Thursday, March 06, 2008

*~* waiting for my wings *~*

Trouble is her only friend and he’s back again
Makes her body older than it really is
And she says it’s high time she went away
No ones got much to say in this town
Trouble is the only way is down, down, down

As strong as you were
Tender you go
I’m watching you breathing
For the last time
A song for your heart
But when it is quiet
I know what it means
And I’ll carry you home
I’ll carry you home

If she had wings she would fly away
And another day God will give her some
Trouble is the only way is down,down,down

As strong as you were
Tender you go
I’m watching you breathing for the last time
A song for your heart
But when it is quiet
I know what it means

I’ll carry you home
I’ll carry you home

And they’re all born pretty
in New York City tonight
and someones little girl
was taken from the world tonight
under the Stars and Stripes

As strong as you were
Tender you go
I’m watching you breathing for the last time
A song for your heart
But when it is quiet
I know what it means
And i’ll carry you home

As strong as you were
Tender you go
I’m watching you breathing for the last time
A song for your heart
But when it is quiet
I know what it means
And I’ll carry you home

I’ll carry you home

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Interventions Clinical: Midterm Reflections

Can't believe the semester is halfway over! Almost another semester of nursing school down, a million more to go! ;o)

It's funny because it seems like just yesterday I was anxiously checking my schedule to find my clinical placement, going over overwhelming amounts of paperwork during orientations, and meeting my very first patient. I can't say this experience is quite what I was expecting, but on the other hand, I can't say it's much different either. They say it's not the journey, but the destination that matters, but as far as this is concerned? I think it's both. While I'm itching to graduate and begin my post-baccalaureate career and pursue my graduate endeavors, I'm trying to soak up every moment of being a "baby nurse." I'm striving to learn every single thing I possibly can, trying to make the most out of every opportunity that comes my way. I truly believe education is what you choose to make of it, and I'm thankful that I see the true value in this privilege. Most of all, I'm grateful for the blessing of a teachable mind and a caring heart. I'm thankful that I have no doubt in my mind that I will be a great RN and I will continue loving this for years and years to come.

In the past few weeks, I've learned a lot... more than I could ever begin to list, in fact. I've learned from my instructor, my friends, my patients, the floor nurses, the aides, the doctors, and even from myself and my mistakes. I've much further expanded my medical jargon vocabulary, learned how to do many nursing skills I didn't even know existed, increased my communication skills, and practiced patience and flexibility. I've learned that getting up before the sun isn't all that bad, and I've learned that it is possible for me to get really, truly excited for something. I've rediscovered my passion for learning, and I've seen how I thrive when I can turn education into practice. When I forget that this is one of the most challenging things I've ever done in my life, I'm still in that euphoric state of "wow-this-is-so-cool/can't-believe-I'm-doing-this." Don't get me wrong, I've gotten stressed and claimed I was never coming back to school, but thankfully those thoughts never lasted long. When it all comes down to the fact of the matter, there's just nothing like finding the thing you were born to do.

There is no doubt that I've learned an insane amount during the first half of the semester - not just information, but experiences, practices, etc. I can't wait to see what else I can learn during the next few weeks... and during the rest of my life. With many more opportunities to come, my goals are to keep chasing the "big picture" with an experience-tuned intuition. I want to be more creative in my practice, and a little more disciplined study regimen couldn't hurt, right? :oP

The lecture exams, well, I can live without those... but I know come summer, I'm definitely going to miss clinical. I'm going to miss my patients and my learning experiences. So for now, I'm ready to finish what I've started. I also want to note that I am determined not to become jaded after a few semesters of this. I don't ever want to forget how important it is to make the most out of every second and be determined to soak up whatever I can on a 24-7 basis, learning to acutely apply the masses of information that are being thrown at me 100 miles a minute.

It's crazy... but I still love it!!

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

rOck that vOte!!!

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can.
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --
Yes. We. Can.

Good morning, Ohioans. TODAY is voting day. It doesn't matter whom you vote for just as long as you get out there and VOTE. In my opinion, it’s more important that you vote for someone than it is for you to vote for the someone I’m voting for. I am so upset when non-voters complain about our country. I am even more outraged when I think of all that was sacrificed for us to be a free country, to have the opportunity to vote, the opportunity to choose. How can you not be grateful for that? If you don't vote, you are not grateful. You are selfish. Perhaps you're ignorant, too, or just defiant and stupid. Or maybe all of the above. And it's sad that more men than woman vote when so much more was sacrificed to claim women's right to vote. 30% of eligible women aren't even registered to vote. Are you kidding me? Go get some books on women's suffrage. Google it. Talk to your great-grandmothers. If only you knew how much was sacrificed to get us that right in 1920, not as long ago as it seems. Our courageous sisters were not only criticized and ignored by many, but they were arrested, starved, and beaten for speaking out. Yet, being strong women, they persisted with their vision because they believed in themselves; they believed in us.

So please, take 10 minutes out of your day to go vote. Don't think it's only the primaries and your vote doesn't matter. What if everyone said that?

This is our America. If you claim it, you must earn it.

We are hugely blessed to live in this nation, and it's sad how forgetting we can be to the paths that have been so diligently paved for us during the past 200+ years. We live in a democracy which is a huge deal in itself. Change lies not only in some presidential candidate, but within us... within you, within me. Don’t ever forget President Kennedy’s words: Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

Go out and vote. Let it be said that you believed in America, you believed in yourself, you believed in us, and you cared about our children.

Democrat, republican, Clinton, Obama, McCain... let's all get over that. We are one country, one people, united in love, unity, and strength. The power is in us, and act upon it, we can. YES WE CAN.

Get out there on Tuesday and rock that vote!!

Additional note: For those of you with a healthcare interest, check out this resource: Health '08 for everything healthcare-political.

Monday, March 03, 2008

starting the week off right :)

10 Tips for Living a Better Life, One Day at a Time
Pope John XXIII - but keep reading - they're surprisingly beautiful and sweet
via Not Quite Vintage

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.
2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behaviour; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.
3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.
4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.
5. Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.
6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.
7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.
8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.
9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.
10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

To conclude: here is an all-embracing resolution: "I want to be kind, today and always, to everyone".

now this is the good stuff... wouldn't you agree?
make it a great week and be blessed. :)

Sunday, March 02, 2008

my sister :)

just a little linky love here... my baby sis finally decided to get a blog! check her out: here

love ya babe!
xoxo

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Clincal Journal Entry #6: 2/27/2008

Before post conference this week, my instructor asked if any of us wanted any experience in particular. I feel like I've done most things we've learned in lab so far except for a dressing change. So that's what I asked for. My instructor found the perfect patient - an older woman who presented in the ER with a gluteal abscess, likely as a result from her diabetes. Patient had many comorbidities and her abscess tested positive for staph. Other than that, she was in good condition. Completely A+O, up ad. lib., and truly chatty on top of that! Her abscess had been incised and drained the previous night, so she had a little pain, but nothing a few meds couldn't solve. The nursing assistant told me she had already made Patient's bed while she bathed herself, so all I had to do was chart my morning vitals, perform an assessment, and wait until my instructor or Patient's RN could assist with the dressing change. RN wasn't eager to help, and my instructor was very busy supervising the two students scheduled to pass meds, so I just kept Patient company for most of the morning.

When my instructor came to help me, I explained how Patient's chart called for a dressing change BID or PRN, but there was no documentation as to what type. There wasn't even a report on her I+D. The night nurse's charting left many gaps in reporting Patient's care, and even as a student, it was obvious to me how many holes there were in the story. We talked to RN who had to make some phone calls to get to the bottom of the situation, and our time on the floor was almost up, so I didn't get to do my dressing change. :(

I asked my instructor what I could do to pass the last few minutes, and she gave me call light duty. I'm still indifferent to call lights, but on a geriatric floor, they usually don't mean the patient needs more water or a pillow... it usually involves feces. Yep, good ole poop. Or at least so far that has been my experience. Anyhow, our C-Diff patient's light was on, so I answered it. Sure enough, she was asking for a bedpan, so my friend and I gowned up and helped her. Once she was finished, she told me her mouth was dry, so we helped her with mouth swabs. We set her up in bed with the draw sheet, rearranged her pillows until she was much more comfortable. I have never seen such a tiny, frail woman in my life. She was just covered in decubitus ulcers - I felt so bad for her. (For those who don't know what a decubitus ulcer is, it's a pressure ulcer, sometimes called a bedsore. They present most commonly in elderly patients and are caused by lying in the same position for too long. Prolonged pressure on the skin cuts off circulation until the skin and tissues die and eventually break down. There are multiple stages of them, and they can be exacerbated by dampness, friction, etc. You can see an example of one here, but I'm going to warn you, they are absolutely disgusting. Anyhow, it's amazing how the few little things we did for her made her so much more comfortable. She was so adorable and thanked us profusely. We were, of course, just happy to help. So I guess call lights aren't all bad. :) I guess it just depends on who's behind the call light!

In post-conference, we discussed our patients, and even though my day was pretty uneventful, I really did learn how much trouble poor documentation can cause. (Not to mention endangering your patient, you can really get yourself in trouble!) As nurses, we are accountable for every single things we do or don't do, and if it's not in the chart, it did not happen. It's amazing how invaluable accurate, complete charts are to our patients. Many times the chart can even be the only thing to save a patient's life. We are trusted with so much, and we must do everything we do thoroughly and well. Always.

I'm honored to be a nurse, and yes, I still love it.

As crazy as it sounds, I thrive on this huge, overwhelming challenge. I live to learn more and more about this fascinating art in caring for the miraculous, phenomenal human body and most importantly, the many intricate, beautiful components of the human mind and spirit. Don't get me wrong, it's hard, ridiculously, frustratingly hard... but it's lovely and wonderful, too. Wouldn't trade it for the world.