February 2008

Fridays, Cats, and Star Wars

No Friday Fill-In this week... instead, let's all be reminded how stupid cats are. This is awesome...

via Moo Crazy

and then this...

Not a Star Wars fan at all but this little girl is just too cute not to share!

via taryn hipp

It’s time for a little hOpe ReVoLuTioN!!

Join the REVOLUTION! From now until May 1st, create as many encouraging notes as you would like - one or one million. Create them yourself, or download the templates on the site and print them. Then everywhere you go, leave a few notes behind. Someone will find one, be surprised, and feel lovely. You might just make someone's day.

I'm definitely participating in this. I think it's wonderful and empowering. It's amazing how such a small, tiny gesture could impact someone's life.

If you're feeling really ambitious, you can even post your creative notes onto the group's Flickr pool.

So excited to get started on this!!

 

No one can take the place of you.
Do something hopeFULL.
Listen.
Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart.
Breathe.
Keep hope alive.
There Is Joy Yet To Be Found.
Today, tell someone you love, "I love you."
You are beautiful.

shes major

I LOVE Victoria Beckham. Always have. I know people think she's grumpy and never smiles, but when she does, she smiles with everything she has. In interviews, she's so so so sweet. She is very successful, puts her family first, and is just all around classy. (I know this because I read her book, That Extra Half Inch, okay? lol)

This pic was on Best Week Ever because Victoria made the word MAJOR into a new buzzword. I don't know if it's from GB or what, but it's a super fantabulously fun word, wouldn't you agree? Majorly cool.

Yes Victoria, Posh Spice (I'll tell you what I want what I really really want!), you are MAJOR!

(Oh yeah, and I think your husband is MAJORLY HOT.... eye candy.... MAJOR delish... )

this is HUGE!!!!

And that's ALL I can say. Stay tuned for details. Something BIG is comin' to the BLOG!!!

Thank You Mister Lester Lefton!!!!!!

For this, I owe you my life. (K maybe not) BUT - you are my new hero. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Glad you saw all the snow out your lovely little window and took pity on us overworked, overstressed, overtired nursing students (oh yeah and the other billion zillion students with easy majors.... lol) and gave us a little break.

I wish I could go find that silly little man and give him a big hug! I heart Lester Lefton!

Please Mister Lester Lefton!!

I'll be the first to admit I was just as reluctant to everyone else to welcome a man by the name of Lester A. Lefton to be new President of our fine university when Carol Cartwright retired a year or two ago. Lester A. Lefton.... doesn't it just have a funny ring to it? The name sounds so noble, yet a little silly, and well, we just didn't know.

But in he came.

He made changes, good changes and we realized that it was possible for Presidents to leave their office and actually listen to the students, the people who actually make the University what it is. He even began sending out "In A Flash: Weekly Message from President Lefton," these weekly emails that some whine and call boring, but honestly? Would you rather have a President who didn't care?? That's what I thought.

And with the advent of this friendly new man running our campus came this little thing called *snow days*. If I recall correctly, we did not have a single snow day under Cartwright's reign, but so far Lester has given us 2! Yep, I vividly recall missing Nutrition last spring in hmm, I believe it was March? and then 2 weeks ago, he gave us a Tuesday off. And now, pleeeease Lester, we love you and your kind ways.... today of all days, would you pleeeeease just grant us one more snow day? I'm still getting over the flu, we have a stupid make-a-drug-commercial project going on in lab (instructor thought that one up all on her own, imagine that), 10 drug sheets due (at least mine are done, but still, that's beside the point...), annnnd you know what? I'm tired. I need a nap. And I have lots of stuff to do because students- especially nursing students are people too. We're not study-zombies, much to everyone's disbelief.

So please, Mr. Lefton... I picture you sitting by the window in your second floor office of the Library (the tallest building in the entire Portage county, I'll have you know!)... snow coming down... you are pensive... hand on your chin, finger under your mouth... thinking... thinking... thinking.... "I know I cancelled morning classes, but should I cancel afternoon classes as well?" Keep thinking, Mr. Lefton. Look hard at the snow. Doesn't it just make you feel yucky and chilly? And you can even take a snow day too - surely being our President isn't that fun.

Please Mister Lester A. Lefton, pleeeeeeeasssseeee!!

Thank you :)

i almost forgot….

.... I'd like to give a shoutout to the best invention ever, well at least as far as I'm concerned... and for today at least... ;-)

Yep, Black Cherry Kool-Aid. Ever since I was a kid, this is my when-I'm-sick, go-to-drink of choice. This and apple juice (only 100% C will do! Preferably Juicy Juice or Tropicana, not Motts!). Well anywho.... this past few days I've gone through 3 large pitchers of Black Cherry Kool-Aid. Oh so delish.

Seriously, seriously good stuff. Just one of the life's many hidden secrets, I guess.....

Don't ask about my when-I'm-sick go-to-food of choice. That one might creep you out. Okay, okay, fine I know the suspense is killing you. Dry Cheerios and dry Froot Loops - must be a ratio of 3 Cheerios per 1 Froot Loop. With apple juice. Ohhhh now that's fine dining. But thanks to this being the flu and not something stomach-sparing like a bad head cold, strep throat, or sinus infection, fine dining hasn't been in my vocabulary for a few days now. :( Oh well, maybe next time!

sunday ramblings…

Still sick.... blah. Now the entire familia is sick. My mom and my sister both got it yesterday, and i'm still just doing absolutely nothing, sleeping for hours and hours and dealing with this awful, sore kind of pain all around my entire stomach which I'm sure is my muscles screaming at me for puking nonstop for a whole afternoon and evening. I would imagine that muscles don't like throwing up - it's hard work! lol

Anyyywho... back to school in the AM for my early morning lecture. I'm telling you what, this teacher like purposely comes in the morning and thinks to herself, "Hmm, how can I make the next 2 hours as completely unproductive as possible?" We learn barely anything in there, and it frustrates me to no end. She refuses to go through slides because she says we're grown ups now and we should surely be able to handle reading PowerPoints on our own. True. BUT. Yes, but. That does not give her the excuse to make us come to class (2 absences and she will deduct 10% from our final grade - no kidding) and sit there and nap on and off and she makes us fill in care maps that are something we do practically in our sleep anyways. I'm totally not amused. Here's to hoping I can stay awake - that's the main problem of late. lol

Then Tuesday, we have 10 drug sheets due in Lab and this ridiculous drug commercial project our instructor just randomly assigned last Tuesday. No one is happy about it, it's so stupid and a waste of time. I'm not one to complain about school stuff - I'm usually the nerd who likes anything and everything that relates to learning. But this week is where I draw the line.

Wednesday is clinical which I look forward to, so no issue there, then Thursday I'll probably be working on a bunch of Informatics assignments and projects that I've kind of been putting off.

Then come the weekend, can you believe it's gonna be MARCH?!

But yeah, that's what's on the almighty agenda. Gotta add some fun little sprinkles in there or I may just lose my mind. We'll see. :)

And as a parting note, here's a few pieces from one of my favorite sites, Post Secret.
(For those who don't know) PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mailin their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

Have a fantabulous week! :o)

Clincal Journal Entry #5: 2/20/2008

Today, our clinical goals were to chart vitals (my patient was q4h so I had to get 2 sets in the computer), and to actually complete and fully document a head-to-toe assessment with the co-signature of my instructor.

Kinda boring, right? But one thing I've learned is that there are no boring days as a nurse. The reasons vary, but the statement remains the same.

This week, my patient was especially exiting for me. He was in with a renal hemorrhage and failure to void. It was an obvious problem because he was on strict I&Os;, and they consistently asserted that he was receiving literally liters of fluid and only voiding a few hundred mL a day. I was extremely excited to solve this mystery. I worked with my instructor to think of where all of the fluid could be. Was it presenting as edema? Nope, he had no edema anywhere on his body. Was it lying around somewhere in his lungs? Nope, they were entirely CTA (clear to auscultation). Perhaps it was sitting in his bladder? The doctor ordered a bladder scan which my instructor observed me perform, and it showed only 197mL of fluid in his bladder - a far cry of a couple liters. Unfortunately, my 6 hour clinical wasn't long enough to see the mystery solve, but I'm so curious as to where they found that fluid! My best guess now is that it's somehow hidden in one of the intricacies of kidney physiology. The nephrologists were definitely called in, and I'd love to know what they had to say...

But back to nursing, today was a huge experience for me because I got to try and learn a bunch of new things. For one, my patient was legally blind due to macular degeneration, and he was very hard of hearing. It's amazing how much we take for granted. I consciously tried to speak slower and clearer and use more descriptive words and just remember that he couldn't see anything I assumed he could. This is definitely a skill we as nurses need to master. Especially when a patient is both blind and (to an extent) deaf, communication is severely hindered. A normal deaf person would be extra-competent in lip reading, but what about if he was blind, as well? A normal blind person would have an extra acute sense of hearing, but what if he was deaf, too? See the issues here? By the end of the day I was doing really well remembering to talk slowly, loudly, clearly, and explain things in great detail. Let the patient touch, feel, sense things. "Patient, can you feel this? This is what I'm going to put on your legs to help the blood flow better." Take the patient's hand and put it on the edge of the bed, "Here is the edge of your bed, okay?" "Here is your cup." "Here is your call button." Pointing won't get you anywhere, so you better make sure the patient can feel where it is. It's amazing how strong these patients' sense of tactility is. Early in the morning, I recall looking at the picture of an adorable baby on his bulletin board. "Who is this cute baby on your wall, Patient?" I asked. As soon as he made the strangest look on his face, I realized what I had done. He has no idea what I'm talking about! "Oh, I'm sorry, there is a picture of a cute little baby hanging on your wall." And then he realized it must be his new great-great-great granddaughter, and I asked him to tell me about his family. So it's a work in progress, but I learned a ton from this patient who was so patient with me as I worked on my blind-deaf communication skills. (I can't even imagine how hard it would be if a patient were blind and completely deaf!)

One of the first things I noticed in the morning was that Patient didn't have any leg compressors on. He had been in bed for a few days and was not very ambulatory (his nurse told me that even getting him up into the chair was a feat in itself), so I would definitely consider him at risk for pressure ulcers, DVTs, etc. Sure enough, there was an order in the computer for them. I told his RN that I couldn't find any pneumonic compressors in his room, and I thought he should definitely be on them, so she came into the room almost as if she didn't believe I couldn't find any. Sure enough, not in there. I was kind of upset that it took her probably 2-3 hours to feel like calling down for them (why don't they even keep those things on the floor?), and I was also upset that she, being his RN, did not notice that. Now I know you can play the "overworked, too many patients, etc etc" card, but still. That's too big of a risk to take. But I watched it, and I made sure I had those on his legs by the time I left.

Just did a bunch of little things during the day that added up to consist of a bunch of hours... Beds, baths, position changes, charting, assessments, vitals, I&Os;, the crazy computer system, ya knowwww.... :) I really did have fun with my patient though. He was such a sweet guy, definitely a joy to be with.

Right before we left for lunch and post-conference, Patient's IV kept beeping, claiming there was an occlusion. This went on for almost an hour, so RN finally decided we should pull it and put it in his forearm instead of in the bend of his arm where the tiniest movement would set it off. Of course I wasn't going to leave at the opportunity of a very competent nurse willing to teach me how to perform an IV insertion, so I bet you'll never guess whether I stayed to observe or left to meet for lunch.

Nurse inserted the IV very systematically, telling me what each step was and why she did it the way she did it. She taught me the trick of using alcohol pads to loosen tough tape adhesive and save Patient lots of discomfort from the tape ripping off his arm hair. She taught me what a good vein feels like and how you know when you're in. She even taught me why a Heplock is called a Heplock! (No, it's not because it's for heparin... it just used to be for heparin) Once the new IV was in and we had the tubing connected, she let me remove the old IV using the alcohol pad method and carefully just pulling the tubing straight out while applying pressure to prevent unnecessary bleeding. Very cool.

Then one of the best parts, Patient told me what a great nurse I was and how I'd made his day just by being there for him. Goal accomplished.

Then of course, post-conference was fun - it's always cool to hear how everyone's day went and what everyone else learned. It's so amazing how different, yet similar, our learning experiences all are. I really love this thing called nursing and honestly, when it comes all down to it, it's my patients that keep me going. Sometimes the going gets so rough but then I just picture them and how they told me I made a difference in their lives, and suddenly I'm centered again. Our instructor made a big point in post-conference about how one's life experiences impact who they are as a nurse and I can't agree more. It's the reason I'm here, while it's the reason I have to fight much harder than others to stay here. It's the reason empathizing is easy and I think it also might just be the reason I don't mind my alarm clock only on Wednesdays

Amazing. All this stuff... Life stuff... Good stuff... Kinda like a crazy miracle, don't you agree?

saturday funnies!

I think we need some extra funnies this lovely Saturday morning.

Long week at school = not funny
1 panic attack = not funny
A messy room = not funny
Freezing cold weather = not funny
Spending Thursday night in the ER shivering and vomiting my guts out = not funny

Catch my drift? I'm just now getting over a really bad case of the flu - even though I I did receive my flu shot, thank you very much. But apparently this year, they didn't get the strains right so I hear this is pretty common. Trust me, you all better get the flu shot next year because this alone makes me want to vow never to miss a flu shot again. If I was this close to death with a flu shot, can you even imagine not getting one in the first place? No thanks. K, there's my little rant of the day. Bring on the funnies!

And in honor of the Wii that has been gracing our home for over a week or two now...

Yeah, Jonathan found out Best Buy had Wiis in stock, so following in PS2 tradition, everyone in the family ran up there and bought one so we could get one for ourselves and sell the rest on eBay to pay for ours and hopefully make a little extra, too. So this past week has been filled with eBay and Madden and Guitar Hero and all things Wii. But I guess that's better than last week - I think everyone in the family was suffering from "Wii-ritis" as Jonathan calls it... well, except for me. I haven't played on the Wii yet. Too busy.

Didn't really do too much this past week, just lots of homework, American Idol (I seriously vowed not to watch this season, but seriously... one episode and you're hooked. Bad. Very very bad) and little annoying errands. And Hales got a haircut - she look sooo cute! That was Thursday morning, and probably around 3 or 4 I started getting this really huge, strong pressure in my stomach so I took a phenergan thinking I could just sleep it off, but when I woke up and immediately started vomiting, I had a feeling this was more than my usual nausea. I threw up until nothing was even left in my stomach, I was crying in pain, and I was so weak I couldn't even stand. With my other health concerns, we decided I'd be best in the ER, so off we went. Sure enough, just a bad case of the stomach flu. Nothing 2L of saline, a bunch of bentyl and some other drugs, and a nice nurse who looked like Reese Witherspoon couldnt fix. :) I'm not near par yet, but at least I'm not puking my guts out. I never throw up ever, and now I know why I am thankful for that. In the past probably 11 years, I've only had one vomiting incident and that was when I was choking (long story). So here's to hoping for another 11 years like that, right? GET YOUR FLU SHOT NEXT YEAR!!!!

Friday Fill In #60

There was no Friday Fiver today, so here's the Friday Fill In #60!

1. Learning, new experiences, time with family and friends, and just a loss of structured time is the best thing about traveling.
2. I love a good comfy boyfriend when I'm cold.
3. I often use my pretty iMac!.
4. I'm reading TV Guide Magazine right now; I plan my DVR around it.
5. Money is something I dislike talking about.
6. When I visited the endo unit last week in clinicals, I most looked forward to seeing an EGD with banding! (Medical nerd, I know...).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to popping some antiemetics, tomorrow my plans include getting over this dumb flu and Sunday, I want to get good rest for the week.

it’s worth your time

please watch this. step aside from all of the fleeting, trivial stressors of your day, and spend 10 minutes to dwell on the good stuff

lately it just won’t go away

the thoughts are so vivid, the torment so paralyzing

and honestly??

Image from PostSecret.com

Clinical Journal Entry #4: 2/13/2008

Soooo late - soooo sorry! I had a really rough past few days, but last week's clinical experience was a great one, and it went a little something like this...

This week in clinical was my most fun experience so far. It was my turn to have an Alternate Experience day in the hospital's endoscopy center, so I spent the day helping with a total of 7 patients: 4 with colonoscopies, 1 with a bronchoscopy, 1 with both a colonoscopy and endoscopy (EGD), and 1 with an EGD with variceal banding.

I spent the day working with a team of two nurses and a doctor - one of the nurses being my 3-year-old Sunday School teacher at church! Although the procedures were all very organized and similar, the patients definitely made each experience very different.

For the most part, we would take a patient in, get a set of baseline vitals, give them a nasal cannula, and RN1 would administer around 50mg IVP of demerol (meperidine) and 4mg IVP of midozolam (versed), depending on if the doctor thought they needed more or not.

Once the patient was mildly sedated, Dr. would perform the procedure. RN1 and I monitored the vitals, and RN2 assisted the doctor with whatever tools he needed, as well as helping him adapt and maneuver the scopes. Over the course of the day, Dr. explored the GI tracts of half a dozen patients, cauterizing sigmoid polyps to destroy any remaining potentially-cancerous tissue, and removing and biopsying pre-cancerous polyps. He was a phenomenal teacher and was very friendly and respectful of me and his nurses. He made sure he explained to me every single thing we saw on the screen as we watched what the scope was passing by - all of the anatomical landmarks, all of the normal and abnormal tissues, etc. He explained etiology, treatment options, and all kinds of fascinating things.

I learned so much more from the colonoscopies and EGDs as well. Our male patients were pretty easy - they talked to us, maybe complained of a tiny bit of discomfort, but were overall fine. The females, on the other hand, were extremely difficult. Even our sweetest patients became hard to handle, and one even became a little combative. There was a lot of moaning and screaming, and it took three of us to hold one woman down. I wondered why the women were tougher cases, but Dr. and the nurses explained that they have their reproductive organs in the colon area, and women who have had abdominal surgery (such a c-sections) have scarring, and things are just kind of piled in there, so the intestines have far more sharp turns and twists than men. Thankfully, the procedures are only around 20-minutes long, and getting in is the hardest part - getting out is usually easier, so a bunch of hand holding and deep breathing comes in really helpful to get the patients through the most uncomfortable parts.

For the bronchoscopy, I took a break from RN1, RN2, and Dr. and joined 2 other RNs and a pulmonologist. They partially sedated the patient before inserting a bronchoscope into his nostril and taking it down his trachea and into his lungs, exploring his bronchi searching for blood clots. It was fascinating to see the inside of the lungs, and I was very happy that they were unable to find any blood clots.

Our last patient of the day was in for an EGD and esophageal banding. I found that very interesting. He had a case of liver disease caused by cryptogenic cirrhosis (cirrhosis without a known cause) although Dr. and other doctors now believe an obese lifestyle and/or type 2 diabetes is the cause behind it. Anyhow, when liver disease causes a buildup in scar tissue,the closing off of many of the liver's blood vessels (something called portal hypertension) occurs. The portal vein, being venus, carries impure blood back to the lungs to be cleaned. The liver processes liters of blood a day, but with portal hypertension, there is increased resistance due to the blockage of all of the scar tissue. As a result, the blood has to get out however it can, so it just pushes harder, and the pressure backs up through the portal vein which creates varices inside the esophagus and also the stomach. With all of the increased pressure, they have a risk of bursting and obviously bleeding, so it is necessary to perform endoscopies to check the size and amount of varices, and a banding attachment (invented by a doctor at Dr.'s med school overseas!) is used to obliterate the largest, riskiest varices. Basically, it opens wide, places a tiny rubber band around the base of the varice, and closes it so the band tightens and cuts off the blood flow. Within a few days, the varice just shrinks and falls off. Doctors used to just inject them with poison, but that is old technology, and now it's just the stubborn older doctors who use that method.

See, I learned so much this week. I learned if you don't ask questions, you won't know anything. The more you ask, the more you'll learn - especially with great nurses and a great doctor like I worked with that day. I loved having visuals to associate with the inner-workings of the human body, and I it really just helps clarify a lot of the body's physiology. Also, I learned a lot from the nurses - the role of the RN in endoscopy is to assist the doctor, monitor the patients vitals, administer anesthesia, comfort the patients, and definitely orchestrate the flow of the day. The nurses are really the backbone of the unit. I also noticed that especially in such a busy unit, it's absolutely imperative to be on your feet and observe everything that goes on. You never know when you could help another nurse or a doctor prevent an error that they may be too occupied with something else to see. Multi-tasking and just general acuity are key, and being on a unit that performs tests only, you definitely get a prime opportunity to hold a lot of scared hands.

My day in endo was a great learning experience I'll never forget.

I've really been dragging for the past week or so, and on days like today, if it weren't for my patients, I would have no reason to get out of bed.

Gotta. Keep. Going.

BUT... Can't wait for tomorrow. I hope I can muster up some hope to share.

here come the kittehhhhs…..

Some blah-Tuesday funnies for ya... Courtesy, of course, of I Can Has Cheezburger?

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aktually, is teh way to narnia!

sry, but purrito is no edibles

teh beuaty queens, dey fail at maps

late saturday funnies!

every morning, dad and i read "pearls before swine" in the comics section of the paper. here's a few recent funnies :)

TGIF!

Here we go...

Friday Fill In #59 & Friday Fiver

Friday Fill-In

1. Snowdrops are umm, drops of snow? Never heard of them before.
2. I'm going to wake up sometime today, right?
3. The Story by Brandi Carlile is a song whose lyrics have meaning to me.
4. Just one sip and I'm thirsty for more.
5. With my fiance is where I'm happiest.
6. I believe that love and pain is a necessary part of life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing, tomorrow my plans include homework and Sunday, I want to I really don't care! Fun, right? I'm so worn out!

Friday Fiver
When the sun beats down

1. 1. Favorite shoes?
   I'm gonna have to go with these...
   
   Pink floral in a size 6, please :)
2. What time does the sun set near you?
   Ummm.... 6:30? I have no idea
3. Do you like spending time in the sun?
   Sometimes... Depends on what I'm doing
4. Do you burn or tan?
   Most definitely tan. Prevent skin cancer and USE SUNSCREEN!!!
5. Monopoly: yay! or no way!
   Umm hello... YAY!
6. What comes easy to you?
   Loving
7. What did you dream about recently?
   I had all kinds of random nightmares last night, I don't remember what they were about though

Make it a great weekend, everyone! :o)

such a complicated holiday…

Postsecret: A Valentine Video

from PostSecret.com

Here are a few of my favorite Valentine's images they posted:

When love becomes a conflict of interest...

When love leaves too soon

When a half of love is superficial

When love is lost

When love is truly unconditional

When love dies, but our hearts can't let go

When love is meant to be but you just don't know it yet

When love drives our life

Love is so complicated. So inexplainable. You can't question it or look for logic behind it, you just go with it. Pursue it. And hold on tight when you find it. Trust me, it's soooo worth it.

15 years ago to this very day…

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think this one is worth quite a few more.

15 years, 5,475 days... that's half a billion seconds, and at least that many memories, thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams.

I need closure, but it's pretty hard when you have a picture like this, tangible scars, and vivid flashbacks that can't be stopped. There's no denying that the issue is still wide open. I know I'm stronger, I know I should rise above it, but why is it just so hard?? I know I'm much better than I ever was before, but why is that last little bit of acceptance just so hard??

Happy Valentine's Day.

LOVE steps forth

When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open and love steps forth to heal everything in sight.
Michael Bridge

That quote is probably one of my all-time favorite quotes. It really sums up my beliefs and aspirations all in one sentence. On that note, I have lots of blogging to do and it all stems back to that! And this post isn't even about Valentine's Day. We'll save that for tomorrow. :)

Find 30 minutes.

First off, in the wake of National Library Month, today is This City Reads 5th Annual Day of Reading. All you have to do is sign up your name and agree to read for at least 30 minutes today.

• What? This City Reads! is the community's alliance of organizations that champion and leverage the power of reading to promote the future success of families, individuals, and businesses in Greater Akron/Summit County. {Quoted from last year's annual report}


• Who? If you can read or have ears to listen, it better be YOU. Illiteracy rates are astonishingly high. You probably know at least a few people who you'd be shocked to find out are illiterate. Seriously. It's a big issue, and we need to join together as a community to read, read to our children, and encourage our children to read. My angel mother instilled reading in me from the very beginning of my life and I am sick just thinking about how many children are denied that basic essential that many of us take for granted. Cultivate reading.


• Where? Northeastern Ohio


• Why? Because it matters


• When? Today


• How? Sign up here.

As an alliance, This City Reads! believes:

• Reading is everyone's business


• An information-based economy requires everyone to read;


• Reading soars when family, school, and community collaborate;


• First you learn to read, then you read to learn;
• Reading is essential to improving quality of life; and


• Reading is fundamental to responsible citizenship.

The goals of This City Reads! are to:

• Leverage impact;


• Engage the community;


• Connect individuals and families with resources; and


• Champion the collaborative model.

Secondly, I never reported in on clinicals last Wednesday!

Clinical Journal Entry #4: 2/6/2008

Last week was absolutely crazy, but I soooo enjoyed it! I had a patient in for CMS and was expecting just your garden variety dementia, but and was surprised to find out it was caused by alcohol withdrawal and she was in for detox. Long story short, it was a very tough experience, but I found that I left that day feeling more fulfillment than I’d ever felt. She was so vulnerable, closed, and her eyes just screamed fear. Between the withdrawal and all of her medications, she was in and out of it, but just by establishing trust by making her feel valuable and showing her I truly cared, I was amazed at how much she opened up to me. She was so cooperative for me during vitals and assessment, and I even got her to eat some jell-o and drink some juice, and I was thrilled when she reached for her cup and I helped her hold it herself. After breakfast, she agreed to remain sitting up, and I was so proud of her. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but even a tiny bit of independence is a huge deal for many patients.

With my patient, I definitely got experience doing tasks like head-to-toe assessments, I&Os;, emptying a Foley, a quick-on-my-feet pulse issue, etc. but most importantly, I discovered patience I didn’t even know I possessed, and I also got to really focus on communication skills and critical thinking.

Then of course, we got more bed and bath practice - both on my patient and her roommate- and I worked with one of the aides who taught me some really helpful tricks. See, I’m learning if you are friendly and make it clear that you want to learn, there’s no way you can’t.

But the day didn’t end there. Not even close.

My instructor answered a patient’s call light just for the fun of it, and it turned out there was a patient who had an accident in a chair. We couldn’t just leave him to wait for an aide or someone to come clean him up, so I told my instructor I’d handle it. I rounded up my friend, and I think an aide on the floor saw how clueless we looked as we gathered our supplies, so he showed us the easiest, most efficient way to clean up the patient and get him comfortable in bed. The patient was a charming man, and we knew he must be embarrassed, so we just focused on talking to him about his family, his interests, etc., and it was amazed how it really lessened his discomfort.

By the end of the day, I had a little over a half hour left, so I asked my instructor if there was anything I could do. She was just then teaching my friend how to irrigate her patient’s Foley, so of course I was super excited to jump right in and learn something you don’t just see everyday. I was so shocked at how many blood clots can come out of a Foley, but most of all, I felt so badly for the patient who was obviously in extreme discomfort as the solution is room temperature - about 25* cooler than body temperature. Our instructor was doing most of the work, so I took the opportunity to hold Patient’s hand and rub his arm. I was so happy for him when we were done, but I was most definitely excited to learn something new.

A few other things went on, but those are just the main points. My favorite parts of the day were comforting both mine and my friend’s patient. That's the heart and soul of nursing, the reason why I'm in this. I loved how fast-paced the day went and how I had so many opportunities to do different tasks. I definitely learned that the nursing aides are infinite wealths of knowledge, and they can really make the journey a lot easier. I’m definitely learning if you utilize all of your resources, ask questions like your life depends on it (because someone’s life does depend on it!), practice critical thinking, love from the bottom of your heart, and exercise creativity the rest of the way, there’s really no way you can’t learn and make the most of this...

Loving every minute of it!

Clinical Journal Entry #5: 2/13/2008

Coming tomorrow!!!

Today was even better - I love this so much I'm actually starting to wonder if it's just the "Honeymoon Phase" and it's going to wear off. But I'm determined not to let that happen. I really think this is just that good. It's crazy, and seriously crazy hard, but I am thriving. Anyways, today was my third day in the hospital, and it was my turn for Alternate Experience Day in Endoscopy. I really, really performed many works of my heart, literally watched healing before my eyes, and was in awe of the mystery of the human body and the hidden strength of the most battered souls including mine. All I need to do is see that I've comforted someone, made them smile... never do I feel so complete. Even when I'm fighting my own vivid memories. But more on today, tomorrow...

But for now, Listen to your heart. Pursue its dreams with passion, and heal with love. Be prepred to be *amazed*. That's what this crazy miracle is all about.

8 things - tag time!

8 Passions in My Life:
- Serving my Lord
- My fiance Jonathan
- My princess furbaby Haylie Brooke
- Realizing the beauty of life and submersing myself in learning
- Nursing (why else would I about kill myself to get through 5 years of school??)
- Reading (books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, anything!)
- Making stuff! (Scrapbooking, beading, sewing... I like to dabble in it all)
- Shopping (especially online!!)

8 Things to Do before I Die:
- Go back to Paris
- Wake up with the one I love by my side
- Experience childbirth (preferably sans drugs, but hey... ask me when the time comes and the answer might be different!)
- Get my masters degree (well, right now finishing my bachelors would be a start!)
- Be self-controlled enough to stick to a strict budget
- Save a life
- Go far away, no commitments, no strings attached
- Be graceful, content, and calm 24-7

8 Things I Often Say:
- Are you serious?
- I wuvs you
- Riley, NO!
- Are you doing okay? -or- Can you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten for me, one being low, ten being the worst? -or - Can you squeeze my fingers? -or- It's okay. -or- I'll be right back.
- K, talk to ya later
- I was like...
- What do you wanna do tonight?
- K, I'm takin a nap now

8 Books I've Read Recently:
- My precious Bible
- My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
- Captivating by John & Stasi Eldridge
- The Heartache No One Sees by Sheila Walsh
- Blogging with Moxie by Joelle Reeder
- Which of this semester's 13 textbooks should I name? Hmmm.....
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- I read so many magazines that they should count as a whole book: Time, Newsweek, Domino, TV Guide, Lucky, Cosmo, Creating Keepsakes, Martha Stewart Living, Modern Bride, Brides, Elegant Brides... (I could go on forever...)

8 Songs That Mean Something to Me
- My Heart by Third Day
- She's the One by Robbie Williams
- I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman
- Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's
- When It Don't Com Easy by Patty Griffin
- Home by Michael Buble
- Songbird by Eva Cassidy
- Capri by Colbie Caillat

8 Qualities I Look for in a Friend
- Honesty
- Loyalty
- Fun
- Kindness
- Patience
- Responsible
- Sweet
- Respects herself

8 TV Shows I Never Miss:
- Grey's Anatomy (stupid writers strike....)
- One Tree Hill
- Project Runway
- American Idol
- Notes from the Underbelly
- Best Week Ever
- The Office (thanks to my fiance)
- Beauty and the Geek (new season starts soon!)

8 Radio Shows I Listen To:
- Definitely not a radio kind of girl... sorry

the cutest thing…

Is this little girl not the absolute cutest, sweetest thing you have ever laid eyes on??

Happy Library Lovers’ Month!!

February is Library Lovers' Month.

My Library
by Varda One

It's only a room with shelves and books,
but it's far more magical than it looks
It's a jet on which I soar
to lands that exist no more.

Or a key with which I find
answers to questions crowding my mind.

Building my habit of learning and growing,
asking and researching till I reach knowing.

Here, I've been a mermaid and an elf
I've even learned to be more myself.

I think that I shall never see
a place that's been more useful to me.

With encouraging kind friends with wit
Who tell me to dream big and never quit.

It's only a room with shelves and books,
but it's far more magical than it looks.

I love to read, and I know it's mostly due to my mother who read to me religiously since well, probably my first days of life. I can remember going to our public library all the time with my mom and sister, and I'd look forward to Summer when we could join the reading contest. I think I was the only kid in my elementary school classes who loved Library Class, and I'm absolutely positive I won the award for being most fascinated with the Dewey Decimal System. I loved library field trips, and there was nothing more fun than signing my name in my best second-grade-cursive on the back of a shiny, new library card. I loved Story Time days, American Girl events, and I loved, loved, loved the new book section where I'd select just the perfect big-girl "chapter book." Chapter books... now that was big stuff.

Even now, my fascination with libraries has not subsided. What would I possibly do if I owned all of those books? Well in all actuality, they are just as good as mine - I have access to every one of them, and it would be a lie to say I couldn't learn anything I wanted because so many people have written so many books full of ideas, histories, teachings, and fairy tales.... and each one of them is at the library.

So rediscover your library this month. Go get a book and indulge yourself in it. Return it on time. Be nice to the librarians - they are lovely people and are all wealths of knowledge.

The library is yours, so don't you think it's about time you paid it a visit?

Download these bookmarks and share the love.

*shine*

Love Anna Nalick. Can't wait for the new CD :)

When I grow up…

... I'm gonna marry a doctor!

What girl at some point doesn't think that? Thing is, most of us really believe it for a while. Like this girl. She's so serious about it that she has an elaborate plan! Myself being a little princess who spent most of her childhood believing she was going to marry a MD, I can't help but laugh. Sometimes life just has this crazy way of getting in the way of your dreams, but it's really amazing when whatever hidden thing it has in store ends up being even better. I'm so in love with my not-MD!!! Much more in love than I'd be with any physician, I'm sure. :)

Put your guard down and embrace fate's destiny. Sometimes life is fully of lovely surprises if you're not expecting any.

Take it as you will...

it’s crunch time!

So my first Interventions exam is tomorrow. It's over material in 3 or 4 of our books (aka "doorstops" according to Jen), plus some pages in the syllabus that aren't even in a book. Then there's lecture slides, nursing journal articles, and lab material. Plus behind this thing are some of the sneakiest. nastiest test-writers in the history of academia.

I always forget how easy it is to forget how much I love this when I'm blinded by the shadow of a looming exam. I have to get grounded and think about how I actually enjoy reading the textbooks, I enjoy going to lecture, I enjoy learning techniques in lab, and God knows how much I absolutely adore my clinical days. When the exams, assignments, and papers pile up, it's so easy to forget how much I've really learned and how much I thrive being immersed in this lifestyle of intelligent caring.

And so I take a deep breath and remember:

What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.
Alfred Mercier

It's in there - it's a part of me. I just have to forget about the big, scary tests and enjoy the journey. It's all part of the game. :)

friday time!

Friday Fill In #58 & Friday Fiver

Friday Fill-In

1. I'm looking forward to Monday afternoon because that means my first interventions exam is over!
2. Versailles is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.
3. I've fallen in love with doubt.
4. Six of one, I have no idea what that means.
5. Addiction is a fascinating thing.
6. The kittehs crack me up!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed, tomorrow my plans include studying and Sunday, I want to get some solid studying accomplished!

Friday Fiver

1. Do you like the thrill of a chase? It depends. I do thrive on shopping chases - you know, when you find that item you just HAVE to have but can't find it anywhere... That's seriously fun.
2. What winds you up? What doesn't?
3. Are you a loud talker? Sometimes, I guess
4. What comes easy to you? Following my motivations
5. What did you dream about recently? Horrible, frightening things

have a fantabulous weekend!

to me…

... you are perfect <3

a life worth living…

The measure of a life worth living is not comfort.
The measure of a life worth living is engagement.
Todd Henry

food for thought…

There were 3 good arguments that Jesus was Black:

1. He called everyone "brother"
2. He liked the Gospel
3. He didn't get a fair trail

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Jewish:

1. He went into His Father's business
2. He lived at home until He was 33
3. He was sure His mother was a virgin and His mother was sure He was God

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Italian:

1. He talked with His hands
2. He had wine with His meals
3. He used olive oil

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was a Californian:

1. He never cut His hair
2. He walked around barefoot all the time
3. He started a new religion

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was an American Indian:

1. He was at peace with nature
2. He ate a lot of fish
3. He talked about the Great Spirit

But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Irish:

1. He never got married.
2. He was always telling stories.
3. He loved green pastures.

But the most compelling evidence of all...
3 proofs that Jesus was a woman:

1. He fed a crowd at a moment's notice when there was virtually no food
2. He kept trying to get a message across to a bunch of men who just didn't get it
3. And even when He was dead, He had to get up because there was still work to do.

{courtesy of my wonderful cousin}

N20030: Clinical Journal Entry #3

Well there's this little thing called HIPAA.... and I would feel absolutely awful if I did anything even remotely close to violating it, so in effort to prevent patient privacy, my patient-related posted journal entries will now be very vague , but I am in this for my patients and out of respect for them, this is how it will be.

This week was our first patient care day of our entire nursing careers. Monday I came down with an awful virus, and on Tuesday, my doctor put me on steroids to try to get me some kind of relief. I spent the majority of the week in bed, missing lab and a few classes, but I was determined not to miss Clinical. I was first worried about the safety of my patients, but Marcia told me if I didn't have a fever, I'd be fine to take care of them. Wednesday morning came, and sure enough, I didn't have a fever, so I wasn't about to give in and stay home. Although I felt so sick by the end of the day I could have curled up and died, I'm really proud of myself for making such an effort and doing what needed to be done, and I'm not always the best at things like that.

Anyhow, the day went great. It was such a crazy experience to actually be a nurse in a hospital with real patients!! It was fun though, and it flew by in a whirlwind, but here is what I recall. I had a nice woman in her 60s with dyspnea, a cough, and underlying anxiety problems. Our responsibilities for the day were just bedbaths and making beds, but my patient was very adamant abotu wanting to bathe herself. I wanted to give her as much independence as possible, but with her condition, ambulating to the shower was a concern. I worked with the RN to see how we could modify the plan and let her safely bathe herself. RN and I worked together to accomplish our goal, and I was very happy about that. (As was my patient!) I was also able to relieve a lot of her stress using therapeutic communication.

Also, I helped my friend Stephanie with her patient, and that was a pretty funny story. Let's just say we were such kind, accommodating newbie nursing students that we gave this woman a bed bath before realizing she was fully ambulatory. And since she was so excited to be getting "pampered" (her words, not mine!) we didn't think a thing of it. Until, of course, the RN came in and asked Patient why she wasn't giving herself her own bath. Patient's reply? "Why I was just feeling lazy!" When RN left, Patient told us RN was just kidding. Riiiiight....

But all in all, we had a whirlwind of a day, but looking back, it was fun, and I met my goal of making my patients smile, making their days a little better. We grabbed lunch after meeting the floor nurse manager in post conference, met for an OR orientation in preparation for our Alternative Experience days, and then we were off to complete care maps, drug sheets, etc. And take naps. :)

Looking back, I think I had a great first day of clinical. My patient and Stephanie's were great patients for us and were very receptive and cooperative to everything we needed to do or ask (well, with the exception of Steph's patient taking advantage of her free bed bath!) I was so glad that I got my patient to calm down just by chatting about her family, etc. Both patients told us that we had made them very happy, which is one of my daily clinical goals, so I was very happy as well. Next time, I will be more careful to make sure that I do everything I can to promote patient independence instead of just doing what I think I am supposed to do just because it's what we did in lab the week before. I'm glad I was able to be flexible and work with RN to find a way for my patient to be self-sufficient in her activities of daily living instead of just opting to give her a bed bath, which would have been much easier (albeit less therapeutic) taking her condition into consideration.

Next week we'll be working on taking regular vitals and charting them while of course, still focusing on making sure the patients on our floor arrive at and maintain a state of being medically stable and functionally able. :)

sat am funnies

Okay, okay, so maybe I'm a little too addicted to this I Can Has Cheezburger site but I find their pics, the pic captions, and even the lines under the pictures quite hilarious.

Here's probably way too many, but hey, it's Saturday. Don't we deserve a laugh or two???

angelina kitteh noze the importance of adopshun... wheres teh brad?

get in mah belleh!
n afterwurdz. u may rub mah belly.

one hole for sit, one for fud!
plz to maek sure the other bowl is teh fud…

emo cat maiks a fwend.
u can be teh mah space fwiendz…

dorky jr high pic... dis me grade 7
n dis wen ur mommy dressd u up for teh babee pix! *snorgies!!!*

Tank u captin obvius.
and teh captin is abouts to lose teh finger. hee hee

we has resurvashun... we call last week
yah, dat not gonna wurk wif french kitteh…

The plants... they tell me fings
wow, dat’s just crazy. plants cant talk. *sarcasm/ironies* hee hee

jus’ chillin’ wif my peep.
but dat won’t last too long…

You're Fired! whered i seez dat toupay before?

One day...
I’ll be Pope!
Badum pshhh. *knee slapping* Fank u fuh teh punnies!

New Years Resolution: More time on Treadmill
yah, howz dat going? feeel da burn!

If anybodiz findedz this video, I iz held captive by hoomans
um, sum hoomans may disagrees dere… sumtimes we feel captive by teh kittehlords…

and yessssss, how awesome is this?! for my new iPhone!

And why oh why do I have a feeling I could find a stupid picture of Riley somewhere to submit to that site? Hmmm.... Pink piggies? Strike a pose? Gangsta-Ri? Where would we begin? Haylie's just way too stinking cute to make it on there and sound like a dummy kitteh ;-) "snorgies"!! lol wow, isn't amazing how funny life becomes when you're running on 2 1/2 hours of sleep?? pcz *

my shiny new pretty!!!

No, no, not my beautiful engagement ring... but my newwww iPhonnneeee!!!!! Totally excited. I've had this thing for under 24 hours and I'm already in LOVE! I no longer must envy my fiance, and I am going to have to pimp it out in rhinestones or something or else we'll get them confused (just like we get our twin laptops confused, lol)

Also, I'm feeling super great because im donating my old phone to a support network for battered women. Go to Wireless Fundraiser to join me next time you find an old cell phone. There are also many other types of non-profits who have great uses for old cell phones. Don't let your old cell go in a heap of trash. Go green, and help out others while you're at it. Please.

Here it is.... And Ri. She's guarding it with her life. (While she's taking a nap)

Bom-chic-a-wah-wah :)

it’s that day of the week again…

Friday Fill In #57 & Friday Fiver

Friday Fill-In

1. 1. Once I was sad.
2. 2. I'm sick of being sick.
3. 3. Today at work I got our new iPhones set up!
4. 4. What's this crazy miracle called life all about?
5. 5. If I make a mistake, I try to learn from it.
6. 6. When I woke up this morning, I thought It's iPhone day!!!!!.
7. 7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing my fiance and showing him my new iPhone, tomorrow my plans include watching my boytoy shine and Sunday, I want to not be stressed about school this week! :)

Friday Fiver
The Feelings That I Feel

1. 1. What are you set on? Figuring out how to manipulate life to work it out for everyone's best interest
2. 2. What do you have to do right? Everything!
3. 3. Have any kids? Just my furbaby princess Haylie and a few itty bitties deep inside my heart <3
4. 4. Are you patient? Not with myself
5. 5. I know if I put my mind to it, I can rock the world.

happy feBruArY everyone!! be blessed! :)