Enjoyment Reading... what a novel concept!!

So I have been doing a little light reading trying to get myself out of my funk. My go to book of choice was more of a go to genre of Austenish designs...



&



The later, I have not actually read yet... but it is on the agenda, at some point soon. I am trying to get out of this damn sludge I have been in all semester, while I still can... after tomorrow it'll be back to the grind and the next 38 days are going to be NUTS... yes folks that is how many days until my FINAL!!


3 freaking 8

Contemplating the Great White North

So I have a job, yay me... anyway, when I finish RN and finally get that new title, I still have a job, yay me! But the problem is that I did NOT go back to school to stay in Homecare or LTC, especially if they are not going to give me the promised HUGE raise the title comes with as they once had promised. Around here getting into a hospital or a specialty is pretty slim pickings without a BSN- which I won't have for another year.

So the choice... stay here, work where I work, possibly pick up some second job somewhere and finish up my BSN with hopes of getting into what I really want to do closer to home, OR pick up and move up to the frozen tundra for two years and get a job in a hospital, in a specialty and gain experience while I also work toward my BSN.

Since I have no idea where my kids will be living in the next few years, each has chosen a military path of some sort, there isn't much grounding me permanently to one specific state.

Hubby is up for the challenge, either a long distance marriage, with visits, or him moving up there with me, the relocation package is pretty sweet.

I guess I will know more in December and even more after I pass the NCLEX, but it has me seriously contemplating which direction my future could possibly turn.

I am up for an adventure!!

The clothes

So I broke down and bought 1 new outfit... ok it was for work, but seriously I couldn't go to work with stuff nearly falling off of me anymore.

Scrub top

Before 2x-3x depending on style

Now Large




Scrub Bottom

Before 1x

Now Med

Stuck, stuck,... goose

But seriously I spent the day in the ER today and I was a blood draw and IV start queen. Even learned how to do a 12 lead EKG... which has been alluding me for some time. Chest pain protocol abound and pretty much having to conquer my fears to just do it... so I did.

I honestly haven't gotten a successful blood draw until today and I spent pretty much all day perfecting the process.

1 missed IV and 1 missed blood draw... that I successfully converted! Go me!

Man am I tired.

Preceptorship

What an epic disappointment... not only did I not get ANY of the areas I wanted, I didn't get any of the locations I wanted.

Ultimately this is NOT going to be a networking opportunity that is for sure. Who knows what it will actually be at this point but the choices were an ICU or Med/Surg... no info about the floors or patients. Just that it will be one of the two because despite my grade and being able to make choices I got nothing!

I am pretty pissed off about this right now. Needless to say I have to go to a location I didn't want to go to and the "Preceptorship" is going to be more like freaking clinical except with a full patient load and a facility member being your "preceptor" that is totally not the way to learn how to be an actual nurse on a floor, also it'll be as a group too. This just fucking blows!

The good news?

Let the Season Begin

Bought the hubby tickets to see this for his birthday

Then the season really begins with some shows that actually look like they may be worth going to.

ICU

Today is the first day of ICU and Critical Care clinicals. Meeting the new instructor and freaking out about what will be expected of us. How many IVs will I have to start this rotation? How many careplans will we be stuck having to do?

1/3 done

Psych is finished for the semester. Thursday is the first day of Acute Care Clinicals and lecture starts on Monday.

I hear that we may find out about our preceptorships soon as the night program knows about theirs already.

Today's exam did not go so well... but honestly I have been in such a funk that there was no chance I was going to rock that test. Although I am not alone as most everyone is reporting a serious case of senioritis.

TERROS Ride-A-Long

For my psych alternative clinical I decided to do a TERROS Crisis Team Ride-a-Long. Well it sure as heck was a long ride. 8 hours spent from one side of the valley to another trying to talk people off the proverbial ledge.

I guess jaded comes to mind, because although the people I was with were very nice, they reacted to the clients a bit differently than I would have expected. But then again after all this time you probably become a bit underwhelmed at what has become the human condition.

I felt bad for 2 out of the 4 people that we saw. Of course I spent the entire time trying to figure out what they would have for a dx and let me just tell you that textbook is textbook, and I think one of the people probably read it.

So anyway, I have to write up a careplan on a disorder of my choice, write a 2 paragraph experience report from my ride-a-long (I will title this 3 Borderlines and a Schizo), and finish a process recording paper (which I have no idea how on earth to go about this one), and study for the final exam in psych, which are all on or due on Tuesday.

I wish I could wax poetically about how great of an experience I had, or how I feel more prepared as a future nurse, or how I feel a new connection with the human species. But honestly, I just kept trying to fix the medical issues they presented with, and when they named off their meds, I was trying to list the side effects :-) I have no interest in Mental Health or Psych Nursing!

After that it's Critical Care and the Respiratory Systems.

Do you want tips or the answers?

So I have been talking to this person on another website as they travel through the nursing program pretty much the same way I did. LPN to Advanced Placement RN Block 3. So over all I just give study ideas, books to get, tips on how to study for each instructor. I do not give any hints as to what was on the tests or anything.

So I have spent some time giving this persona quite a lot of good advice about how to study.

So today I see them post a dramatic cry for help about seeing a bunch of people in their class that are repeating the block and begging for TIPS on how to pass the block.

So at the risk of sounding like a bitch or whatever... but I wash my hand of someone who seems to be fishing for the answers to the tests or something.

I mean yeah I think they recycle tests, and yeah I probably remember more of them than I should, but I will be damned if I will give anyone some leg up or a more detailed focus on exactly what to study to pass... figure that shit out for yourself... sheesh... the gall of some people, but then again... people don't surprise me much.

This waiting is driving me crazy!!!

I really want to know what my Preceptorship is going to be. I know I got an offer because my choices are locked all of the offers have been accepted and everyone has been placed. So come already and tell us... I think it's great motivation, especially if I get what I want. Also I guess I would like to know in-case I didn't get exactly what I want. Truth be told there was only 1 real choice on there that I would rather not get.

Ok so I did talk to one of my nursing buddies from way back when today and she said the same thing that I did, about the after the high crash that is nursing school. I was wondering for a while why, since nursing school has started again, that I still feel depressed... now I know, because Psych is not stressful and thus, my body has not rebounded back into that hyper-state of anxiety where you focus better and concentration increases... I guess I need my fight or flight instincts to be in full force or my body is like, "WTF?"

Well at the very least its a theory... maybe I can do my psych clinical research paper on it?

On the agenda

I printed out my 79 page cardiac study guide a friend has nicely done up and posted to her site. If you have't checked it out already please do so. It is also going to be bound for me by a friend I used work with... so that will be nice.

This week is the last of Psych clinical and hopefully I will get a chance to work with the intake nurse in the ED. That should be interesting. I mean I am enjoying my time in Psych, which I am surprised with, but also knew I would enjoy at this location, but sitting around talking to the guys is getting old. I am pretty good with talking and am not afraid to talk to patients, residents, clients, or family's. This is not my first experience with patient care after all.

Of course the best part of this nursing clinical has been how welcomed they have made us feel.When we walk onto the floor the nurses are all, "Welcome students, the future of nursing..." Usually the nurses are like, " Oh man... students." As they run and hide :-)

So this week is the last of psych clinical, Monday is the psych last exam before the final and Wednesday we are back at clinical, but this time in our ICU rotations. It feels like this is flying, but then again it feels like the hard part has not even begun and I am sure I am right!

Toodles...