8 days

8 days of clinical at the LTC left. Just 8 days, it sounds better than 4 weeks.

I started to fill out my clinical site evaluation and let me just say that it did not score well!

The biggest thing is that compared to the other clinical groups we are just not getting many skills! That and since the skills are so few and far between when we do get to do something our instructor is hovering there and asking so many questions it makes giving a simple Colace or a Tylenol take an hour!

What are they getting that med for? How does it work in the body? How can you administer it? What are the side effects? What are the things to assess before and after giving the med? What would the primary nursing diagnosis be? What labs should you do? How do you think you did? What did you like best? What could you have done better?

Med Surg I -A

Well we are starting Med-Surg next week after our Nutrition and Complimentary/Alternative Therapy test( i.e the crap we covered today in class) is over.

Its not Med-Surg 1 officially until next semester so it's kinda like Med-Surg 1-A.

The 21st we are going down to the OR!! I am so excited. We were told that since most of our patients at this point in time for "learning" purposes will be post-op we might as well see what goes on inside the OR. They are going to set up a mock abdominal surgery so we can learn the difference between the scrubs,where to walk within the sterile field, how to gown the doctor, how to sterilize instruments, do counts, etc. A fun little field trip to break up the lectures and boring as crap LTC clinical!

So Med-Surg 1-A contains: Diseases of the Urinary System, Diseases of Integumentary System,Immune Disorders, Care of the PT with HIV/AIDS, and Care of the Pt with Cancer.

Busy Busy Busy

5 weeks left

Wow only 5 weeks left in this semester. Can't say I'll be off for the summer because I will be taking classes all summer as usual. For the next 5 weeks there is a test every week alternating with Pharmacolgy starting this week and Theory starting next week, back and forth, all ending with finals starting May 8th (Clincial skills check offs), May 11th(Pharmacolgy) and the last one on May 14th(Theory)!

Then joy of all joys my summer classes: I still have one freaking Algebra (MAT122) left to take. YUCK! Now I know its a waste of time because I have been doing dosage and calculations math and it is NOT as hard and does not contain all the crap in that class. I think however, I am starting it this monththe 20th or the 27th! I had to get a waiver to take the online version, because I hurried through MAT092, yes I was that bad in math that I only tested into Introductory Algebra, but I digress, so since I got a C in it, my C was a 78 though, but the pre-req for this Algebra class is a B, so since I was so close I was able to get a waiver so I can take it. Chemistry starts May 18th and Humanaties. So thats 10 credits over the summer sessions.

August starts second semester and will contain my Microbiology course, which is my last Gen. Ed requirement. I don't think I could pull off the Chem and Micro at the same time. I also have the option to take the IV certification course as another class as well as the regular second semester classes. I am pretty excited about that.

Well off to bring my son to school then back to cram a little for side effects and pt teaching into my head for my Pharmacology test at 12:30

Just another lazy weekend

So I've managed to just finish two papers for Pharmacology and will now study for the test in Pharm on Monday. Sometime in there I will read and outline the 4 Chapters (i.e. 80 or so pages) for Tuesday's class, transcribe the lecture notes from last weeks class into a study guide and work on Careplan #3 for clinical.

Of course I managed to make the family quesadillas for lunch, then threw some pork and BBQ sauce into the crock pot for pulled pork sandwich's and whipped up a potato salad to go with it. Of course the family wants to have a fire tonight and make s'mores!

So no I am not going to clean, dust, or do laundry! It's 6pm and I've finally managed to take a shower and get dressed. I was thinking of walking the dog she's grumpy and needs it and well yeah I should walk too. MMMMM.. s'mores!!

Short cut Nurses

Please if there are students on the floor and one of their jobs is to pass meds and give various injections, do not sign off the entire MAR for the shift at 0900 and then expect them to give the injection you didn't get to at 1330, 5 minutes before post conference to ask them to do it cuz we can't if you signed it!


1. ) They will tell on you when they can't find the MAR to pass their meds!!
2.) They will be very upset that they can't give the neat preloaded Lovanox injection !!

and this one is just a personal...

3.) When you lock the med room, disappear and stock the med cart with your make-up instead of Insulin syringes how do you expect us to give it before breakfast!

Best Friends

No More Carpool shuffle

I got a Jeep. Not a new Jeep and not the really cool Wrangler kind. But a Jeep none the less and I have always wanted to own a Jeep. The good news is that I don't have to play the Carpool Shuffle anymore or wait two hours after class to pick up my husband or drive 33 miles each way to pick him up on days I don't have class. So yeah I am happy, of course I have empty bank account remorse now... SIGH!