychiatric nursing for about thirty years and had worked for the state hospital for quite a while. He had a wealth of knowledge and tons of tips for me as well as some very interesting stories. We discussed what it was like being a psych nurse compared to med-surge, career tips, education, etc. I was really glad that he was so open to passing on information to a rookie. One thing he mentioned was that the units I had been on up to this point weren’t “really” psych units. I have to agree. He said that next week, when I move to the acute care unit, I would really get the experience I was looking for.
After lunch I went back to the unit and waited for some unsuspecting person to come into the day room. I had to wait about ten minutes when finally a gentleman come in and sat down with a magazine. I mustered up my courage and went over to him and started up a conversation. He was pretty receptive to me. Our conversation lasted about an hour and a half. Therapeutic communication is difficult for me. I caught myself saying things that were not working to help the patient express his feelings. Occasionally something good would come out, but this is really difficult for me. I don’t mind listening, but making me try and say something worthwhile takes work. Speaking of making me say something worthwhile…
A couple days ago I was “encouraged” to participate more in class – as were many of my other classmates. My brain doesn’t work that way very well. It takes every ounce of energy that I have to muster up questions to ask about presentations. The questions I ask on the spot are generally superficial and don’t seem to bring up important issues. I’d much rather have time to think about questions and ponder what has been presented to me. I suppose that is part of becoming a nurse. Being able to think critically in a short amount of time is very important. I’m going to have to practice that as well.
I hope that my last two days in clinical prove to be very educational. I’m looking forward to practicing my skills more without the looming report deadlines. It’s time to get ready for the big finish. I hope I go out with a bang.
-DV
My day today was good and bad. First, this morning was somewhat of a bust. I went onto my unit to find that ALL of the patients were in group meetings. There was nobody on the floor. I went back to the computer room and worked on gathering some more information for my care plan. Fifty minutes later I went back onto the floor to wait in the day room for the patients to come back. Most of them did not come back because they were going bowling. I ended up “shooting the breeze” with the nurses for nearly two hours. One was the regular staff nurse, but she was pretty busy and had no qualms about telling me so. The other was a new staff nurse in training on that floor. We actually talked a lot. The cool thing was that this nurse was a male nurse. He had been in psychiatric nursing for about thirty years and had worked for the state hospital for quite a while. He had a wealth of knowledge and tons of tips for me as well as some very interesting stories. We discussed what it was like being a psych nurse compared to med-surge, career tips, education, etc. I was really glad that he was so open to passing on information to a rookie. One thing he mentioned was that the units I had been on up to this point weren’t “really” psych units. I have to agree. He said that next week, when I move to the acute care unit, I would really get the experience I was looking for.
After lunch I went back to the unit and waited for some unsuspecting person to come into the day room. I had to wait about ten minutes when finally a gentleman come in and sat down with a magazine. I mustered up my courage and went over to him and started up a conversation. He was pretty receptive to me. Our conversation lasted about an hour and a half. Therapeutic communication is difficult for me. I caught myself saying things that were not working to help the patient express his feelings. Occasionally something good would come out, but this is really difficult for me. I don’t mind listening, but making me try and say something worthwhile takes work. Speaking of making me say something worthwhile…
A couple days ago I was “encouraged” to participate more in class – as were many of my other classmates. My brain doesn’t work that way very well. It takes every ounce of energy that I have to muster up questions to ask about presentations. The questions I ask on the spot are generally superficial and don’t seem to bring up important issues. I’d much rather have time to think about questions and ponder what has been presented to me. I suppose that is part of becoming a nurse. Being able to think critically in a short amount of time is very important. I’m going to have to practice that as well.
I hope that my last two days in clinical prove to be very educational. I’m looking forward to practicing my skills more without the looming report deadlines. It’s time to get ready for the big finish. I hope I go out with a bang.
-DV
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