Endless Pain (AKA Nursing School)

WOW, I recently realized how long it has been since I have updated the nursing blog. I really did work on another memories page for the end of last semester, but it wasn't finished and it accidentally got deleted from my saved stuff, and it was just too much to rewrite. I was too busy wanting to run out and enjoy my winter vacation from school too... sorry to screw you guys out of that end of the semester tradition.

Speaking of winter vacation from school, can I just say that this last break was so desperately needed and none of it was wasted at all! I have not had so much fun in a very long time. Cori and I lived each day of that vacation up to it's fullest... to put it simply.

Now we're back to hitting the books and having no life yet again. But it will all pay off in the end, and we realize it. But it's hard not to get a little down when you want to go out and play and have fun and notice the stack of homework looking back at you mocking you. This semester I'm taking Med/Surg 2, Pharm 2, and nursing management (what I like to call the biggest waste of time class on the face of the planet). We are stuck having at least one test a week (some weeks more) and have found that most of us are a little bit flustered with all of the work going on. For example Jared and papa studying for the wrong test (you think papa would've learned after the final fiasco last semester), or people panicking because they suddenly think a B.S. management paper is due this week when it's really not due until March. It's been quite funny to read the message board for our co-hort on facebook! Thank you friends for that entertainment.

Like I said earlier, I have noticed that many of us (ok, most of us) in my co-hort right now are really feeling the pressure and are starting to let it get to us more than ever before. I think what it really comes down to is we are all exhausted to a whole new level we never realized before and are letting the small things get to us. But I guess at this point what we all need to do is adopt Josh's positive outlook on things. We are on a downward slope from here on out with school. We are closer to the finish line than ever before. And it will pay off ten fold in the long run. We signed up for this because we wanted to help people but I guess before we can help those in need we need to help ourselves. We need to push ourselves harder than ever before, and do everything we can to do it with our heads held high. Plus, friends, lets look at some of the funny things that have happened this semester, like Kim. My god that woman is hilarious and is the perfect fit for our class! Oh, and you guys missed my time spent on the IV simulator, but lets just say I felt bad for the poor girl who was in doing her time as Cori and I was... I don't know if cursing offended her, but I am sure I exposed her to new vocabulary that she has never heard before (that stupid program continuously saying I didn't let my prep dry long enough... my god! I don't have all damn day!)

I just wanted to do an update about school and to tell those who I don't have a chance to see often and want to know about how school is going I want you to know that I am surviving (barely some days, but overall I am surviving) and I want those who do go to school with me know how much I appreciate each of them for their understanding of what I am going through. We have already spent a lot of time of the phone reassuring each other that we can do this! We can get through this! Together. These people in my class are some of the best people around, and I am so thankful to have them there with me enduring the endless pain of what is called nursing school!

Look What I Found! Memories From Last Semester, It Wasn't Lost After All

So since I have done a blog at the end of every semester I figure it was once again time to keep up on that tradition. This semester I attempted to have a life while going to school, and I had a lot of fun throughout the semester. I will be kissing my life goodbye for the next 7 months. Things will once again be hectic and chaotic, but on the up side there are only two semesters left, which equals about seven months of pure hell.

So I figured we should go over the memories made for this semester.

1. I am supposed to appreciate each mornings bowel movement. Georgia told me that I am not appreciating the joys in life if I don't enjoy a good bowel movement
2. Bumble attending class and going to test with me. He's developing quite the following.
   
3. Papa and Julia getting locked down in the psych center. Freaking hilarious!!!!
   
4. Did you know that they serve so much alcohol in Nevada because their water is contaminated?
   
5. There are evil chipmunks out there. Really. We were told so.
   
6. If there's a hole they're going to stick something in it
7. I think everyone learned if I say I don't want to talk about it that they shouldn't push the issue
8. That it's really funny to fail a b.s. test by 0.21%... ok, it's really not funny, but when you officially lose your mind things like that are funny
9. Did you know a whopping 4" of snow will get school canceled. Then you're stuck making up a psych test the day before the stupid HESI.
   
10. Ohhhhh gestalt
11. Frotteurism is yet another fun word to say, and it's even funnier to use it in conversation
12. We figured out that Jared is in a class all his own... well... as long as we're not dating him. But ladies, no worries, he does pay for the cab fare home
13. Stefanie will let you put your junk in her trunk
14. The term BCG was born
15. So... can you study for an IQ test?
16. When you're standing downtown in a group of 10 all wearing your blue scrubs drunk people across the street sing the Smurfs song to you
17. Hot rubbing with Cori (this is not what it sounds like)
18. You know you're stressed when someone in your group is studying for the wrong test! And even worse doesn't realize it until 5 minutes prior to the test.
    
19. Holding up signs that say "Shoot me" in front of Russ (the clinical instructor) and when he reads it and looks at me I say to him "I mean it!"
20. Naps in the psych clinical site chart room
21. We all learned that the languo with spina bifida ARE NOT nerves and it will not hurt the child to touch the hairs
22. The way to tell if the spinal cord is in the bubble (meylomeningocele) that is outside the skin is by popping it
23. I learned it is acceptable that my instructor asks us if we believe in ghosts
24. If you have a family member with a mental disorder it will break you financially for life (this is still a load of crap!)
25. I have an above average IQ, just ask Georgia, she'll tell you so
26. It is not a good idea to argue with your instructor about who pays taxes and who doesn't
27. That talking about coitus interruptus is STILL funny
28. Messing with cute little Katie is fun
29. That when teaching kids about hand-washing all they want to do is sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and talk about Hula-hoops
30. Don't take Chantix while doing your psych clinicals... the two are totally not a good combination!
    
31. It always makes you feel good when you finish your psych clinicals and they don't keep you as a patient
32. Butt massages and pudies (pedis while studying= pudy)
33. Jared's countdown is a godsend
34. Cori figured out how to get me to actually show up for class, she buys me coffee and has it sitting there waiting for me for when I show up
35. I figured out that the longer I'm in nursing school the less I feel like I know
36. Psych makes you go psychotic because you are convinced that you know someone, or even worse... yourself, with each illness that you learn about
37. Stefanie is possessive of Jared
38. "Did you know that you don't need a man to have an orgasm?" HAHAHA, a classic!!!!!!

Well look what I found! See, told you my brain was fried at the end of that semester. All I wanted to do was go out and play! And play I did! So I am glad that I found this, even though it's about 2 months late... sorry guys. But at least I kept up with the tradition! Peace out.

Test, Test, Test...

I know, I know, it's been awhile since I have made a blog post. But I have been trying so hard to make time for a social life this semester that I've been too busy playing instead of homework and blogging.

Not a lot is different with school, except I finished my clinicals!!!! This seemed like a very big deal this semester because I really really really did not like my psych clinical. But they are over and I now have to concentrate on a lot of testing coming up. And not just testing, but a very important test, the HESI. It's a comprehensive test that makes sure that I have learned over the last year. So in a matter of 4 weeks I have a peds and psych test, the HESI, and then finals for peds and psych. Guess I better get my butt in gear and start studying instead of waiting until the day or two before the test to study. Oppsie.

I have been asked to keep adding to the "You Know You're a Nursing Student When..." list (thank you Cori) so I will continue on that list for now and see what we come up with.

• You know you're a nursing student when you are at the psych clinical site and you get locked in the corridors and are unable to get out and they talk about calling the fire department to get you out of the corridor. (hahaha, Flint and Julia, I will forever and always laugh about this one!)
• You know you're a nursing student when you are in lecture and your instructor tells you that you should take time ever morning to appreciate your morning bowel movement
• You know you're a nursing student when you are studying for psych and you are relating every mental illness to someone that you know (or even worse, yourself)
• You know you're a nursing student when you are so tired because you were up all night studying that when you are in a chart room, supposedly studying charts on the patients in the center, you take a nap instead.
  
• You know you're a nursing student when your realize that you need an IV drip of coffee just to make it through lecture
• You know you're a nursing student when you finish your most hated psych clinicals and you skip down the hall singing zip-a-dee-do-dah and all your classmates are laughing at you but feel the exact same way!
  
• You know you're a nursing student when you are stuck watching boring ass videos about how to handle a violent situation and you draw a sign that says "SHOOT ME" and hold it up to your group members with your instructor sitting right next to you looking at you just shaking his head, and even worse, you mean it!
  
• You know you're a nursing student when the night after a final is the best night in the world because it means you have at least 16 weeks before you have to stress about another final
• You know you're a nursing student when you're washing your hands in the bathroom and you count to see if the person next to you washes for 15 seconds, and when they don't you get seriously grossed out and want to say something to them
• You know you're a nursing student when you realize that IV starting is coming up and you are working up your friends, family, and boy/girlfriends trying to prepare them for you 'practicing' on them. (I have yet to find a friend or family member that will allow me to except for my wonderful friends at the hospital, because they remember what it was like)
• You know you're a nursing student when you are asked by someone who picks up your book bag and ask you if you're carrying cement in there
  
• You know you're a nursing student if you can talk about the anus and genitals and it's not sexual what-so-ever
• You know you're a nursing student when you know all about your friends body systems, health problems, and have no shame grabbing their body in any way because you have already assessed them and seen them without their clothes on (ok, at least with the female students, I don't think I'm ready to grab Josh, Papa, Darren, or Jarred... sorry guys...)
  
• You know you're a nursing student when you are not allowed to talk about your clinical day because your family and non-nursing school friends are in complete horror and grossed out (and secretly you find it hilarious!)
• You know you're a nursing student when you have a beer ready and waiting for you for when you get off of your horribly long day at clinical, then you get home, drink that beer, and all you can think about is the meds that would interact with that beer and what it can potentially do to your liver, then the whole wonderfulness of the beer is diminished... well, almost
• You know you're a nursing student when you have a medical bag full of supplies and medications "just in case", then someone ask for something and you don't have it you hold your head in shame that you are not prepared (or is this just me?)
• You know you're a nursing student when you are sitting in lecture and other classmates keep asking the most out of this world questions and you have to seriously wonder to yourself if you have been in class with the same people for over a year now, because the questions they ask are way too silly for someone who has been in nursing school for that long! And you have no shame in laughing hysterically out loud at them... ya... um... not like I would do that or anything...
  

Well.... think that will be it for me for now. As far as the first reason on the list today that was by far my most favorite moment in psych clinical! I received a phone call from Papa Flizzle (aka Flint) and he's begging me to get over to the Girls A area so I could help him and Julia, because they were trapped. I laughed so hard when I got there, and couldn't get the door open! It was a priceless moment. I will upload the video if I am able to on here.

There are only 40 days left of the semester and maybe 270ish left for nursing school all together (thank you Jarred for the count down), and I am so happy because the end is getting closer and closer. I will miss some of my classmates so horribly though. I have gotten so used to seeing these people on almost a daily basis, it will be sad to lose that daily interaction.

Once again, as always, I am so thankful for the wonderful friends and family I have surrounding me and encouraging me at every step. Each of you help me in a different way, beyond what you would ever realize. I am forever indebted to you for keeping me going! I love you guys, and thanks for stopping by once again to read my blog. I am glad that so many of you enjoy it!

This was post nap in the chart room (or what I like to call the room where dreams die)

Papa and Julia shared my feelings on the Psych clinical experience... ugh, it was rough

Getting Motivated...

A group of us from school went out drinking last week. It was a much needed break!

It has been awhile since I have done a post about nursing school. So I was sitting here procrastinating doing homework (the norm now days) and filling my time with mindless, pointless things to do and figured it was time for a new blog post.

So a little update on the semester, I am still recovering from last semester and am finding it difficult to motivate myself with school right now. I know this seems to be the general feeling with everyone in my cohort... we keep thinking the get busy studying mindset will kick in, but we are a month into the semester with two test down, and have yet to get the right mindset. What gets me is if the last semester kicked our asses so bad what the hell will last semester be like? Oh holy hell... lets not even think about it, it exhaust me to even think about it!

Time to continue on our fun list. I don't know what my deal is with the list on this blog... but it works. Let's continue:

You know you're a nursing student when your nursing school friends know more about what's going on in your life than your own family because they see you more than anyone else in your life.

You know you're a nursing student when you look at Maslow's Hierarchy of life and try to see where you fit on it and realize that you are missing many aspects of the hierarchy because nursing school is sucking your will to live.

You know you're a nursing student when non nursing people won't watch tv with you anymore because you correct all of the medical mistakes made throughout the whole show. Don't even get me going on the show House!!!!!

You know you're a nursing student when someone you know is sick and you spend a half hour asking them about symptoms and the illness to try to diagnosis them and come up with a NANDA approved nursing diagnosis.

You know you're a nursing student when you are looking at everyone's coloring and if you see someone dusky colored you want to run up and check their O2 saturations to make sure that they are perfusing efficiently.

You know you're a nursing student when you find yourself trying to "actively listen" because it is a healing connection (oh lord...)

You know you're a nursing student when you are in line at the pharmacy and you eavesdrop on what prescriptions the people in front of you are getting so you can figure out what's wrong with them and think about the side effects they will suffer from taking those meds.

You know you're a nursing student when you let your friends practice IV's on you just because.

You know you're a nursing student when you can spot a heart murmur or lung crackles!

You know you're a nursing student when you are just excited to not be doing free slave labor anymore and look forward to the day you get paid to be in the hospital!

Well I think 10 will do it for me today. Though I am dragging ass on getting motivated for this semester it has gone really well. I am done with my pediatrics clinical and have two more psych clinicals left... gag. That one has been really trying and difficult for me. We are working with young kids who are sex offenders. Not exactly what I would want to be doing with my time, but I have honestly learned a lot (nursing school and non nursing school information). I will be THRILLED though when these clinical days are over! Soon!!! WAHOOOOOOOO! 10 months left of school and counting! Love you guys.

Nursing students gone wild!

The Most Wonderful Part of My Day,,,

Here it is 11:30 at night and I have class at 8 am and I am working on an assignment due tomorrow at 8. I was thinking that this could be added to my "you know you're a nursing student when..." list. So let's add more, cuz it sounded like some fun (and in all honesty I am still procrastinating finishing that homework).

• You know you're a nursing student when you're up at 11:30 at night to finish up an assessment that is due in less than eight hours...
  
• You know you're a nursing student when you're excited about working with the most disgusting, sad, rare disease/patient
• You know you're a nursing student when you are on the trax train going to clinical with your nursing group and you have to point out cool things to your group that you noticed while assessing the guy sitting across from you
• You know you're a nursing student when you are hoping that your patient has a high blood sugar so that you can give a insulin shot
• You know you're a nursing student when you count how long the person next to you washes their hands and have to fight everything inside of you not to scream about germs when they don't even wash their hands
• You know you're a nursing student when you carry hand sanitizer everywhere with you and you give yourself a bath in it after clinical
• You know you're a nursing student when you are jealous that your classmates got to work with a more critical patient than you did
• You know you're a nursing student when you find out what's going on with your friends outside of school via facebook...
  
• You know you're a nursing student when your classmates know you better than your own family does
• You know you're a nursing student when you can fart in front of your classmates and they are not bothered by it and are happy that your bowels are moving
• You know you're a nursing student when all you dream about is med conversions and showing up late for a test
• You know you're a nursing student when your friends are practicing their IV start skills and you allow them to poke you and leave "track" marks down your arms because you know you'll get even with them when it's your turn to practice
  
• You know you're a nursing student when you do your laundry and find pens, alcohol swabs, and multiple papers in your pockets (and they were left there because honestly you were too tired to remember that you didn't check the pockets)
• You know you're a nursing student when you are excited to hear a heart murmur or lung crackles!
  
• You know you're a nursing student when every situation you're in you can relate it to school and what you just finished studying
• You know you're a nursing student when you carry around a backpack full of all of your books EVERYWHERE you go just in case you have five minutes to read and study...
• You know you're a nursing student when you are downtown with your clinical group wearing your bright blue scrubs and some drunk guy across the street starts singing the Smurfs tune to you
  

Ok, we'll call it good for now. I sat down today and tried to study for peds. Let me tell you what not to do so my fellow classmates can learn from me. Do not spend 2 hours doing online lectures that get you no where with and typing up notes to follow the pointless yacking only to find out that you already have notes that correlate with the crap you are seeing slides of, and then move to reading the book (and falling asleep a half hour into it for 2 wonderful hours) and read 2 chapters (which equals about 80 some odd pages) only to find out that all of it was pointless and the teacher gives you a study guide that gives you all of the info you need. So yes, pretty much it was a wasted day... except for that nap. It was wonderful!

You Know You're a Nursing Student When...

So here we are beginning yet another semester. Oh holy hell. But this is a good thing, because it puts me on the path of having one more semester under my belt. This semester I am taking Psych and Peds. I begin with my clinicals right away (meaning tomorrow) at Primary Children's Hospital. Though I am horribly nervous, due to not having much exposure with kids and I don't really know what I am doing with them, I am so excited. For years where I wanted to end up working was pediatric oncology (cancer). The instructor said she would do what she could to get me in that unit, so I am thrilled!

So since I abandoned the pregnancy list... god that was rough, I will begin a new list with no particular number in mind. When I have number in mind it is a lot to live up to! So my new list is going to be called "you know you're a nursing student when..." It should be interesting!

Let's begin...
You know you're a nursing student when a rolling backpack is necessary because the weight of the books you have to carry around with you weight more than you do (and you're carrying around your whole house in the bag since you are never home).

You know you're a nursing student when your relaxation time is going to the bathroom.

You know you're a nursing student when you are excited and telling all your friends about how you learned to pull a swollen foreskin back over a penis (this one is for you Cori)

You know you're a nursing student when you are anxious to put in a foley catheter

You know you're a nursing student when think you are experiencing every illness that you are studying

You know you're a nursing student when you look at all of your Facebook post and realize that every status update has something to do with school and you realize that you no longer have a life

You know you're a nursing student when you have nightmares about your instructors

You know you're a nursing student when you go a month or more without talking to anyone in your family and don't even realize it...

You know you're a nursing student when you are kissing someone and all you can do is wonder if this person has herpes of the mouth

You know you're a nursing student when you write EVERYTHING in medical abbreviations! Even text to your non-nursing friends and they have to ask you what the hell you're talking about

You know you're a nursing student when you receive a text in the middle of the night asking you why the elderly become confused when they have a UTI (and you are awake studying the same information)

Ok, I could go on with this for awhile. But we will call this good for now. I look forward to the semester and am sure I will have lots to write about with the two classes I am taking at this time. Love you guys!

Since I have to add a pic with each blog and I have not taken any yet for this semester I will add one from this month of me and my papa flizzle.

Memories....

I never thought it would happen. The end of the semester finally came and I hit my year mark in nursing school! This year has been so full of happy/stressful/hilarious/etc memories. I can honestly say I have laughed more in this last year than I ever have in my whole life, in spite of the stress. Thank you to my dear friends out there who helped me with that.

So I kinda wanted to change things up today and bypass the pregnancy list. I wanted to write about the things I will remember most about this semester.

#1- I should not come at my patients from behind, they don't like that
#2- I should be asking my patients "may I thump you?"
#3- Roll 'em, flow 'em, and blow 'em. This was said in my OB class, and my question to Jennie was 'wasn't this how they got pregnant in the first place?' I got candy for that.
#4- That your parathyroid releases triangular hormones, your thyroid square hormones, and pituitary circular hormones
#5- That IV fluid should NOT be warmed in the microwave
#6- It's fun to bite Jared
#7- I can not handle sitting in class for 5 hours... I seem to lose interest after about 2 hours!
#8- That babies DO have to be fed every 24 hours (thank you Danielle for helping us all learn this one!)
#9- That if you put on Facebook how stressed you always are for your test then you score in the 90's your friends give you shit!
#10- That it's fun to deliver placentas and babies... glad I didn't tear the placenta (unlike other people).
#11- Nursing school totally ruins your sex drive (due to learning yet again about STD's) and even ruins kissing for you. You must ask for proof that the person does not get cold sores or has herpes before kissing them
#12- Claudia's whip
#13- mucus or mucous?
#14- The infamous "blue hue" I know Jennie will never forget me after my mini melt down in class over that one
#15- Going to Chili's after test and having a Jamaican drink is quite therapeutic
#16- Some words are just fun to say; for example: ticdouloureux, mittelschmerz, and spinnbarkeit
#17-When I tied my pants tighter in the middle of the hallway... and they fell down! Just don't do it cuz the patients going by in a wheelchair get an eye full and your lab partner laughs hysterically!
#18- You can relate everything with studying to something sexual and you can remember it a lot better!
#19- The seizure/sex tree that Cori and I made. Freaking hilarious! By the way Cori, it's all about the status epilepticus!
#20- Share your fries with Brandi!
#21- The best thing to do right before going in for a test is to have a laughing fit with your friends! It drastically improves your grade!
#22- I have to have my orange calculator before going in for my test or I am not a happy camper!
#23- Sitting next to Jared during test is hilarious because you hear things like "screw this shit" and you can't help but laugh!
#24- Stefanie and her suckers
#25- IUGR growling in the middle of class
#26- The countdown to the end of the semester on Facebook!!! It kept me going each and every day!
#27- That men are broken because they have a XY and not a XX
#28- Coitus Interruptus...
#29- Taking studying breaks with Cori and Brandi to jump on the trampoline. It helped get the oxygen going to the brain!
#30- Chick-fil-a every Wednesday!
#31- Only my clinical group will get this one, but the catch-all. It was at that moment that Julie knew exactly what she was getting into trying to explain things to me!
#32- I learned that if you ask Julie for something enough times she will finally say yes!
#33- Seeing Cori come in to study group covered in Jamba Juice!!!! Hahaha!!!!




This semester has been hell, and each day I thought that I couldn't get anymore tired (which I was always wrong, I learned you can ALWAYS get more tired), and daily questioned if I could really do this. I am so happy to say that I have! I made it threw some of the most stressful times ever and came out on top. I know that my dear friends never doubted it... but hell I sure did!

I am so thankful to Russ, Julie, and Jennie (3 of the greatest instructors ever... as long as Russ doesn't give me paperwork to do!), my friends at school (who continuously humor me and laugh at my silly/obnoxious jokes), my friends outside of school (who constantly listen to me whine and stress about school and cheer me on), and my family for being patient with me for being non-existent these days! I couldn't do this without all of you and am so appreciative!