Looking Ahead

Grades posted today for our final exam. And I'm THRILLED that I scored a 94%. Huge relief! Even though I'm disappointed that I didn't get an A in the class, I am still quite happy with my B. Part of the challenge is learning to take nursing school tests that are written to help get us ready for the licensure exam. So hopefully I'm growing/progressing in this area and will do better next semester.  Although next semester does come with its own challenges. I'm going to have to dig MUCH, much deeper next semester to come out with good grades for both Nursing II (med-surg) and Pharmacology.

This next semester I will take two classes totaling 10 credit hours. Nursing II (112/med-Surg) now includes two clinical days and our care plans will be much more in-depth and comprehensive for our patients. We'll also be evaluating our goals/interventions/client's responses as part of our care-planning. I'll also be taking Pharmacology, which is a tough course in its own rite. I have decided to take it online, saving time/gas since I won't have to travel to campus (25 minutes). Plus I've done really well with online courses in the past. Our nursing program offers it both in classroom and online. At this point, it seems like the majority opted for the online version. The nice back-up is that Pharmacology will be offered again in the summer (in case we don't do as well as we'd like).

We have not received our clinical assignments yet. I think program administrators may be waiting to see who passed Nursing I  (108) before posting the schedule...as they may have to reshuffle some clinical groups. Once they post the groups, we'll know WHERE we'll be working (which site, which unit) and WHO will be in our clinical group (9-10 students per group). Will be nice to get to know another group of my classmates, but it would be nice to have at least one person that I know fairly well (like from other classes).

Next semester I really want to do better in taking advantage of PVCC's fitness center. Unfortunately, last semester I got sick during 2nd or 3rd week of the semester and it greatly disrupted the good start I had started --plus then we started doing care plans around week 5. And unfortunately, when care plans started having weekly due-dates, I lost a lot of that time that I thought I'd have. ugh. And b/c I've not be training adequately, it would be quite miserable to start back running at this time of year (outdoors in the freezing cold). I really need to get my act together! I also need to do better at mass cooking and getting soup and stuff put in the freezer for future meals. I should do a LOT of cooking during my semester break and work hard to get my freezer filled up! 

Dating, getting together with friends, going to weekly Bible study---these have all been challenging, but I'm going to keep pressing on. If I don't get out of the house and hang with friends, how am I ever going to live a balanced life rich in relationships? Let alone meet someone with mutual attraction, date and hopefully get married? I'm not getting any younger or any more charming...and I'll be 38 by the time I graduate. Too bad marriages aren't being "arranged" anymore! That would make it so much more simple!  I could focus on school while my family or church family is trying to find someone to agree to marry me. I like that idea.

While I think dating someone seriously while in school would have huge challenges (priorities, distractions, emotional energy),  I think it could also be very good. It would require things to go slow, to be intentional, the best outcome is that it would get me out of my independent, self-sufficient mode and thinking about someone else for a change! But too much thinking about the other person could be a huge disaster academically...and if the relationship did not work out...sigh, that would be double depressing.  So I just have to keep trusting the Lord with this. To keep praying for His will to be done in the midst of this chapter of my life which from the outside probably reads "she's just to busy for a relationship"...which is TOTALLY WRONG. We'll never NOT be busy. This is just a different type of busy. My only consolation is that plenty of people meet and date while in school. Oh goodness...how did I get off on this topic? Stopping now.

Well, not much more to add. Just feeling good that the semester is over and that I have a five weeks to relax  and have a little extra time on my hands to do some fun stuff. If you know me...call/email me and we can go do something!

Semester Two: Finished!

Survived my final. Think I did pretty well. Grades not expected to post until next week. Not sure if that's the exam grade or the final grade...the rumor was a little lacking in specifics. : |Glad to be done.

Headed out now to help with my niece's birthday slumber party tonight (15 or so eleven & twelve year olds???) and then will stay over to help my sister move into her new apartment.

So glad that I can relax now for a few weeks. Will work 3 days a week but that's nothin' compared to schoolwork hanging over my head!  Now what? Not to worry...there's plenty on my list to do. Some fun stuff..some not so fun...but just not school!

Cheers.

Semester Two: Almost Gone

Semester Two ends this coming Friday with the taking/passing of my final exam. Almost there. Almost. The Thanksgiving holidays definitely gave me a taste of winter break, so much so that I really did not want to come back for my tests and final exam, mostly b/c it's been SO hard to get re-motivated for the final two weeks. And it showed. I was very disappointed with my Test 3 results. I probably could have spent more time studying, but mainly I over-thought things and changed answers. If I had left them alone, I would've done much better! My score could improve if they end up throwing out a question or two that I got wrong. I can only hope.

Friday evening (after we took Test 3 that morning) we returned to campus for collaborative testing to help us get ready for our final exam next week. It was there that we saw preliminary results for Test 3 (and got to review all our tests). So I won't know Test 3 official results for a couple days I suspect. But now, there is no conceivable way for me to get an A in this course. I'm sooo bummed. But reality is...what's done is done.  Can't go back and change things...can only move forward (having learned a lesson---maybe?) Now it's time to focus on the final exam!

I think I've counted that I have about 28-35 hours this week that I can study for my exam on Friday. I work all day Monday and Tuesday (my seasonal job) and that really only permits about 3-4 hours of study those nights. I'm just hoping I can get/stay motivated to systematically work through the study schedule that I've worked out. I've basically divided up all the content onto different days, based on whether I think I'll need a little or a lot of time to review it.  Today I review/read again chapter on Fluid, Electrolytes and Acid-Base imbalances... I know I'll be needing to spend time all week on this, so I figured I'd start early and then take flash cards to work this week to use during my breaks and to review before bed. And now that I've taken this little break, it's time for me to get back to the books.

I really doubt that I'll be posting anything new this week...so all my faithful readers (all three of you) can enjoy the break.

Cheers.

Aging Populations | Something to Watch

For my Fundamental class, on our section on caring for the aging adult, we were required to watch a video produced by PBS titled "Living Old". http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/livingold/view/.  It's 60 minutes long. I totally recommend it. It's not an easy watch by any means. Definitely sobering and thought-provoking. Statistics say that by 2030 (20 years away), over 20% of our population will be over 65 years of age.  I think this PBS special definitely discusses some of the relevant issues surrounding this topic. It's NOT a nursing video...it was written for the general public, but there are healthcare providers, family members and members of this aging population that were interviewed.

I'm 36 years old. My parents are in their early to mid 70's... I certainly have wondered/thought about what the next 10-15-20-25 years will look like. What is it going to look like for my parents as they age and their bodies become less efficient and less robust. My parents became vegans over 10 years ago and they certainly believe this is going to help them stay strong, healthy and help prevent chronic disease or cancers from stealing their years.  Thank God, they are strong and healthy now (they brag they are not on any prescription medications), but that doesn't protect them from the unexpected (car accident, serious fall/fractured hip, back injury...) which could potentially impact their ability to manage their ADL's (activities of daily living) and remain independent. They certainly expect they will remain independent a long time. I just pray that is the case...

Interesting statement was made in this PBS program, the gist was that if you have three or more daughters and/or daughters-in-law ---chances are that you may be able to avoid going to live in a nursing home. My parents did well to have four girls. I've always said that having children seems like a pretty good retirement plan. ;-)   At this rate, I'm WAY behind...but not much I can do about it in my single state. I suppose someone better mention to my four nieces and nephews that they may be called upon to care for their elderly parents AND their elderly aunts. I'm sure they'll be excited to hear this--seeing as none of them are in highschool yet.

Well, I really just wanted to post the link to this PBS/Frontline special.  Nothing much else to post...I'm just busy studying right now for my final two tests which I have at the end of this week. Next week I'll be studying for my final exam which is next week...nearing the finish line! woot!

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Joy

The End (of the semester) Starts Here

Just finished my last clinical assignment of the semester: self -evaluation. I know I've been counting down clinical days all semester, but it's finally here. Tomorrow is our last clinical day of the semester! We're all bringing in breakfast foods and will share with the unit staff tomorrow as a 'thank you'.  Then we'll be on the floor for 3.5 hours, leaving about 11 AM. Then we're all headed to lunch together...which should be fun. Hopefully no major disasters in the morning to sober our celebrations! 

This Thursday and Friday are the last "new content" days of the semester in my lab skills and lecture classes. The timing of it all is really perfect, as this weekend I'm headed to Pittsburgh for a family wedding and since I will have entire week of Thanksgiving off (just the way my class schedule worked out), my family will end up staying an extra day or so and come back early next week. So nice not to have to worry about school stuff over the weekend or holiday week! (Some people DO have class on Monday--just NOT me!) However, I still have to go next Tuesday for my final clinical evaluation with my clinical instructor--but nothing really to prepare for that (that's what I'm turning in tomorrow).  

The Friday after Thanksgiving I will get trained for my seasonal job which will start the following Monday. Looks like I will work M/Tu for couple weeks while I finish up tests/exams in early December...but as soon as the semester ends I will work the early shift 3 days a week. Will be nice to earn a little extra cash to help pay for this upcoming trip to PA (hotel room), purchase C'mas gifts, buy much needed clothes, and throw a chunk back into my dwindling saving account!

I have already started my "to do" lists for my holiday break. I will have to be a bit more organized since I'm working, but this will be the longest break that I will have had since I started taking classes the summer of 2009. Last year I had 5-6 weeks off between semesters but I was still working full-time, so I really didn't get a break. But this time I will have 4 days off a week while I'm working and two full weeks off in January. And because I'm working the early shift, I will get all my evenings off (which tend to be my most productive hours anyways). I'll be staying in the area for C'mas--hanging out with my parents and two of my sisters, and then the rest of the family arrives for our main family event over New Years weekend. The homeowners will be home just before C'mas and we'll overlap some, especially the days I'm working, but we get along great. It's such a great arrangement. I might lose my room over New Years but since I'll be doing family celebrations at my parents, it won't really matter.

Well, off to gather my bits for clinical tomorrow. Cheers.

ABG Interpretation

This week we've been reading about Acid-Base and Arterial Blood Gases.

I just wanted to share two sites that I located that have been helpful.

For ABG interpreting practice: http://www.vectors.cx/med/apps/abg.cgi. With each set of ABG values, it will let you know if you are wrong, right or mixed in your answer...and then provide basis for answer. Seems to have UNLIMITED ABG values to analyze.

For general overview of ABG's and interpreting, here is a PDF packet: http://orlandohealth.com/pdf%20folder/Inter%20of%20Arterial%20Blood%20Gas.pdf.  This looks like it might have been a continuing ed type of thing a number of years ago...but helpful nonetheless.

There are LOTS of other sites out there, but these I've used and have found helpful.