Week 12: Drinking Makes the Week Better

The stress of nursing school is beginning to take its toll on me, just like the rest of the class.  The exams are not getting any easier and it is very easy to over think the questions.  So what should any nursing student do to relieve that stress? DRINK!  That I did with a few of the nursing students.  It was fun and I forgot about the stress (at least for one night).  We literally sat and drank for at least 4 and 1/2 hours (though I got there late, I still had to pick my patient).  I probably should have finished the paperwork from my patient BEFORE I started drinking.  I thank everyone who drank with me that night for helping me write my Form A.  I was no longer focusing.  In hindsight, I think the drinking affected my performance at clinical's a little bit.  I was tired at the beginning of the shift and I was sleepy by the end of the shift.  If I had to grade my performance, I would give myself a B-.


But the week was any typical week:  Lab and Lecture on Monday, Exam #5 on Tuesday, picked a patient Wednesday, and went to clinical's on Thursday and Friday.  There you go guys, a recap of my week!  If you read my blog to hear about the nursing stuff, I'm done!  You can stop reading now, but if you continue, I have a little treat at the end!

Being Nurse Edwyn

(Based on a True Story - of a completely uneventful day)

(Disclaimer:  What's written below is an exaggeration of the truth. I'm making the story more dramatic.  The excitement probably did not happened!)

Here's where we left off last time:

• 0850: My Nurse exclaims, "You gave him food!!!!!  He's NPO!  Why didn't you check the physician's orders before you passed it out!"

I really think Nurse Edwyn got himself into a world of trouble. Let's continue!

0851-0955

• 0851:  "What?!? I thought his order said full liquids?" I said
• 0852:  "Hahaha, you're right!  I'm just testing you!  Nice catch"  The nurse said.
• 0853:  Find my instructor to pass medications.
• 0909:  Prepare medications in the med room
• 0910:  Instructor:  "What is this medication for?" Me:  "Its for nausea." Instructor:  "Is the patient nauseated?"  Me:  "No."  Instructor:  "Then why are you giving it?"  Me:  "The pill also speeds up the emptying of stomach contents into the intestine and helps prevent nausea."  Instructor:  "Good, just remember you always have evidence for why you do something."  Oh man, its took early for in-depth questioning.
• 0920:  Go to the patient room.  "Hi Mr. _______.  I have your medications.  I know this sounds a little redundant, but I need to check your armband and ask you a few questions.  I don't want to be passing out the wrong medication to you.  What is your first and last name?........".  Nurse Edwyn then passes out the medications.

• 0925:       Grab the insulin pen, wipe the site with an alcohol swab and jab the patient. Here the patient say "ouch" and I get a little nervous.
• 0945:  Continue Bed Baths and Linen Changes.  Finish Charting.
• 0955:  FIRE ALARM!!!!!!! "Close all the patient doors NOW!", the instructor says.

Interesting, Nurse Edwyn and the rest of nurses seem to be in a predicament?  Find out what happens, next time on Being Nurse Edwyn.

"The first week of nursing school ended and I thought why not write a recap of my week of nursing school.  The hope is that this will give readers of my blog some insight into my experiences in becoming a nurse and give myself a way to vent about all the fun and suffering that occurred that week.  I want to be able to look back at all the posts in June of 2012 and say, "Edwyn, you were such an idiot back then.  Now look at where you're at!""

I'll admit that I talk less and less about the nursing material that happened in class or lecture.  Did I strayed away from my original idea? I don't think so. I'm still feel like I'm giving you a lot of insight into my life as a nursing student (and I'm still an idiot).  Part of the fun of writing this blog is talking about the other stuff that happened in order to get through the day.  

Just a little treat for you guys for reading this far!  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!