Nursing school - Week 9
Well, I'm now officially over halfway done with my first semester of nursing school. :-) Today was the big day to find out when we have our psychiatric rotation scheduled for the summer. I'm set up for 6 weeks of intensive hospital training during the first summer session. The second half I have free as a brief respite from school before the adult rotation starts in the fall.
In retrospect, I feel like I've really accomplished a lot this semester so far in the hospital. I can safely calculate med doses, administer injections, put tubes in various bodily orifices, and I'll soon start putting in IVs and administering medications intravenously. Considering that in the beginning, all I could do was make beds and give baths, I've really added a lot to the physical and emotional toolbox I have to help care for my patients. My patients, or professors of life (as I call them), have changed me as well. I've witnessed how terrible it is to judge and stereotype people based on their illness and/or its etiology. If you think about it, all that really separates me from them is the grace of God. I've seen glimpses of how incredibly resilient the human spirit is under circumstances where it appears there is no hope. I've cared for people in isolation being eaten alive by super bugs, people who are dying, and people coping with HIV, terminal stages of hepatitis, and AIDS. I've learned that although I may not be able to help heal all of the people who cross my path, the smiles and hugs they give me and the knowledge I helped make them feel better even for a little bit is priceless.
The next few weeks promise to be very activity packed. I have to learn many more skills and get checked off both in the lab and at the hospital. Whenever I've had time, I've been fascinated by the episodes of a new series on Fox called 'Bones'. The lead character Temperance Brennan reminds me so much of me. :-) I'm glad I'm not the only female nerd who generally likes humanity and has good intentions, but is a bit socially blind on pop culture and interacting with fellow humans. :-)
In retrospect, I feel like I've really accomplished a lot this semester so far in the hospital. I can safely calculate med doses, administer injections, put tubes in various bodily orifices, and I'll soon start putting in IVs and administering medications intravenously. Considering that in the beginning, all I could do was make beds and give baths, I've really added a lot to the physical and emotional toolbox I have to help care for my patients. My patients, or professors of life (as I call them), have changed me as well. I've witnessed how terrible it is to judge and stereotype people based on their illness and/or its etiology. If you think about it, all that really separates me from them is the grace of God. I've seen glimpses of how incredibly resilient the human spirit is under circumstances where it appears there is no hope. I've cared for people in isolation being eaten alive by super bugs, people who are dying, and people coping with HIV, terminal stages of hepatitis, and AIDS. I've learned that although I may not be able to help heal all of the people who cross my path, the smiles and hugs they give me and the knowledge I helped make them feel better even for a little bit is priceless.
The next few weeks promise to be very activity packed. I have to learn many more skills and get checked off both in the lab and at the hospital. Whenever I've had time, I've been fascinated by the episodes of a new series on Fox called 'Bones'. The lead character Temperance Brennan reminds me so much of me. :-) I'm glad I'm not the only female nerd who generally likes humanity and has good intentions, but is a bit socially blind on pop culture and interacting with fellow humans. :-)