Month of Sighs

This month has been cuh-razy so far. Between turning 27 (sheesh), graduating nursing school (holy crap), procuring a nursing job (HOLY AWESOME AND SCARY), and writing a speech for our nursing school graduation (sweaty palms anyone?), I have had a lot on my mind.

On top of all that, my dad has been nice enough to spend a couple days at our house, putting up some finishing touches that have been a long time coming - HELLO CROWN MOLDING IN THE KITCHEN!!! Soooo, super awesome, but super stressful too. AND it's freaking cold here in NC, which makes my fingers le cold and stiff. AND the cold makes it impossible to spray paint my awesome brass chandelier I got at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for $10... hmmm.

Anyways, just wanted to say hi to everyone out there, and say that I am still here - really stressed and happy for my pharmaceutical assistance - but still here. And really happy that nursing school is alllllllmost over.

I shall try to update more often - especially over the next month as all I do is eat, sleep, study for the NCLEX and work at the restaurant.

MUAH!

Ending on a Sad Note

There were a lot of different experiences I could talk about from my last day in the  ED, but the one that really stuck with me was my last patient of the day. The 20-year-old female came into the ED complaining of vaginal bleeding and extreme pain. She had gone to another ED a few days before where she had been told she was miscarrying, given pain meds and sent on her way. Now she was out of pain meds and wanted more. Nobody was really taking her seriously, since they had all had patients who faked pregnancy/miscarriage to get pain meds (how AWFUL is that, by the way???), but I wasn’t sure.

This was NOT my first patient that came into the ED with abnormal vaginal bleeding – but the first one who came in saying she had had a miscarriage. Our PA didn’t even believe that she had ever been pregnant, so she ordered a urine pregnancy test.

I walked into the patient’s room and told her we needed a urine sample. The look of anguish that washed over her face was heartbreaking, and I told her that I would help her as much as I could. Since she came into the minor trauma area in a wheelchair, I took her by wheelchair to the bathroom, and helped her obtain the sample. The urine sample was full of blood and tissue. So much for a clean catch. As we were setting up for a pelvic exam, the PA took her medical history and I found out that this was this girl’s sixth pregnancy, and I tried not to judge. I was happy that her partner was there with her and sorry she was in such pain. I helped her get to the bottom of the bed, expecting a normal pelvic exam. However, the exam was in no-way normal, and caused her a large amount of pain...

The MD swept into the room, took one look and told the girl (who was still whimpering) that she was still actively miscarrying, and called for more IV push morphine (I had already given her some 5 minutes earlier). When I came back from getting the morphine, it was just the girl and her partner in the room. I told her what I was doing, and that it was going to help with all the pain. Then I told her that unfortunately it was the end of my shift, and that I had to go. She responded with tears. I told her that now that they had figured out what was wrong, it was going to get better, and that I was sorry she was hurting. I reassured her that another nurse and NA were on duty, and that the MD and PA treating her were there for another 2 hours. She wasn't being abandoned. She calmed down and I walked out of the ED.

It was a difficult, emotional experience to end my preceptorship on, but I felt like we actually were helping someone - and that was positive and fulfilling.

Not Quite the Flu.

The ED is a completely different animal than any other place in the hospital. In more ways than one, it's just like the restaurant where I work - sit them down, ask what they want (what's wrong), get them what you can (push meds, get blood or urine), send in the manager (the MD, PA or NP) and send them on their way. Turn those tables (rooms)! 

Instead of doing a head-to-toe assessment where I use my stethoscope, penlight and fingers, I get to have a 3-minute question and answer session, with minor follow up if there is a specific ailment (like listen to bowel sounds if the abdomen hurts, etc.). As the days in the ED went on, I think I became complacent in my assessment - one of the things that I wanted to get better at during my time in the ED.

We had one patient that came in complaining of flu-like symptoms. The Physician's Assistant thought it was probably the flu, but ordered a chest x-ray to cover her butt. When the results came back, we were both were shocked - Pneumonia. At least she had listened to his lungs and determined that his right lower lobe was diminished. I, on the other hand, only asked him how long his signs and symptoms had been going on, and if had been taking anything for them. Sigh.
 

Later on I started the same patient's IV. He didn't like needles, so I told him to look at the wall while I put in the IV. Good thing I did, because I didn't pull the tourniquet off his arm and couldn't get the saline lock on fast enough ... so he bled everywhere ... like to the point that I had to move my white pants and shoes out of the way so the blood could drip on the floor. I was seriously freaked out by this incident, but both my nurse preceptor and the PA told me not to worry, and that I was still learning. I still felt bad though. Thank God the patient didn't look over toward me! Sheesh.

Eventually I get better at all this...right?

Another ED Experience...

We had another patient who came in to the ED complaining of nausea and vomiting, with a sharp pain in her lower right abdomen. My preceptor started the IV, gave the patient morphine IV push and then started a bag of normal saline. When I came back 15 minutes later to check on the patient, I noticed that she had red streaks running up her arm, and her veins were puffy. I stopped the IV and placed a cool compress on her arm, and then went for my preceptor.

All we had given the patient so far was morphine, and I could see the veins leading away from her IV site were red and puffy, so I knew it was probably a local reaction to the medication. I asked her again if she had any allergies, and she said no. I stopped the IV pump and got a washcloth from the cabinet, wet it and placed it on her arm. I told her that she was probably having a small reaction to the morphine that we pushed (which is why her arm wasn't hurting now that the saline was running), and that I went to go get my nurse.

I told my preceptor about the situation, and what I had done so far. She went into the room and took a look, and pretty much told the patient what I had - that this was probably a local reaction to the morphine, and that this reaction was common. To make sure we were right, she asked the doctor to come in and take a look at the patient. Begrudgingly he took a minute and went to look at the patient's arm. He agreed it was a reaction to the medication, and prescribed Benadryl IV push.
 

This situation kinda freaked me out - I mean, who has seen red streaks running up someone's arm?? It looked like blood poisoning or something. It all worked out, but I couldn't help but think about what would have happened it it wasn't a local reaction, but a systemic one. Her airway would have closed off or her breathing could have slowed. Since she wasn't hooked up to a monitor...how long would it have taken for me to come back and check on her? That thought chills me...

Adventures in Nursing

During our senior semester, we do a preceptorship in a specific unit at the hospital. Kind of like an internship, we spend 56 hours with a nurse, working their shifts with them, and becoming more and more independent. I chose to do my preceptorship in the Emergency Department (ED), and it has been a fantastic experience. I wanted to share a few of my experiences there - hopefully you'll find them as crazy as I did!

My second day in the ED, my nurse and I had a patient who was complaining or continuous nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In order to replenish her fluids quickly, the doctor ordered a liter of normal saline to run wide open…which meant she needed an IV started. Since I had never successfully started an IV on a patient, she sent me in with the IV supplies by myself – and told me to return to her if I thought I couldn’t do it.

This was my second attempt at an IV start in the ED – at the first one I was aiming correctly, but was afraid to hurt the patient and didn’t push far enough into the skin. Thankfully the weekend prior to the clinical day included a visit with my mom, who had promised to be a pincushion for me as I practiced IV sticks (she is a saint). AND I got the stick on the first try – so I had slightly more confidence than I had before the weekend.

As I went into the room by myself and examined the patient’s arms, I talked to her about if she had ever given blood and asked her which arm they used. She pointed to her left, but I had just seen a large vein in her inner arm. I asked her if that vein always stuck out like that and she assured me it did. This was like a giant bull’s-eye on her arm. She seemed really calm – I’m not sure if it was from her nausea or her natural state – but I was grateful, because I was a wreck. I tried my best not to show how nervous I was, especially that my hands were shaking! I had a hard time starting the IV without getting blood everywhere, but I did my best to recover and start the bag of saline. Once the IV was started and a medication was pushed, my preceptor came to check on me. She asked me if I got blood, and thinking that she meant the blood flash when starting an IV, I said, “YES!!!!” Actually she meant if I had pulled blood for the lab. Oops. I had been so nervous about the IV that I hadn’t read that she needed a full workup on the order sheet.

All's well that ends well, right?

Dear Peeps...

Dear people who eat in restaurants,
Please ask to box your own food. I can guarantee your hands are cleaner than mine.
Love, the exasperated server.

Dear eight-top with the $400+ bill,
Yes, I included 18% gratuity. No, 18% is not sufficient. Besides, this is going on your company credit card, Give me a break! I'm poor!
Love, your really broke server.

Dear Nursing Instructor,
No, I'm not quite sure how I failed the test today while making the class' highest Maternity ATI test score. Please stop asking me such obnoxious questions.
Love, the sleepy student.

Dear Mom,
I don't really like any of the curtain patterns you scanned - do you think we can just do a fake roman shade over the kitchen sink?
Love, your indecisive daughter.

Dear various members of The Ocho,
I miss your faces. I'm sorry I can't join you in Chuck-Town this weekend, but have a drink for me!
Love, D-Sice


Picture of the Day - a kick-ass tree in Key West, Florida

Dude.

DUDE - why do I always feel the need to blog whenever I should be studying for something or completing something? Hmmm - WAIT I know the answer! I am a chronic procrastinator! Oh yes!

So yesh. Not only do I have my fourth test of the semester tomorrow, I also have our pediatrics/maternity ATI test, tutoring and work. AND I have a paper due. AND paperwork from last week - which includes an article summary. HA. HAHAHA! Yeahhhh It's 10:14 p.m. and I only have the paper done. I have been studying all day for the test, but since the test was SUPPOSED TO BE TODAY (I was NOT feeling well, so I rescheduled for tomorrow morning...) I really can't feel good about the studying. Yesh I wasn't feeling weel - I have had a sore throat for over a week, so I finally went to the doctor this morning. I tested negative for Strep, and my doctor pretty much old me to go home, drink lots of fluids and rest. So I did. I napped and studied on the couch all day long. It was glorious.

For those of you who DON'T know why I am so worn down - I threw M a surprise 30th b-day party this weekend at our house. Talk about a stressor. BUT, he loved it and we had a fabulous time. So it was worth it. =) We'll see if I reconsider after getting my test grades back...

On another note, I finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson. Both were really good, and I would recommend them! It looks like I am going to kill last year's "Books Read" number - right now I am only 2 away from last year's total ... and it's only the end of July. Sweetness.

Weeeeeeell, I guess I should finish my care plan for tomorrow while M alternates between a History Channel show on Grant's ride through the South and How it's Made on the Science Channel. Yup we're dorks.

Here is a picture from M's party this weekend - thanks for the cupcakes mommers!

Instead of studying...

...I have:

• Gone to Ikea
• Gone to Home Depot
• Caulked the half bath
• Painted the second blue coat in the half bath
• Painted the wainscoting
  
• Spray painted all my frames and the mirror for the full bath
• GEEKED OUT when I saw the newest clips from Eclipse and The Deathly Hallows

And I had some carrots and peanut butter. Will any of that be on the test? Didn't think so.

Back To School...Back To School...

Today is the first day of my maternity-pediatrics semester. Woot woot! I am not going to think about our bank account (pretty depleted after our MUCH NEEDED vay-cay) or about the AWESOME looking Ecplise clip that was released on Oprah (can't wait!), or the fact that HR came and talked to the graduating-this-summer students and pretty much said BLECH on you and the job market.

No. I am going to think about babies and pregnant mommies and about catching babies all covered in goo and sick kiddies and making people feel better. Because that is why I am in school - to make people feel better.

I have made straight B's throughout nursing school...while I've worked and played and tried to fix up our house...but I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to make an A this semester. We shall see!

For all 5 of you that read on a regular basis, sorry about the blogging delay. I was seriously burnt out about a month ago, all the way until my vacation. But, I'm back!

Happy Tuesday,
Dani

Woot Woot Bitches!

I got an A on my test! I got a FREAKING A!!! That is my second A of nursing school so WHAT UP.

The slightly sheepish thing is... I am not quite sure how I pulled the A out of my ass. It was a mean test - not really hard per se, but just mean. The questions stretched back to material from the first and second exams (which is LEGAL, but not COOL) and only had two medication questions - when we had a BAJILLION meds to study. Sooooo mostly I was lucky. But I'll take lucky. Especially if lucky could continue through the ATI exam I have to take at the end of the semester - the test that counts towards getting the preceptorship that I want (aka not med surge). We shall see.

On another note, I taped off the kitchen cart and primed the tiny wooden strip that was left. Delicious. Perhaps I'll have enough time tomorrow to paint the first coat! It IS my LAST clinical of the semester and they told us we had NO PAPERWORK - so things seem to be going my way for the moment. I think I shall ride the wave.

On another note, from now on I think I'm going to end my non-picture posts with a loverly photo from my hard drive. =) Enjoy!

Key West, looking toward Cuba (2006)

Easter Brunch

Let me start off by saying that I really really really REALLY need to study. My test is on Wednesday and it's supposed to be the hardest one of the semester and I don't really care and I haven't really started studying. Sigh.

Mmmmk with THAT out of the way - Easter Brunch. It was horrific. We opened an hour early this morning, so I had to be there at 9 am...after I closed last night and got home at 12:30. Meh. I wasn't a happy camper this morning! SO much that I'm considering skipping class tomorrow. It's covering material that won't be on Wednesday's test...and I would LOVE to not get up at 6:45.

Anyway. I had a larger-than-normal section on a busier-than-normal day. I had a 10-seater table that turned three times, and three four-person booths. That is a lot of coffee and donuts. Talking about coffee...I spilled a full HOT cup on guy today. In front of his girlfriend. And his whole family. I wanted to die. I wanted to cry and die and scream and cry. He was fine...I even offered him ice and he was all "I promise I'm not burned." I didn't believe him. It was amazingly awful. At more than one point I just wanted to leave because I was soooooooo busy.

However, I did make more than $200. But I still need a vacation. Thankfully I have something way fun planned for Friday...if the weather cooperates.

K. Now I just need to get M to turn OFF THE SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS so I can study about respiratory diseases and medications. BLECH. I can't WAIT to get this over with and move onto pediatrics and maternity!!!

Just a Few Letters...

Dear Cappuccino machine,
Please try and steam the milk, not scald my hand.
Love, the cute burnt waitress

Dear new (and mildly incompetent) server,
Please try and pay attention to what I am telling you - I am not talking just to hear myself talk.
Love, your exasperated trainer

Dear bank teller,
It is not my fault that the restaurant paid me in ones for the last two shifts. You have a bill-counting machine. DEAL WITH IT.
Love, the harried-looking waitress in the wrinkled Ralph Lauren shirt

Dear glorious weather,
Please continue as usual.
Love, the girl stuck inside doing test prep

SuperSweetness

Awesomest news ever – my Adult Health test is now next WEDNESDAY instead of next MONDAY. I’m not quite sure that you can really understand the awesomeness of this schedule change until you know what this week looks like for me…

Monday – class in the morning, work at 5

Tuesday – work at 11

Wednesday – class in the morning

Thursday – OFF (so, studying all freaking day…)

Friday – work all day long

Saturday – work at 5

Sunday – work from 9 to 4ish, then Easter dinner at my aunt’s house

So yesh. I am VERY excited about this widdle schedule change. I need that extra 2 days to study, since this test consistently produces the worst class average. woot woot!

On another note, I had a loverly dream last night that involved going on a date with Robert Pattinson. I’m not quite sure what the date entailed, but it was kinda like he was the same person as one of my college boyfriends, and M was totally OK with the whole thing (since I was asking him for dating advice in the dream…). Anyways. There was no biting-of-the-neck (sadness) and a lot of lusting-general-wanting. I don’t have these types of dreams often, so I wonder what in my subconscious spurred it on. Perhaps it’s the fact that I watched New Moon the other night. Sighhhhh. I love those damn books.

PS – WE GOT OUR KITCHEN CART. The only problem is that I really don’t have time to clean and prime the thing. Maybe I’ll do it on my day off when the weather is supposed to be nice. I can sand and prime and have a loverly time. And THEN I promise to post pictures of my kitchen. Maybe I’ll post the before pictures later tomorrow…

‘Till then, talk to you latah dahlings.

I should be studying...

But instead, I've been sucked into the DIY zone - a place where you envision making your house homier on a super-budget. And I'm in love with this website - The DIY Show Off - where peeps come to... umm... show off thier WONDERFUL projects. That site, along with Martha Stewart's web site, is the reason why I probably won't do well on my test tomorrow. Oh well. At least I have plans for the house...you know, for all my spare time. (insert eye roll here)

Soooo, I'm going to make this for Deacon's poopy bags! (aka plastic grocery bags...) Isn't it pretty?
And this post at Decorating Obsessed gave me hope for finding a cheap buffet that we can fix up on the cheap:

Everybody now: OOOOOOHHHH AHHHHHHH. I am totally headed to Goodwill ReStore this week...

Lastly - this project is PERFECT FOR MY FIREPLACE. Which currently looks like this:
But following the blogger at Storybook Ranch, I COULD get it to look like THIS:
I COULD go on about how I want to spray paint the toilet-paper and soap cubbyholes in the bathroom to make them look oil-rubbed bronze, or how I'm going to paint the tile in there so it doesn't look like 1965 exploded... but that's for another day. I REALLY need to get back to studying...congestive heart failure isn't as glam at DIY, but I am in nursing school. Sigh.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Before I start, a brief whine: I don't WANNA start studying for my test! ::pout:: It's rainy and cold and gross and I want to curl up in a ball and start a new book. One that does NOT involve hearts or trach care or reading EKGs or starting IVs. Sigh.

On that note, several people have asked what books I've read so far in 2010. Here they are with a wee review:
1. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - FABULOUS book that traces the very intricate history of a very old book. Told through several points of view and time periods. I really liked how the story jumped around as it told the book's history (M did NOT enjoy that about the book).
2. Maus I - Great graphic novel by Art Spiegelman. If you haven't read a graphic novel before, PLEASE go to the library and check this one out. It's the story of the author's father during the holocaust. The Jews are mice and the Germans cats - nice.
3. Maus II - YES I'm counting Maus I and II as separate books, but it's MY personal book list so I don't care. I liked Maus I WAY better than Maus II. I feel like the author kind of lost his way and didn't know how to bring closure to the story. Which, if you think about it, makes sense - because how do you find closure with the Holocaust?
4. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - I really, really, really loved this book. I didn't think I would ... but the idea of traveling around the world to find yourself (through gelato, prayer and love) was too tempting for me to ignore, and I'm glad I didn't. GREAT ideas in there about spirituality and finding your path to God.
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I try and read the award-winning young adult fiction, and this one didn't disappoint. However, it's the first of a triliogy (I think), which is always severely annoying. I liked the first one (loved the main character's voice), but I'm not sure I want to read the second one. The third one looks good though...
6. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - A solid fantasy novel in the vein of Pillars of the Earth and a bit of Lord of The Rings. This book was given to me as a birthday present by our friend who has the whole series. YES, once again, the first of FOUR books, so we'll finish those off when I have more time (each book is 800+ pages!!).

So yesh. I guess I'll pull out my notes and start typing. Sigh. Community Health, here I come!

This Sums Up How I Feel About Studying

Deacon doesn't approve of the constant studying, and neither do I.

GLEEEEEEEE withdrawl.

Dude. That show is SO effing good and I am SOOO EXCITED that Spring Awakening is coming to the Queen City in the spring - Lea Michele starred in the leading female role when the show premiered on Broadway. AND have you heard that Idina Menzel (Wicked, Rent) Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening) are both set to guest star on Glee in the SPRING???? Pant pant pant.

And don't get me started on how adorable Matthew Morrison. I only say adorable because he isn't shirtless all that often on Glee - which is umm a shame:
Yeah.

ANYWAYS. I just watched the fall finale for the second time in three days and I don't think I can wait SIX MONTHS for the show to resume. Sigh. Oh well. I guess I'll just stick with Modern Family and The Office and 30 Rock until next April. ::pout:: DVR is NOT helping me with nursing school, that's for sure.

On the home front - I bought a rug for the front door, we took down the nasty-ass green mini blinds in the kitchen and I put really pretty paper behind the glass in bathroom cabinet. However, I didn't study AT ALL for my final today. Oh well. There is always tomorrow! =)

1-2-3

(either The Jackson 5 or Britney Spears - your choice)

1 - It's freezing in my house, but I don't want to turn the heat any higher. I can hear my dad in the back of my head saying, "Put on a sweater!" Well, I already HAVE a sweater on (dad), but I guess I'll go find my robe. My dad's frugal gene is waaayyyy to deep for me to try and chunk it out of my genetic makeup.

2 - I had my second clinical evaluation today - this time with my new fave instructor. She was pleased with my progress, and thought that I was doing critical thinking with the information that I DID have (there is still SO MUCH more to learn...). One thing though - her last sentence of the evaluation said something to the tune of how it wasn't required in clinical for me to be so perky, and that I needed to learn that it's OK to cry with patients. I was like, ummmm can we talk about this?? It's funny because I was a cheerleader for one year in high school and I hated it - I hated this spirit fingers and the happy-joy-joy look we were expected to have. I am usually a sarcastic, semi-mean person who keeps it all candy coated. However, it seems that in clinical I'm PILING on the candy-coating, in order for the patient to feel better and/or for me to bury my emotional side. Then, I usually come home and disintegrate into a million pieces over something little. Welllll, let's just say that my clinical instructor was supportive and understood, but encouraged me to get it out throughout the day and not let it build. Sigh. I'm working on it.

3 - Mike has installed the hardware on the kitchen cabinets and has all of the bottom ones installed!!!! They look SO LOVELY - SEE??? As a reminder, this is what it looked like when we bought the house:
I'm so excited. Now if only we could get the rest installed, paint the walls, install the wainscoting, lay down new floor, replace the mini-blinds, and install the light over the sink... we would be in business!

Wit

Soooooo today was our clinical simulation day - we dress up in our MSON uniforms and go through a 30-minute session with a "patient" (one of the sim dummies). Now, the simulation is unrealistic for several reasons, one being that we were working in groups of THREE - and each of us got a job: Med nurse, assessment nurse and communication nurse. I pulled communication nurse (whooo hoooo lucky #3!) so I had to talk to our "nurse" and "doctor" (one of the instructors).

Well, my job was easy. And we all did pretty well. But that really isn't what my story is about - it's about the movie that they showed BEFORE my group did our simulation. We watched "Wit" a HBO movie (I think) about a woman with Stage 4 metastatic ovarian cancer - Emma Thompson plays the patient. Let's just say that I had a stack of dry tissues before the movie began, and afterward they were all moist and rolled up into balls. Sigh.

BUT. I had a moment of revelation during the movie. I want to be a nurse. This may seem silly to those of you that know I've been in nursing school for OH about seven months (btw, sheesh) now ... but school's been full of uncertainty up to this point. But now ... after my moment ... I really feel like God has been pushing me toward this for a while. Yes, God. I don't know what or who else could have figured this out - 'cause it SURE wasn't me.

It was something in the movie - the fact that the Fellow was a complete ass-clown, and that the patient had no family (or really friends). The nurse actually cared about the person, not just the petri dish the patient had become to the doctors. There is something inside me that feels drawn to helping people - and for the longest time I wanted to be a doctor to do just that. But - no offense to my med school friends - doctors figure out a lot of stuff, but aren't THERE for the patient. They aren't the ones that talk to you, or get you what you need, or make sure you're feeling ok, or helping you through something hard - that is all the nurse.

So. Good day. Now I just need to get all my nutrition and upper GI stuff straight so I can stay IN nursing school. Ha. That would be ironic, wouldn't it?

Happy Friday everyone!

11-13-09

Today’s clinical was an emotionally draining day. My patient was an African-American woman in her fifties, in with a Lupus exacerbation that covered her arms with sores. It literally looked like her skin was sloughing off – there were dark scabs, bright red areas and skin just hanging off her (like when you peel skin after a sunburn). It was extremely painful for her, but very interesting for me and Brenda the wound care nurse. On the surface, my day was full and fairly easy – I was able to administer oral medications on my own (I felt like an old pro, and it really boosted my confidence) and I gave several injections due to the patient’s diabetes. Later on in the day I dressed the client’s sores on her back, chest and abdomen.

Although I only had one patient, I still felt like I was being pulled in 20 different directions and at the end of the day I was wondering how I would ever be able to take care of multiple patients. After talking with a classmate, we decided that a lot of what we as nursing students do with some patients – vital signs, Accuchecks, hygiene – are usually done by techs. This is slightly sad in a way, because doing those tasks for my patient is usually what builds a rapport with them. I guess as my role changes over the next year I’ll learn to adapt and connect with the patient in a different way.

I previously mentioned that it was an emotionally draining day – it didn’t seem that way at the hospital, but I think I just bury everything in order to provide the best care for my patient. Between my patient, who was extremely sweet and in so much pain, and a classmate’s patient, who has an extremely rare form of cancer and was very comfortable with her ileostomy, I just was expending a lot of empathy. I came home and crashed on the couch, watching Mercy on television, and promptly cried (but then it was out of my system). I know that I’m an emotional person, and I wonder how becoming a nurse will affect that part of me – whether I’ll be able to handle all the emotions, or if I’ll become callused to people. I think that as I mature as a nurse, it will come – at least that is what I hope.

Overall, a really good day. I got to see something completely new, cement what we’ve learned in class about Lupus, and be there emotionally and physically for my patient. I hope next semester’s clinical will be as rewarding as this semester’s has been.