Med-Surg Week One --> DONE!

Whew, what a busy week. I'd like to say it went by fast, but it hasn't, its still only Thursday!  

I had an exam and then long day of class on Monday, slept in Tuesday but was at class and orientation all evening, then all day Weds and today I was at CUMC taking care of a patient on the medical-surgical floor...  Things went fine, nothing too thrilling or exciting happened - which I guess is good since everyone on the unit is unstable, thats why they are there!  My patient was getting ready to be discharged to a nursing home so he was doing pretty well and care was similar to everything I did in long-term care clinicals first semester.  One new thing 

was that he had a G-Tube, which is a tube surgically inserted into a 

specific place in his large intestine in order for him to receive medicine, food, and water.  He needs this because he is unable to swallow safely.  So I got to give feedings and meds through this which was a new challenge for me.  I actually did it pretty well, and only managed to make a very tiny mess (which apparently is really impressive)!  

On top of all that I've been working on a TON of homework they assign us during this med-surg rotation as well as regular homework for class.... 

Lets just say I haven't been this excited for the weekend in a while - I am ready for a relaxing evening with Jeremy tomorrow.  We have no big plans besides relaxing, watching lots of HOUSE episodes on DVD, maybe see that movie "New In Town" and then maybe a Superbowl Party or two!

Another Funny Medical Video...

I'm taking a quick break from studying (and watching Jeremy make us a yummy dinner) to post a video that my normally very serious and straight-laced teacher sent out to us with the information that "laughter really is good medicine"....  Turn on your sound and enjoy!  

 

Manic Monday!

Wow today was so overwhelming.

Our first day of class 8-5. Literally 8am until 5pm of lectures... okay we got an hour for lunch but thats all. It was tiring and overwhelming and frustrating and a million other emotions all wrapped up into nine hours in the same classroom. I think this semester is going to really test us, and make us work very hard for our degree. We got assigned like three group projects, three papers and a ton of other tests and assignments. I hope I am overreacting and once our routine gets going I will feel better about it all... only time will tell, wish me luck!!

Back to School, Back to School

Ah well, its back to school time for me. No more staying up late watching episode after episode of HOUSE with Jeremy then sleeping till 11am... which was quite relaxing while it lasted!  Yesterday was the first day back, of course they started us at 0730 and of course it was freeeezing cold and of course they handed us a plethora of papers and due dates and exam dates and generally just tried to explain nicely that this semester is going to suck. Other then that, it went ok... Lots of lecture and some videos on how to to tracheostomy care,
specimen collection and IV insertion


ready, GO! pretty much.  Today was better, but COLDER. The news before class said it was -15 outside, and then factor in the wind-chill and it feels like -30. NEGATIVE THIRTY. This is definitely the coldest weather I have ever been in!  Ah well, they say we are in for some warm weather this weekend... a warm 40 degrees!  It seems like everywhere is cold lately though... except maybe not Hawaii... Hawaii sounds nice!

Anyways, after a few weeks of class we start clinical again. I am happy to say I have my med-surg rotation first.  I get to watch a full surgery in February which should be exciting!  I don't find out what type of surgery until I show up that day, but hopefully its an interesting one :)  After 4 weeks of med-surg I have my psych rotation, and then pediatrics.  Going to be a fun semester for clinicals thats for sure!    I'll keep you all posted don't worry :)

this makes me want to graduate even sooner...!

Nursing industry desperate to find new hires
Chronically understaffed field isn’t being affected by down economy

Associated Press
updated 4:06 p.m. CT, Mon., Jan. 5, 2009

MILWAUKEE - Please, please accept a high-paying job with us. Just swing by for an interview and we'll give you a chance to win cash and prizes.

Sounds too good to be true, especially in an economy riddled with job cuts in nearly every industry. But applicants for nursing jobs are still so scarce that recruiters have been forced to get increasingly inventive.

One Michigan company literally rolled out a red carpet at a recent hiring event. Residential Home Health, which provides in-home nursing for seniors on Medicare, lavished registered nurses and other health care workers with free champagne and a trivia contest hosted by game-show veteran Chuck Woolery. Prizes included a one-year lease for a 2009 SUV, hotel stays and dinners.......


((click on the title to read the rest of the article!))

Back to Real Life... Sorta

Well we made it safely back to Omaha on Saturday... the trip was relatively uneventful, but we did have to almost run to our connecting flight in Denver and so we never had time to eat and apparently our suitcases didn't have time to get on our plane SO we landed in Omaha with no luggage. The airline delivered it Sunday afternoon, we had barely woken up so it was perfect timing! I didn't want to start laundry before then anyways :)

Today brought real life back to Jeremy, back to work this morning. I however have another few days off, I start school at 7:30am next Weds. So nice of our teachers to start us nice and early the first day back isn't it?! Oh well... only one long semester to go, and then a short summer session and I'm done!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years and wish you the best in 2009!
I will be adding all the pictures from our trip to Shutterfly hopefully today (some are already up) so check those out when you get a chance.

Planes Trains & Automobiles (part 2, the story)

Well now thats its been a few days since the whole ordeal happened, I can't tell the story quite as expressively, but here goes.

So we started out leaving Omaha on time on Sunday the 21st... we made it to Denver, early in fact. We go to our next gate, all looks well, the plane is slightly delayed about 20 minutes but thats all, so we head upstairs to get some food. While in line, I get a phone call from a 1800 number, which seems odd, so I answer it (already having a bad feeling). Of course it is United Airlines automated call telling me that our flight has been canceled and we HAVE NOT been rebooked on another flight. Ick. A few phone calls to my dad and we pretty much can do nothing but get in the customer service line with the other 5 million people who are now stuck in Denver. After about 45 minutes on the phone but NOT getting ahold of United (I was on hold) and about two hours in line... we make friends with the people in front of us, and luckily, one of them gets a hold of a United ticket agent on the phone. She is told there are seats available on the flight to San Fransisco that leaves in like 20 minutes but that is all - None to Portland or Seattle. So she takes 5 seats, hands the phone to me and I take 2 more. We literally RUN to the gate and are the last two groups of people getting on. Okay, great, now we're in San Fran... Basically all there is to do is get on the standby lists for all outgoing planes to both Seattle and Portland and hope those flights don't get cancelled so that the standby list doesn't get any bigger then it already is! Nightmare is the only way to sum that experience up. We started at number 50 out of 150 for all the flights going to Portland and number 227 out of 350 to Seattle. Clearly PDX was the better chance! We didn't get on the two flights left that night, so curled up behind some gate and attempted to sleep for a few hours before the next flights to Portland left at like 7am... Many many many hours later, we got on a tiny plane out of San Fran to PDX and arrived in snowy icy Portland at like 9pm! Jeremys parents met us, and after arriving at their house we quickly fell asleep! Thats where Jeremys story ends, but mine continued to the next day where I had about 3 different train tickets booked (which got cancelled) and a couple plane tickets (which got cancelled). Thanks to my dad who was constantly on the phone finding ways to get me home.... I got a seat on a plane that was suppost to leave PDX at like 9pm.... so I went to the airport and held my breath that it didn't get cancelled. I still am thanking God that it didn't! My mom, aunt, and sister were at SeaTac to pick me up around 10pm and you can ask them, I was beyond exhausted and happy to see them!

Pretty fun sounding right?
Not really, but we made it home safe and in time to celebrate Christmas with our families.
I hope everyone else did as well :)




Me being held up by my wonderful Westbrook cousins!