Long time no post

This is the first day that I feel like I have a bit of a breather, where I can actually sit down and update this blog.

We have our skill practical today. I passed...I didn't think I was going to: when I got to Vital Signs, I couldn't find a radial pulse to save my life. But--and hell must have frozen over because I was able to do this on the first attempt--I was able to take a brachial pulse and use that. To really appreciate that statement, you have to understand that I've spent the past four weeks fighting with brachial pulses...namely, I can never find one when I need it. Not mine, not my instructors', not my classmates'. I can find mine as I'm driving on the interstate, but not when I need it. So for me to be able to go to my classmate's arm and find it (with a little prodding) was a big achievement.

Her pulse was 100. Mine was 95. Think we were nervous?

The rest of Vital Signs went well.

Foley: I did make two contamination mistakes, both minor, and I did catch one before the instructor did so that helped. I passed.

For the random skill: I drew restraints, which had me thanking God because for some unknown reason, I was driven to spend most of yesterday tying quick-release knots on everything around the house. I did that perfectly, even the knot...mind you, I was a bit worried about the knot as most of my practice around the house yesterday wasn't successful. But I got it to go on the first shot.

So yay, I get to stay in the program until the next practical, whenever that will be. I got the hell out of Dodge as soon as it was over, ran some errands and came home. I was going to get some studying done when I decided to give myself a few hours off to unwind. I think I more than earned it.

As far as the lecture component goes...it's pretty intense. We have weekly tests, and one test is hardly over before I have to gear myself up for the next one. I feel like I have so little downtime--if I'm not at the computer studying, I've got the book out; if I don't have the book out, then I'm using notes or flashcards or anything else. I lecture my son constantly on the material. I don't think he cares much for it though.

I got a 95 on my first test. I don't know if that includes the bonus points (we can earn up to 3). But damn, a 95...I didn't think I'd do that well.

I'm still in shock. I may actually get to stay in Phi Theta Kappa for more than a week.

I survived the first week

Technically, I’ve been a nursing student for 4 days (I'm not counting the first day which was all orientation and no nursing). I feel like I’ve been doing this for weeks, I'm so drained.

Class is very intense. It's 6 hours a day, but there's a half-hour for lunch and they're generous about breaks. Lecture days are just that: lecture, lecture and more lecture, covering 3 to 4 to 5 units’ worth of material. They move fast. They also make a copy of their notes available for download before class, but it's not a verbatim record of what they're going to day--it's just the outline of the PowerPoint slides they're showing. Still, it helps--I take notes on them because if I had to write all the slides down as well as their lecturing, I'd never keep up.

Lab days are more interactive: instead of just sitting there listening (and occasionally interjecting) as we do in lecture, labs let us do some of what we’re learning (some lab days also include lecture units though). Plus, we’re getting divided up into different groups for each assignment so we get to know our fellow classmates better. There’s already a few personality quirks of my classmates that have started to appear. This isn’t always bad, mind you--right now, they're more interesting than anything else.

The reading is never-ending: each unit covered is at least one chapter's worth, often more. Plus, it's the dry medical textbook variety of reading (i.e., a perfect sleep aid, as I found out last night when my half-hour rest turned into 9 hours). Reading the chapters before class does help immensely, so it's not an area I can cut out. At first, I tried to read every word but found myself unable to keep up after day 3. So I’m modifying my tactics to focus on the overview, boxes, charts and chapter questions, skimming the rest of the chapter, then going through the lecture notes and syllabus and reading up further on the specifics mentioned. I don’t know how effective this is going to be…I guess I will find out on Tuesday, when I take my first test.

Speaking of tests…I go to take the chapter or online tests, feel like I’ve done well and got a grasp on things…and I find out I didn’t and feel like an idiot all over again. It’s kind of disheartening. So is the fact that 80% is the minimum passing. I have to admit, I’m having a hard time with the fact that I might not get all As in this, even though it’s OK if I don’t as long as I pass. But I can’t seem to let myself go in that department, not just yet. I really don’t want to have to settle—I want the A. I’ve been studying nonstop since Thursday. I took the list of objectives they gave us in the syllabus, and typed up answers to all of them. I finished a few minutes ago—it’s printing right now. I’m just going to keep going over that and the boxes and charts in the book. What’s also making nursing school challenging is that it’s not solely memorization like A&P was. You need to do critical thinking here, and that's a blessing and a curse.

Some days (hell, some hours!) I feel like, “hey, this is doable! Other people have done it, why can’t I?” Then other days (hours), I see all the reading I have to do and exercises to complete and videos to watch and no break in it all, and I’m like “there’s no way I can do this!”

*sigh*

I've never been so appreciative of a weekend as am of this weekend. Yes, most of it will be me chained to my notes except for a brief outing tomorrow, but it's nice to have time NOT in a classroom being whacked on the head with coursework.

We’re supposed to watch these videos for lab—they finally tell us where they are located…on Thursday afternoon as we’re all about to leave for the weekend. Library hours are limited Friday, and they’re not open this weekend because of the holiday. But they have to be watched, test and life notwithstanding.

Fair enough. I’m a responsible adult, so I’ve got to make this work somehow. I’m going to arrive early on Tuesday and do it before the test (which is what I’m planning to do, because sitting there with my notes for the test isn’t going to do anything for me anyway) or during lunch (which will be near impossible as everyone’s going to be running to watch these videos). I can’t stay late, so those are the only two times I can do this. I am going to look online for videos as well, just in case Murphy’s Law makes arriving early to school impossible that day. It may not be the same video as the one in the library, but at least I would have seen something and not be entirely at a loss when it comes time to practice.

One thing they are stressing in nursing school is this: learning is OUR responsibility, not theirs. I mean, they’re not entirely coldhearted: they will help how they can, but only to a certain extent as they want us to learn and they have their own constraints to work within. But at the end of the day, we’re responsible for learning. Some people asked about review sessions for the test and if they could give us study guides, and they were told they’re adults, they don’t need it—we just need to know everything on there. Another was intimating that perhaps if we (the students) could watch this video in class on the break…she was told that watching it was the student’s responsibility and we had to work the details out.

Also fair enough.

One of the students in the class took it last year (he had to retake it) told us that next week, it starts getting more "fun." What "fun" is going to be, I don't know...but I have to admit, I can't say it's been dull so far. Overwhelming yes, but not dull.

I survived Day 1

Everyone is nice, the instructors are personable, and they've told us flat out that it's going to be a lot of hard work.  I already have 5 units' worth of reading to do by Monday, which is going to be tough this weekend due to significant family commitments.  Also, looking at the calendar (they explained how to decode it), I'm going to have a lot of reading each day that needs to be done BEFORE class or lab.  And oh yeah, I'll need to have reviewed all the lab skills BEFORE each lab too.

Oh boy.  Welcome to nursing school, Meriwhen.  This first class is going to be an 8-week rollercoaster.

I started reading and making notes last night.  They told us about the Cornell Note-Taking system, which is kind of what I had been doing already...the big difference is that I usually end up rewriting all the notes on the computer before I end up summarizing and forming review guidelines, and the Cornell system if done correctly should let me skip that.  With all this reading I have to do, I need to be as efficient as possible...but we'll see how I do on the first test on the 4th to know if this note-taking system will work.

I need to get more binders, looseleaf paper, notebooks and a ruler.

I'm also going to try (ha!) to get all of the week's reading done the weekend before, so then all I have to do is review each night.  But this may be tough as each week's test (yes, a 90-question test nearly every week, of which I need at least an 80 to pass) is on a Monday.

Is it too late to go into teaching? :)

I'll get it done somehow, I'm sure.  I have no choice.

They never mentioned anything about PDAs, so I'm guessing I may be able to hold off on upgrading mine for a while...though I'm going to ask my graduate pen-pal about it just to be safe.

Tomorrow's the day

Though it's mostly orientation stuff tomorrow, not actual nursing education.  Still, I can't help but be a bit nervous.  Wish me luck.

3 days to go - the uniforms are here

The student nurse uniforms arrived just as I was about to phone the uniform company to ask when they'd arrive. Talk about good timing.

The shirts are white and teal, collared, zipper in the back, long like a tunic but fitted, and with this kind of bib thing that buttons onto the front. My first thought on seeing it was that they sent me the dress uniform by mistake. In fact, my better half was also worried at first until we figured out it was the shirt--it is long enough that it could pass for a dress, though it's a length that would likely be seen in some bad soft-porn movie instead of at clinicals. I think the zipper in the back is what threw us off.

The shirts are not cotton, so I expect to be hot as hell while wearing them. Also, the fabric is on the scratchy size so if I'm wise, I'll wear a white cotton tank top underneath. Pants are basic white cotton scrub pants, thank God. All I need are my shoes and some knee-high hose and I'm ready for clinicals.

Next on my mental To-Do list is PDA shopping. I have an old Tungsten E, which still works well except that the battery life sucks. But from what I'm told, the E won't be enough to handle all of the nursing programs they recommend that we have on it. So I'm going to see if the school has any recommendations as to what model to get, and then start hitting eBay.

4 days to go

I decided to just scrap all the pre-reading and enjoy the time off while I can, especially since the better half is home on leave :)