So I've finally reached the last entry about N100. It's a little bittersweet, but at the same time these things have taken waaaayyyyy to much effort to produce. But I'm extremely satisfied with the result. So this entry will be a reflective piece about the first semester (just remember I might be trying to be funny with what I'm saying, so don't take anything personally).
Before I get to the reflecting, let me finish my story about Nurse Edwyn. Nurse Edwyn has been on break for a very long time, but its time to end the drama!
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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:
- 0955: FIRE ALARM!!!!!!! "Close all the patient doors NOW!", the instructor says.
0956-1330
- 0956: Nurse Edwyn runs and starts closing all the doors on the floor with the other nursing students
- 1000: "False Alarm students" my nurse exclaims. "They're are testing the fire alarms."
- 1010: The fire alarms goes off.
- 1020: The fire alarm goes off.
- 1030: The fire alarm goes off
- 1040: The fire alarm goes off.
- 1050: The fire alarm doesn't go off. "What?!? No Fire Alarm?" Nurse Edwyn thinks.
- 1100: BREAK TIME
- 1105: Nurse Edwyn begins listening to the nurses talk about makeup and what makeup brings out their eyes.
- 1107: Nurse Edwyn updates his facebook status and states he's sitting in the break room, listening to makeup tips.
- 1130: Accucheck Time!
- 1145: Vital Signs Time!
- 1150: Charting Time!
- 1200: "Can I leave Now?" Nurse Edwyn asks the instructor. "No, find something to do!" says the instructor.
- 1201: "But I didn't take a break yet and I want to get lunch!" Nurse Edwyn tells his instructors. "Ok, you can go!" says the instructor.
- 1205: Nurse get a soda from the vending machine.
- 1230: Post-Conference in the Basement.
- 1330: Post-Conference Ends! Time to go home and sleep!
After what seem to be an interesting morning, Nursing Edwyn had quite an uneventful end to his day. I think he's thankful for that!
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My Article for the CNSA Newsletter The Pulse
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Here's how the version in the newsletter reads:What Did I Get Myself Into?
Reflecting on the First Semester of Nursing School
By Edwyn De La Cruz
First semester is ending and I ask myself all the time, “What did I get myself into?” I thought nursing school wouldn’t be too bad. Then I realized how overwhelming nursing school is. I didn’t realize how much we were expected to know on the first day. No one tells you that the nurse you’re helping won’t always be around. No one tells you the IV bag won’t say D5 ½ NS on it? At least on that first day of clinicals I learned that Lakewood Regional gave free coffee.
Even as mentally draining that first day was, I’ve surprised myself at how much I have grown. I’m comfortable interacting with patients and nurses. I know everything about those IV bags. I can care for a patient independently. I know to check those I.D. bands before administering any medication.
So what did I get myself into? I got myself into an enriching program that teaches you how to save patients’ lives. The experiences, good and bad, have prepared me to tackle whatever nursing school brings. Goodbye first semester, I’m glad I survived it.
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Here's the original version of the article I wrote:
What Did I Get Myself Into?
Reflecting on the First Semester of Nursing School
By Edwyn De La Cruz
By Edwyn De La Cruz
I had this idea that going through this nursing program wouldn’t be too bad. I’ve gone to a name-brand university and received my bachelor. But after only a couple weeks into the program, I realized how intense and overwhelming nursing school could be. I didn’t realize how much we were expected to know and do things on the first clinical day. No one tells you that on your first day of patient care you would be caring for patients independently. No one tells you that the nurse you’re helping won’t always be around to help you. How am I supposed to know the IV bag won’t say D5 ½ NS on it? At least on that first day of clinicals I learned that Lakewood Regional gave free coffee.
Even as stressful and mentally draining that first day was, I’ve surprised myself at how much I have grown from those first initial days. I’m comfortable interacting with patients and nurses. I know what is in those IV bags, the flow rate, and why the patient is on it. I don’t need the nurse who I’m helping to always be around in order to care for a patient. I know to check those I.D. bands before administering any medication.
So honestly what did I get myself into? I got myself into a wonderfully enriching nursing program that really teaches you how to become a good nurse and how to save patients’ lives. It is definitely intense and there are those days where everything just seems to go wrong. But all the experiences, good and bad, have prepared me to tackle whatever the next 3 semesters will bring (even though N100 is only the tip of the iceberg). I’m glad I survived it, and I’m anxious to see what the next semester may bring.
I personally like this version better!
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Some N100 Pictures
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| I Learned How to Sew For Nursing School |
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| Practicing Medication Administration Through a Naso-Gastric Tube |
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| The Instructors Did a Case Study (with Role Playing) in Lecture Instead of Lecturing |
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| Practicing Their Lines For the Ethic Presentation Video |
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| Providing My Opinion On How to Shoot the Next Scene |
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| Getting Dessert in the Morning Always Makes Me Smile :) |
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More Reflection on First Semester!
Many things have changed since the first week of nursing school. I believe we started with 64 students at the beginning. We are now down to 58. Everyone was strangers in the beginning and now you see people bonded (more or less along the lines of their clinical groups). I was extremely nervous the first day of clinicals and I wasn't sure what to do. Now I feel much more confident to care for two patients and give each patient the attention they need.
One thing that I didn't expect was how fast the 16 weeks of 1st semester went by. By the 5th week of the semester, I got myself into a rhythm of what to expect. Monday and Tuesday was going to be lab and lecture. I'll be a patient (or two) on Wednesday and research them. I'll go to clinicals on Thursday and Friday. Then repeat for another 10 weeks. Oh yea, expect an exam every other week. Having that same schedule week in and week out definitely made the semester go by faster. I'm really happy that I'm finished with N100. By Week 15, I was burning out.
One thing I should have done more was happy hours. El Torito is just down the street from GWC. If you know me and have had a few drinks we me, you come to the realization that I like drinking! I'm not the type of person to overdo it (honestly, I want to be able to remember what happens) because I got to be able to functional the next day. Drinking would have helped relieved stress during any stressful week. I need to remember to work hard and play harder! Thankfully I celebrated the end of N100 with drinks, drinks, and more drinks!
I also need to stop spending so much money on food. I was eating at Panera/Corner Bakery/Chipotle/Costco/McDonalds/In-N-Out/Wendy's/Lee's Sandwiches way too many times a week. At least for a starving student, I knew how to eat good (lol, I wasn't a starving student).
Oh yea, nothing against my cohort of nursing students (I love you all), but I was expecting more single people. Why is everyone married, engaged, or in a relationship?
I found it interesting that the average age of the nursing students in my semester is probably around 25 (I'm not the oldest in class, and definitely not the youngest). Also many people have a B.A. or B.S. of some sort from a reputable 4-year university.
I thought almost every Filipinos wanted to become a nurse (or least be forced to head into that direction). Where are all the Filipinos in my Nursing Program?!?!? Including me, there are a total of 3 1/2. I found that a bit odd. I guess Filipinos don't want to go GWC? Haha, I don't know.
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N100 In Review
All the thanks go to our teaching instructor for putting this together.
THE END
N150 will be fun! Sarcasm will continue to be prevalent in my blog.
