Week 6

I know, I know... I have been doing a terrible job keeping up on this blog! I've got the midterm blues where I'm starting to run out of steam and motivation and am wondering, "Will I ever get through school?" It feels like this is going to take forever. This is also the time my immune system tanks and I started coming down with a really sore throat last week. I spent all my spare time sleeping and it worked! I'm starting to feel a lot better today.

Here's a summary of what I've been up to lately:

• Surgery observation: A couple weeks ago I observed a total abdominal hysterectomy and was with the patient from admission through recovery. That is one gory surgery! At one point the surgeon had an artery spurting blood at him and I had to fight the urge to laugh out loud! I was standing on a metal step-stool behind the sterile curtain with the anesthesiologist thinking, "How did I get here?" But I never once felt woozy or faint, so I know I'm in the right field.
• Clinicals: So far for clinicals I've gotten all the "girl part" issues. My first patient was recovering from a double mastectomy, and my second was another total abdominal hysterectomy. I've learned a lot about what's involved with post-surgical care and have even been passing meds this term. Hopefully this week I'll get something exciting like a colostomy or wound infection. One of my classmates got to care for a patient with a major dog-bite wound where muscle and a veins were exposed. Wow!
• ONA Lobby Day: Last Wednesday we all descended upon the state capital for "Oregon Nurse's Association Lobby Day," along with about 450 other nurses and students. We were divided into groups according to our legislative districts, then went to three appointments with our senators/representatives and had to take turns covering the various ONA talking points on the agenda. Our main objectives were 1. Addressing the current nursing faculty shortage and 2. Improving the healthcare system. The second one would take days to explain but you can probably see the necessity for healthcare reform. The first one is near and dear to my heart, because the faculty shortage is the main reason it is so hard to get into nursing school! Nurses have to have a master's or doctorate degree to become a nursing instructor, but the teaching positions pay way less than entry-level hospital floor nursing jobs that only require an associate's degree. One solution is for nursing schools to offer loan repayment to prospective teachers at 20% per year for five years. Considering that a graduate degree can cost approximate $30,000 per year, I would totally consider that myself!
• Exam #3: I had my third exam last Friday and received my lowest grade to date. Oh well. I wasn't feeling well and learned a valuable lesson: Go to the bathroom BEFORE the exam starts! There is nothing more distracting during 40 critical-thinking questions than that nagging feeling that you really have to pee. I ended up copping a really bad attitude and decided that the questions were stupid and that I simply didn't have the time or patience to sit there and agonize over them any longer. I still did okay, just not as great as I would have liked. I have 2 more exams and a comprehensive final to go, so I can still redeem myself.
• Pain Management Conference: Tomorrow we are attending an all-day pain management conference at the college. I can't remember who's hosting it, but it is intended for practicing RNs and normally would cost big bucks to attend. Our instructors were able to negotiate a discounted rate for us and I'm sure it will be very interesting! The current trend in nursing/medicine is to treat pain as the 5th vital sign and take it very seriously. After my little stint in the ER last term, I can really appreciate that!

Well, that's enough for now. There's a bowl of Reese's peanut butter ice cream calling my name.