Look at this picture of Baby Berkeley!!!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Nursing School Can be Fun
During my journey through nursing school there have been a couple of times when I've just had to laugh at the situations I found myself in... Situations one would never imagine they would ever be in....
Here is one example:
A patient (not mine) complains of chest pain. My instructor wants us to get more experience preforming 12 lead EKGs, so she sends me and one of my classmates in to do a STAT EKG on this patient. Having done at least half a dozen before, we felt sure this would go just fine.
On the way in, we decide that I would attach the chest leads and my classmate would attach the extremity leads (best decision I ever made, you will see why soon). We then proceed to attach the leads onto his chest, then his arms, then his.....Ummmm.... He only has one leg. Problem. We both look at each other and silently scream "What the heck should we do now???"
We hesitantly decided to run the EKG with only one leg lead attached. No surprise, the EKG machine gives us the error message, "Lead off."
So, we excuse ourselves from the patient, muttering something about the uselessness of machines, to find our instructor and ask her what to do. She says we should attach the other leg lead to the patient's stump.
Now, feeling more confident we prepared to do just that. I say to the patient that we need to attach an additional lead to his stump.
"Stump?" he says....
Apparently it is not politically correct to say stump... It is a "residual appendage."
Ok, now that we got our terminology lesson, my classmate tries to attach the lead. Not as easy as it sounds....the patient, who is very, very large, lying on his left side with little ability to reposition himself tries to guide us and help. Then, the doctor walks in to examine the patient and the EKG read out.
Bad timing. We nervously stumble around trying to get to the man's "residual appendage".....finally my classmate ends up having to go behind the patient and lift up his very large, swollen testicles in order to attach the lead, all while trying NOT to laugh out loud at the very awkward situation we found ourselves in.
We hold our breath as we press the EKG button a second time....with all leads attached to some part of the poor patient's body....
Yes! A read out was printed. success..... And, one for the memory books... Me and that classmate still laugh about the infamous EKG and the residual appendage hiding under the enlarged scrotum to this day.
Here is one example:
A patient (not mine) complains of chest pain. My instructor wants us to get more experience preforming 12 lead EKGs, so she sends me and one of my classmates in to do a STAT EKG on this patient. Having done at least half a dozen before, we felt sure this would go just fine.
On the way in, we decide that I would attach the chest leads and my classmate would attach the extremity leads (best decision I ever made, you will see why soon). We then proceed to attach the leads onto his chest, then his arms, then his.....Ummmm.... He only has one leg. Problem. We both look at each other and silently scream "What the heck should we do now???"
We hesitantly decided to run the EKG with only one leg lead attached. No surprise, the EKG machine gives us the error message, "Lead off."
So, we excuse ourselves from the patient, muttering something about the uselessness of machines, to find our instructor and ask her what to do. She says we should attach the other leg lead to the patient's stump.
Now, feeling more confident we prepared to do just that. I say to the patient that we need to attach an additional lead to his stump.
"Stump?" he says....
Apparently it is not politically correct to say stump... It is a "residual appendage."
Ok, now that we got our terminology lesson, my classmate tries to attach the lead. Not as easy as it sounds....the patient, who is very, very large, lying on his left side with little ability to reposition himself tries to guide us and help. Then, the doctor walks in to examine the patient and the EKG read out.
Bad timing. We nervously stumble around trying to get to the man's "residual appendage".....finally my classmate ends up having to go behind the patient and lift up his very large, swollen testicles in order to attach the lead, all while trying NOT to laugh out loud at the very awkward situation we found ourselves in.
We hold our breath as we press the EKG button a second time....with all leads attached to some part of the poor patient's body....
Yes! A read out was printed. success..... And, one for the memory books... Me and that classmate still laugh about the infamous EKG and the residual appendage hiding under the enlarged scrotum to this day.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
WONDEFUL!!!
I am so excited to share my news. All of my hard work and long hours of studying are going to pay off!!! I just got offered a full time job at the hospital that I liked the best starting in Labor and Delivery!! How awesome is that? (It is hospital #3 from my previous post about the interviews)
They have lots of perks like sign on bonuses and loan forgiveness, and they even want to talk to me about teaching their childbirth education classes.
I'm thrilled that I don't have to spend a year doing general nursing before I can learn my specialty. Now I just have to make it through this semester and pass my boards.
They have lots of perks like sign on bonuses and loan forgiveness, and they even want to talk to me about teaching their childbirth education classes.
I'm thrilled that I don't have to spend a year doing general nursing before I can learn my specialty. Now I just have to make it through this semester and pass my boards.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Announcing...
New Baby Girl! Berkeley Tennyson Gearhart
Born yesterday, Feb 26th (my sister's birthday) at 9:21pm. Weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces, & 20 inches long. Oh, and she has dark brown hair!! This is surprising (in a good way) as my sister's other 2 girls were BALD for over a year...then got blond hair (like their daddy).
My new niece and my sister
Big sister holding new little sister.
Born yesterday, Feb 26th (my sister's birthday) at 9:21pm. Weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces, & 20 inches long. Oh, and she has dark brown hair!! This is surprising (in a good way) as my sister's other 2 girls were BALD for over a year...then got blond hair (like their daddy).
My new niece and my sister
Big sister holding new little sister.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Phew!
12 hours later, I have just finished creating the last 3 care plans of my academic career!
As part of my major psychiatric nursing paper, I have to include the top three nursing diagnoses along with the care plans on the patient I am doing my paper on.
As a reminder, my paper is on Paranoid Schizophrenia.
The top three nursing diagnoses I wrote today are:
#1: Risk for suicide; risk factors presence of acute stage of paranoid schizophrenia and expression of command hallucinations to harm self.
#2: Noncompliance of Medication regimen related to altered thought processes as manifested by admittance of noncompliant behavior and manifestation of acute psychotic symptoms.
#3: Disturbed thought process related to presence of acute stage of mental illness as manifested by verbalization of delusions of reference and influence, paranoid delusions and hallucinations.
I'll spare you all 17 pages of the care plans.... I'm proud of them...they are good... and I'm tired now.
As part of my major psychiatric nursing paper, I have to include the top three nursing diagnoses along with the care plans on the patient I am doing my paper on.
As a reminder, my paper is on Paranoid Schizophrenia.
The top three nursing diagnoses I wrote today are:
#1: Risk for suicide; risk factors presence of acute stage of paranoid schizophrenia and expression of command hallucinations to harm self.
#2: Noncompliance of Medication regimen related to altered thought processes as manifested by admittance of noncompliant behavior and manifestation of acute psychotic symptoms.
#3: Disturbed thought process related to presence of acute stage of mental illness as manifested by verbalization of delusions of reference and influence, paranoid delusions and hallucinations.
I'll spare you all 17 pages of the care plans.... I'm proud of them...they are good... and I'm tired now.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Job Interviews
I went on all 3 job interviews this past week. I like certain things about each hospital...and I don't like other things about them. I haven't been offered a job yet at any of them.
Here are my thoughts on them:
Hospital #1:
My hometown hospital (I was born there. I had 2 of my children there.) Fuzzy/warm feeling when I am there. I know most of the nurses and doctors on the OB floor there. I've done all of my clinical training at this hospital. Very familiar to me.
But, they pay the least amount from all three of them. And, they require that you work as an RN in a department other than OB for 1 full year before you can go to OB. Major down side. Each room is a LDRP, so you would do labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum/baby care for each patient. I like that set up a lot. Not self-scheduling. 8 hour shifts.
It doesn't seem to me like nurses are valued much here. They are occasionally yelled at by Drs and mandated to work over-time. They just formed a union and are considering picketing.
Hospital #2:
Unfamiliar territory. They have the unit split up. Labor/Delivery on one side. Postpartum on the other. And, baby nursery in between. With a different nurse for each part. I'm not fond of the compartmentalization. Additionally, there is a general medical hallway on the floor for women (hysterectomies, gyn, ect.) and a peds unit there as well. All nurses rotate throughout all areas: L&D, PP, nursery, general & peds. This interests me because a new nurse would not "lose" her skills as many experienced and specialized L&D nurses complain of. You would have to stay sharp on Heparin/aPTT levels, surgical drains, etc.
They have self scheduling and 8 hour shifts; no mandated overtime. However, a new nurse there cannot step foot on the L&D side for 1 full year after they start on the floor. Major down side. But, at least you can get experience with PP, newborn, etc.
Overall, I do not have a good feel about this hospital. Each time I've been in it, for some reason that I cannot put my finger on, I come out feeling like it's not a place I would feel comfortable in.
Hospital #3:
Very unfamiliar territory. My interview was my first time I've step foot in this hospital. But, it is impressive from the start. Very up to date, modern feel about it. Nice coffee shop/cafe' in the lobby. They were the hardest of all to get an interview with. They requested formal transcripts and letters of recommendation from 2 of my clinical instructors before they would even see me. Then, they administered a 50 question medication theory/calculations exam to me immediately after the interview - of which I could score no lower than an 80% or they told me they wouldn't even offer me a job. The exam was not a push over either... It was detailed. But, they did grade it right there and told me I passed. Whew! Talk about a pressured interview.
They value their nurses a lot and are on tract to receive "magnet" status. The pay is in between the other two hospitals. And, I would have to drive on a major interstate highway to get to work every day. They have 12 hour shifts (which is a plus in my book), and no mandated overtime.
They have a NICU and take care of high-risk pregnancies there. New nurses can be hired directly onto OB (AWESOME!) or NICU - another area I would consider. Their orientation seems the most in-depth including 6 weeks of orientation with a classroom aspect to it, which is unit specific - you learn how to be an OB nurse for example. Then, you have your regular 12-16 week orientation.
So, now the waiting game. Will I get an offer. Will I want to accept it?
Here are my thoughts on them:
Hospital #1:
My hometown hospital (I was born there. I had 2 of my children there.) Fuzzy/warm feeling when I am there. I know most of the nurses and doctors on the OB floor there. I've done all of my clinical training at this hospital. Very familiar to me.
But, they pay the least amount from all three of them. And, they require that you work as an RN in a department other than OB for 1 full year before you can go to OB. Major down side. Each room is a LDRP, so you would do labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum/baby care for each patient. I like that set up a lot. Not self-scheduling. 8 hour shifts.
It doesn't seem to me like nurses are valued much here. They are occasionally yelled at by Drs and mandated to work over-time. They just formed a union and are considering picketing.
Hospital #2:
Unfamiliar territory. They have the unit split up. Labor/Delivery on one side. Postpartum on the other. And, baby nursery in between. With a different nurse for each part. I'm not fond of the compartmentalization. Additionally, there is a general medical hallway on the floor for women (hysterectomies, gyn, ect.) and a peds unit there as well. All nurses rotate throughout all areas: L&D, PP, nursery, general & peds. This interests me because a new nurse would not "lose" her skills as many experienced and specialized L&D nurses complain of. You would have to stay sharp on Heparin/aPTT levels, surgical drains, etc.
They have self scheduling and 8 hour shifts; no mandated overtime. However, a new nurse there cannot step foot on the L&D side for 1 full year after they start on the floor. Major down side. But, at least you can get experience with PP, newborn, etc.
Overall, I do not have a good feel about this hospital. Each time I've been in it, for some reason that I cannot put my finger on, I come out feeling like it's not a place I would feel comfortable in.
Hospital #3:
Very unfamiliar territory. My interview was my first time I've step foot in this hospital. But, it is impressive from the start. Very up to date, modern feel about it. Nice coffee shop/cafe' in the lobby. They were the hardest of all to get an interview with. They requested formal transcripts and letters of recommendation from 2 of my clinical instructors before they would even see me. Then, they administered a 50 question medication theory/calculations exam to me immediately after the interview - of which I could score no lower than an 80% or they told me they wouldn't even offer me a job. The exam was not a push over either... It was detailed. But, they did grade it right there and told me I passed. Whew! Talk about a pressured interview.
They value their nurses a lot and are on tract to receive "magnet" status. The pay is in between the other two hospitals. And, I would have to drive on a major interstate highway to get to work every day. They have 12 hour shifts (which is a plus in my book), and no mandated overtime.
They have a NICU and take care of high-risk pregnancies there. New nurses can be hired directly onto OB (AWESOME!) or NICU - another area I would consider. Their orientation seems the most in-depth including 6 weeks of orientation with a classroom aspect to it, which is unit specific - you learn how to be an OB nurse for example. Then, you have your regular 12-16 week orientation.
So, now the waiting game. Will I get an offer. Will I want to accept it?
Fresh Start
I can't explain it fully... But my old blog was starting to annoy me.
So, here is a new one. Same theme. Same address. New blog. Just because.
I'll update my side-bar as I'm able to.
So, here is a new one. Same theme. Same address. New blog. Just because.
I'll update my side-bar as I'm able to.
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