Last day of older adults clinical

Yesterday was the last day of our first clinical. Everyone was really happy and our instructor brought in donuts, so everyone got a stomach ache, but even that couldn't get us down. I don't think most of us enjoyed that clinical very much so we were kind of excited to move on to other types of clinical settings that we had more interest in. To me, nursing homes are really sad.

I think there is a handful of special nurses who truly feel called to geriatric nursing and I am not one of them. I was excited to be done with this clinical, but surprised myself with how sad I felt leaving my residents. Most of them are very dependent on the CNAs for all their daily activities and due to problems in the entire system (money, cost, time, people, etc.), they're basically just left alone all the time.  Say each CNA has 8 residents at a time. On an 8 hour shift, the aid would average 1 hour with each resident. In a 24 hour day, each resident would only have 3 total hours of help from a CNA. Imagine being completely dependent on someone for everything: to stand up, to go to the bathroom, to push your wheelchair, to eat, and you only had that person there 3 hours everyday. It leads to isolation and depression which just exacerbates existing  health issues. For this clinical, I didn't really feel like I did much physical 'nursing', just assessments and keeping the residents company. I felt like I made the biggest difference just sitting and holding old ladies' hands. But this extra time with each resident is only possible when you have a group of 10 students dropped off at your facility on top of your paid CNAs, RNs and admins. But if I was actually a nurse or CNA working at the facility, I would never have time to sit with a resident and talk to them about anything. It's not about finding more caring RNs and CNAs: its about fixing a system and finding or making more resources.

Anyway, this week felt like a milestone: finishing our first clinical with our med-surg clinical on the horizon. I'm pretty excited to get into the hospital next quarter and see new things.

Most important decision of the day: which donut to eat

Before I got into nursing school, I'd always see these pictures of groups of girls in scrubs who were in nursing school and I thought they were the coolest. This is one of those pictures, but I don't feel as cool as I imagined those girls were...

Coincidences + Cuffs

Today a cool coincidence happened! I love coincidences because they give me a sense of destiny and faith and yada yada yada. Just kidding, I just love coincidences because they are fun!

So this morning, Seattle experienced it's first sunny day in probably two weeks. I went to Starbucks to get studying for my test on Friday, and I got a text from my favorite future nurse ever, Jenny, commenting on how there was so much cute clothes at Gap... Gap like 5 stores down from me?!!!?!?! So I told her to come find me and she did! And what did she have with her? All her stuff to study for pharm with me!!!  I know see this girl for a full day pretty much every other day, but I even surprised myself with how excited I was to see her. Yay for unexpected coincidences!


Also, I am noticing (partly due to Jenny) that cuffed jeans are the newest trend, so I cuffed my jeans today. I must say it makes me feel cool, but also short. This is what Gap's website looks like right now. Cuffs people, yay or nay?

STRESSED OUT

I am so stressed! My second pharmacology test is on Friday and it basically requires me to memorize 25+ drugs with scientific names that I can't break down, drug classes, mechanisms of action, uses and side effects. W.T.F. This is one of those stresses that I dread and dread and dread from at least a week ahead of time, and it consumes my whole life until the test is actually over! What I should really be doing is studying, but when I look at my notes, I'm just overloaded. Then I shut down and lie in bed and nap (I think I have taken a nap everyday since last Wednesday). Eventually when studying actually becomes cramming, I'll get down to it and just do it. It's easy for other people to tell me that they're sure I'll be fine- that's because I'm the one that has to study, not them! 

When I get stressed about school, I get stressed in all parts of my life!! So I'm a nervous wreck over here. Maybe if I get above a 95% on this test, I'll buy myself these or these... Just kidding. They're so beautiful, but I am too poor. Have a good week everybody.

Natalie Dee will always understand me

John visited [part 2]

So I was in such a rush the other day, that I know my post did not do the weekend as much justice as it should have. I had a fab-u-lous weekend. I don't think I've been that happy since last time John was in town. I was so excited to wake up every morning to get my day started and I wanted everyday not to end. It feels to nice to just forget everything and spend some good old time with your boo. I had giant virtual pile of pictures on my phone so I got to looking through them and found a bunch more I wanted to share.



But of course, it was time to get back to real life. Just yesterday I started reorienting myself back into school work and I got really stressed out and just wished it was the weekend again. I'll basically be full on school mode, no messing around until spring break. At least the distance gives me my own time to study. Here's to long distance relationships! and the soon-to-come end of winter!!

President's day weekend... with John!

What a weekend, packed full of John! I had a fabulously long weekend that is finally just ending now. I just dropped John off that the airport and I have just less than an hour before I have to leave for work and get back to real life. It's always such a blast when John comes because I basically throw school and work out the window and it feels like a vacation for the both of us.

We rode the ducks on the rainiest day ever, but John had been wanting to go ever since he moved away (because he is considered a tourist here now...?) so we braved the storm and actually learned a bunch of new things about the city. Also when John comes, we eat out all weekend long at goooooood places so we can hang out with his friends and family. We went to a Brazilian buffet steakhouse and it was so good and expensive. I felt bad for eating so much meat, but hey, once and never again! John's bro even took us to the range and I shot a gun for the first time. It was one of those traumatizing events that I don't remember well even though it was less than 24 hours ago. I also took my only photo of John ever at the airport, usually because we're so sad to be leaving that we don't take pictures or we're so happy to see each other, we forget to take them. In it he is crying because he is so sad he is going to miss me! Poor guy. Send this guy home! This entry is haphazard because I am overwhelmed and in a rush. I think these pictures will be much more enjoyable than my awful writing.


ps. he is crying because he is going to miss me so much.