Today was an interesting day! Let me tell you!
The day began with a nurse assignment. I was very blessed to be paired up with a nurse who went to my school and took the same classes! We talked a lot! She allowed me to work on my own, which was fine because if I was unsure about ANYthing....I would tell her immediately. So we had a trusting relationship right away.
I was assigned to a patient that was around my age who was 20 wks pregnant with a baby boy. She was admitted to the unit with Pyelonephritis, a complication that usually arises from a UTI (urinary tract infection). Apparently, she let the UTI go untreated and the infection spread to her kidneys. She has a complicated family life from what I heard. Upon meeting her, I was able to address her needs and keep her comfortable. Pain management was difficult as she refused any pain meds because she felt 'weird' after taking them. So I check on her frequently and eventually I was able to convince her to take some Tylenol! Yay! She told me when I first met her that she would like to shower, so I told her to call me when she wanted to so I could get her towels, soap, etc. After reminding her a few times, the CNA comes up to me and said, "She's in the shower, and she was complaining that no one was going to give her anything to take a shower." And apparently she wasn't happy at all and my nurse and I had 'insulted' her. Hey, it happens. Not everyone is going to be happy with the care you provide.
All of a sudden, the fire alarm goes off.....and it wasn't a drill. So my instructor and I closed all the doors and just waited til it was cleared up. It could have been serious! But, it wasn't. Everyone safe!......so that caught me off guard.
Then as I'm checking on another patient, my nurse comes to me and says..."Do you know that are patient just snuck out of here?" I was like....really? honestly? "She rolled her IV pole to the first floor and lit a cigarette outside." ohhhhh my goodness! Well if you think about it, I can't stop her. I can tell her that smoking is bad for her, and her baby, and her healing....and against hospital policy, and illegal on this campus.....but words can only do so much.
Then that got me thinking....that poor baby! Anyways....so my other patient was discharged but she stayed in a "boarder room," which is a room where you can stay if your baby is in critical care or needs to stay in the nursery. So she stayed there and we got to talking. She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who was a little jaundice and needed extra nutrition through IV fluids. Then this patient came up to my instructor and gave me like the biggest compliment EVER!! I almost cried!
Moving on....I can honestly say that this job is going to be very humbling; both in dealing with people's emotions and dealing with people who ignore your advice to live a healthier lifestyle. Like I said earlier, nurses are here to teach what we know so that these patients can be healthier, live longer, and feel better about themselves. But we only can change and do so much in improving their health.....I'm just glad I have the opportunity to try :)
Until tomorrow....I'm exhausted....lights out!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Special Delivery
Today I got a chance to visit the Labor and Delivery Dept. I was able to see a live birth!!! YAY!
This woman was laying partially on her side with the help of her husband and the nurse. As this was her second child, she knew what to expect. She has an Epideral to manage her pain, but she still could feel pressure and enough feeling to push. Upon every contraction of the uterus, she pushed, and immediately the baby was crowning. They had to call the midwife in fast. When the midwife got there, the baby was nearly out. They put on some oily lubricant to soften the tissue which help to ease the baby out. Within no time at all, the baby came out and immediately she began to cry.
It's a GIRL!!! Here she was all purply-pink. Those little toes and fingers! She was given to her mom right away and the family was filled with incredible joy. All her labor pain was gone in an instant.
"A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world." (John 16:21)
What a blessing to witness such an incredible miracle; God's gift of life.
This woman was laying partially on her side with the help of her husband and the nurse. As this was her second child, she knew what to expect. She has an Epideral to manage her pain, but she still could feel pressure and enough feeling to push. Upon every contraction of the uterus, she pushed, and immediately the baby was crowning. They had to call the midwife in fast. When the midwife got there, the baby was nearly out. They put on some oily lubricant to soften the tissue which help to ease the baby out. Within no time at all, the baby came out and immediately she began to cry.
It's a GIRL!!! Here she was all purply-pink. Those little toes and fingers! She was given to her mom right away and the family was filled with incredible joy. All her labor pain was gone in an instant.
"A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world." (John 16:21)
What a blessing to witness such an incredible miracle; God's gift of life.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Fall Risk
My second day of clinical at the Woman's care unit.....
I was assigned to a nurse who I couldn't find half the time. It's like she disappeared on me. So along with my patient assignments, I helped out another nurse with her patients. I was everywhere; answering call lights, checking vitals, teaching, providing snacks, blankets, and assessing the patients. It was a busy busy day. I'm just glad I was able to help out.
My nurse handed me a bowl of soup and asked me to deliver it to a patient. So I did, and I met the most incredible woman of God. She told me about her surgery, her family, church, and her cooking! She was a talker and I loved it. I hope that I will get to have time with my patients to hear more about their life stories. Then I helped her take a shower and clean up for bed. And she talked and talked and talked. Loved it!
So my patient was recovering from a Hysterectomy (removal of uterus). She was on Post Op day #2. Then the scary thing happened....She asked to use the bathroom. So I helped her out of bed. She usually ambulates on her own in her room without assistance. As she was standing up, she started balancing on one foot, and I told her not to do that. I had one arm and she was stable....until.....she decided to reach for the shower curtain. She started to fall. Without injuring myself (Thank God!) I helped ease the fall by lowering her in the shower. She was okay!!! I reported it to the nurse and I had to file an incident report. I nearly had a heart attack. My second day in this unit and a patient falls. Let me tell ya....it sure was a learning experience. It wasn't my fault, but I have my eyes wide open now.
I spent over an hour in her room just listening to her life story and making sure that she was okay, especially emotionally. My nurse came in and and posted "fall risk" signs on the door and bathroom. My patient just looked at me and started laughing, "Oh no....I'm a fall risk....I can't go anywhere by myself now." I told her that she was right. I will be with her the whole time. And she just laughed at me, "That won't be so bad." :) What a cute pie!
Thank God for saving my patient!! The thought of a patient falling and hurting herself during her recovery freaks me out! I would have cried...well I did a little. I'm such a softy. That's probably why God put me there.....to care and cry.....and prevent falls :)
I was assigned to a nurse who I couldn't find half the time. It's like she disappeared on me. So along with my patient assignments, I helped out another nurse with her patients. I was everywhere; answering call lights, checking vitals, teaching, providing snacks, blankets, and assessing the patients. It was a busy busy day. I'm just glad I was able to help out.
My nurse handed me a bowl of soup and asked me to deliver it to a patient. So I did, and I met the most incredible woman of God. She told me about her surgery, her family, church, and her cooking! She was a talker and I loved it. I hope that I will get to have time with my patients to hear more about their life stories. Then I helped her take a shower and clean up for bed. And she talked and talked and talked. Loved it!
So my patient was recovering from a Hysterectomy (removal of uterus). She was on Post Op day #2. Then the scary thing happened....She asked to use the bathroom. So I helped her out of bed. She usually ambulates on her own in her room without assistance. As she was standing up, she started balancing on one foot, and I told her not to do that. I had one arm and she was stable....until.....she decided to reach for the shower curtain. She started to fall. Without injuring myself (Thank God!) I helped ease the fall by lowering her in the shower. She was okay!!! I reported it to the nurse and I had to file an incident report. I nearly had a heart attack. My second day in this unit and a patient falls. Let me tell ya....it sure was a learning experience. It wasn't my fault, but I have my eyes wide open now.
I spent over an hour in her room just listening to her life story and making sure that she was okay, especially emotionally. My nurse came in and and posted "fall risk" signs on the door and bathroom. My patient just looked at me and started laughing, "Oh no....I'm a fall risk....I can't go anywhere by myself now." I told her that she was right. I will be with her the whole time. And she just laughed at me, "That won't be so bad." :) What a cute pie!
Thank God for saving my patient!! The thought of a patient falling and hurting herself during her recovery freaks me out! I would have cried...well I did a little. I'm such a softy. That's probably why God put me there.....to care and cry.....and prevent falls :)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
"Bad Things Come In Threes"
My clinical day started out with me locking my keys in the car......this is the second time in like 2 months. Annnnd I left my spare in there too! I'm going to have to give my boyfriend a key so he can let me in next time a screw up haha :p
Clinical Day #1 was an interesting experience at Women/Newborn Care Unit. I started out the shift waiting for the charge nurse to get off of lunch. An hour passes by and I was sent on a scavenger hunt to look around the unit and find things in the supply room. That was good. I needed to do that. There are so many different supplies! It's craziness; bili bags, breast pumps, newborn masks, formula, photo equipment, diapers (of course), baby warmers, bili warmers, pacifiers, baby glucometers, etc. A lot of the equipment was doubled adult and newborn. I'm glad I got to look around. I was already sent to get things during procedures.
I didn't see much today. It was a 'shadowing' day so I followed a nurse around. I got to see a fundal assessment which was cool. I ended up just watching the whole process. I got to get my patient information for tomorrow which was good. I felt like I shouldn't have been there though; like I was in the way.
At lunch I had really nothing to say to my clinical group. They all had amazing things happen today. I didn't have much for them. Sadly, I then spilled my soup all over the floor. I hate making messes for people, so I tried to clean it up myself.....I just wanted to go back to my unit....
Back on the unit, my nurse came to me and straight up told me "Don't ever let any nurse tell you to change your practice or how you do things when you graduate." At first I thought she was upset with me. But apparently our patient (who was a nurse) was giving her a hard time. I loved my nurse. She wants me to work with her next week :)
Then at about 7:30pm, I started seeing spots of color in my sight of vision; most people call it an aura. I don't think I get them quite that bad. But yes, a migraine was coming. I didn't have an excedrin with me :/ The nurses all started searching their bags for meds. They drugged me up with 400mg of ibuprofen. Wowza! But that didn't work......the light was killing me...then my instructor came up and sent me home like 2hrs early. I felt bad leaving clinical early, but with that migraine, I wouldn't have been able to focus, and the nausea would just have worsened over time. My instructor told me to get home as soon as possible because I have a history of tunnel-vision when I get migraines. Obviously when I get a migraine, it's God telling me to slow down and breathe... you'll be fine. I worry toooooooo much! :/
As I was leaving, my nurse said "bad things come in threes....what else did you do?" Well I locked my keys in the car as soon as i got here, with my spare in it, and I spilled my soup all over the floor in the cafeteria at lunch. She just laughed at me and told me that I should work with her next week :)
I got home and crashed til it was gone. Yay for migraines! I was stressed and nervous today and that mostly caused it. But now I'm ready to start a new day! I'm ready to begin patient care on mommies!
Clinical Day #1 was an interesting experience at Women/Newborn Care Unit. I started out the shift waiting for the charge nurse to get off of lunch. An hour passes by and I was sent on a scavenger hunt to look around the unit and find things in the supply room. That was good. I needed to do that. There are so many different supplies! It's craziness; bili bags, breast pumps, newborn masks, formula, photo equipment, diapers (of course), baby warmers, bili warmers, pacifiers, baby glucometers, etc. A lot of the equipment was doubled adult and newborn. I'm glad I got to look around. I was already sent to get things during procedures.
I didn't see much today. It was a 'shadowing' day so I followed a nurse around. I got to see a fundal assessment which was cool. I ended up just watching the whole process. I got to get my patient information for tomorrow which was good. I felt like I shouldn't have been there though; like I was in the way.
At lunch I had really nothing to say to my clinical group. They all had amazing things happen today. I didn't have much for them. Sadly, I then spilled my soup all over the floor. I hate making messes for people, so I tried to clean it up myself.....I just wanted to go back to my unit....
Back on the unit, my nurse came to me and straight up told me "Don't ever let any nurse tell you to change your practice or how you do things when you graduate." At first I thought she was upset with me. But apparently our patient (who was a nurse) was giving her a hard time. I loved my nurse. She wants me to work with her next week :)
Then at about 7:30pm, I started seeing spots of color in my sight of vision; most people call it an aura. I don't think I get them quite that bad. But yes, a migraine was coming. I didn't have an excedrin with me :/ The nurses all started searching their bags for meds. They drugged me up with 400mg of ibuprofen. Wowza! But that didn't work......the light was killing me...then my instructor came up and sent me home like 2hrs early. I felt bad leaving clinical early, but with that migraine, I wouldn't have been able to focus, and the nausea would just have worsened over time. My instructor told me to get home as soon as possible because I have a history of tunnel-vision when I get migraines. Obviously when I get a migraine, it's God telling me to slow down and breathe... you'll be fine. I worry toooooooo much! :/
As I was leaving, my nurse said "bad things come in threes....what else did you do?" Well I locked my keys in the car as soon as i got here, with my spare in it, and I spilled my soup all over the floor in the cafeteria at lunch. She just laughed at me and told me that I should work with her next week :)
I got home and crashed til it was gone. Yay for migraines! I was stressed and nervous today and that mostly caused it. But now I'm ready to start a new day! I'm ready to begin patient care on mommies!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Winter Term Begins....
Happy New Year!
Hallelujah! It's finally 2011. Time for a new clinical rotation! Sadly, I won't be on my med-surg floor that I wanted to be on again. That floor was great :)
So God wants me somewhere else! I got assigned to the woman's floor which involves Gynecology, Postpartum, and Family Birth. Maybe this is my focus or maybe I'm supposed to help someone....who knows? I'm really nervous because I don't know what I'm up against. It's a new unit with a total different side of nursing. I haven't had much experience in this department. I know I will like it because this was the department I wanted to be in when I first started nursing school. Let's just say....I will have a variety of blog diagnoses compared to the last term :) I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Hopefully I get to hold some babies!!! :)
So here I begin the next 10-12 clinical days in the Women's Health Unit/Birth Center. . . .
Hallelujah! It's finally 2011. Time for a new clinical rotation! Sadly, I won't be on my med-surg floor that I wanted to be on again. That floor was great :)
So God wants me somewhere else! I got assigned to the woman's floor which involves Gynecology, Postpartum, and Family Birth. Maybe this is my focus or maybe I'm supposed to help someone....who knows? I'm really nervous because I don't know what I'm up against. It's a new unit with a total different side of nursing. I haven't had much experience in this department. I know I will like it because this was the department I wanted to be in when I first started nursing school. Let's just say....I will have a variety of blog diagnoses compared to the last term :) I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Hopefully I get to hold some babies!!! :)
So here I begin the next 10-12 clinical days in the Women's Health Unit/Birth Center. . . .
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