Week off

I am thankful to be one of the lucky people who get a whole week off before the OIIQ exam. It's a great idea for those of you who feel like you need to learn a few more things properly. I'm also going to go ahead and say that working in ER is a great idea..probably because I am in love with my job. I am up to 4 beds and the turnover can be pretty high on busy days which means I can see over 8 patients in one shift. Today I was extremely productive with my studying and I think it is because I started my day off with a healthy breakfast of just a huge bowl of fruit. I kept eating light foods all day (e.g. 8 pieces of sushi) and although I'm big on eating junk at times, my attention span was a million times bigger than my baseline. 
Bedtime now for an even better tomorrow! 

OIIQ thoughts

Panic.
I know this.
I need to open the book. 
I have the book with me everywhere I go. 
The book is in front of me as I write this.
It is closed.
I need a pen first. 
I need cookies first.
I need to check my emails first.
Panic.
Start studying.
Keep studying.
I can do this.

Confused...Patients? Patience!

The past couple of days have consisted of confused clientele sent my way. Although very hard to accept that someone can be so lost in their head, 90 something year olds tend to have this innocent wit that can brighten up anyone's day. I wanted to share a little extract of my encounter because this man made me smile; it went something along the lines of this:


Me: I'm going to take your sugar.
Pt: You are going to take all the sugar out of my body? Isn't that dangerous?
Me: No, not quite like that!
Pt: Well you're going to put it back, right?
Me: Something like that.
Pt: Well in that case, do what you've got to do.
*whilst CBGM-ing* 
Me: Can you tell me where you are?
Pt: Why I'm in the countryside! One of those places you stay for two weeks, and move on to somewhere new. You can't stay out in the countryside all the time after all.
Me: *smiling* Okay, how about this. If you were to call someone to tell them to come pick you up, where would you tell them you were?
Pt: *chuckling* Well I just wouldn't call them!


Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
~Author Unknown

3 weeks in

The beach by my house; I miss home.

The past 3 weeks of work have been a medley of classes based on body systems, and actual work in the ER. I have been learning so much and can see such a big difference now in comparison to how I was when I first started.

Yesterday was my first 'breakdown' day where I felt like I was completely overwhelmed, rushed by my nurse, and incompetent. In other words, I felt like I was failing miserably. I took long on my assessments and since we try to work with the system of "one patient at a time", the time factor is extremely valuable. I need to try harder, I need to work faster.

Last night was the first night in a while that I slept through the whole night. All month I've been having disturbed sleep because of stress, and I supposed this is my subconscious way of dealing with it until now. 

It was finally the end of my shift and she had one more thing to say to me. My nurse's words were like someone shaking me back to reality, reminding me about how well I've been doing so far; she told me that everyone has their 'bad day' sometimes and this was mine. She also told me that she has no worries about me in the end, that I'll get there for sure because I have the knowledge and the skills and I love what I am doing. 

Good, better, best; never let it rest till your good is better and your better is best. 

-Anonymous

Stepping into life as a CPNP

Central Park, NYC

(Originally written Wednesday, August 4, 2010)

Being a CPNP is the state of being in limbo. Although a huge step away from being simply a student nurse, there’s the burden of the licensing exam (not to mention the OLF exam). Paradise will be to finally replace CPNP with two important letters: RN. This is my biggest goal at this point in my life. 

The strongest feeling I have right now before putting on my scrubs to go on the floor tomorrow is curiosity. I want to know what to expect. Conjuring up scenarios in my head from information from orientation and from the girls who have already started is not enough.

The feeling that comes along with my curiosity is excitement. I crave being back in the hospital, as 2 months of seaside, good food, family, friends, and fun-in-the-sun have gone by and I have not been a nurse to anyone (minus the occasional bandaid fix for a scrape)! 

Lesson number 1: Going to bed early is key to a successful tomorrow! Checking that off my list as I log out. 

Real life begins!

Dominican Republic

(originally written Tuesday, August 3, 2010)



Now that my years of nursing at McGill University are over, I have a whole new life ahead of me! This will be my way to keep everyone updated and hopefully inspire a few people along the way. 


This is something that was given to me on my first day:


Being a Nurse Means
-Anonymous


You will never be bored
You will always be frustrated
You will be surrounded by challenges.
So much to do and so little time
You will carry immense responsibility
And limited authority.
You will step into people’s lives
And you will make a difference.
Some will bless you,
Some will curse you.
You will see people at their worst
And at their best.
You will never cease to be amazed
At people’s capacity for
Love, courage, and endurance.
You will experience resounding triumphs
And devastating failures.
You will cry a lot.
You will laugh a lot.
You will know what it is to be human
And to be humane.