Friday, January 25, 2013

Survived! (Nursing sans AT post)

Well, I survived the first 48 hours of hell that I'll endure weekly for the next 7 weeks. Working my first shift to shift was exhausting but not at all bad. As a student I don't feel right about sitting in the nurse's station, though most other students do. So I was on my feet from when I got up at 4am until I got home at 7:30pm, except for my 30-minute lunch break. My dogs were barking and my feet were killing me. The ends of my toes felt like they had been stubbing rocks all day and everything hurt except maybe my hair. But the day was educational and I worked in the ICU which I loved! One of my two patients took 90% of the time. Her stats were all over the place all day and just when one thing finally stabilized, something else went wonky. The ICU is definitely a delicate dance and my patient never fully stabilized. One thing I like about critical care over the ER is that these patients are truly critical and sick. No vaginal complaints at 3 in the morning, no frequent drug-seeking flyers, etc. BUT, there's something in the ER that's missing in the ICU as well. The ICU is constant monitoring. Hourly vitals, blood sugar checks, lots of poop wiping which can get a little tedious but also keeps one busy. And the camaraderie just isn't the same in the ICU. Six code browns (use your imagination) left my back aching but the next morning all my parts were back in working order which was good because then I tackled my longest school day of the week. Until this level, I always had the day off after clinicals which was great because I would be exhausted (one never sleeps the night before clinicals...can't risk that alarm not going off). But this level I have a clinical day and then my longest school day. It actually wasn't bad at all. Pedi lecture kind of makes me want to kill myself but that's just from 9-12. Jurisprudence is from 12-2 and I thought that was going to be an ass whipping but it was actually super interesting and then ACLS from 2-5:30 (think "CLEAR!") which ROCKS! I'm so going to love ACLS this level and our final exam is running a code (normally the physician role) so all in all, I think it will be a fun and fast semester. Just the weekly 48 with little sleep.

105 days. =)

2 comments:

  1. Just started my first clinical rotation in nursing school as a non traditional student. Thanks for sharing your perspective! I have found that there is a lot of learning that has nothing to do with curriculum!

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    1. Please feel free to vent or ask questions anytime. The first semester for me was fairly traumatic, the rest just really crazy busy. But it flies by and you'll be down to 104 days before you know it! =) Good luck!

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