9.30.2011

Preceptorship

"A period of practical experience and training for a student, especially of medicine or nursing, that is supervised by an expert or specialist in a particular field".
(Source http://www.thefreedictionary.com/preceptorship)


If you are currently a nursing student  or trying to get into a nursing program you should know what this word means. Most students, from the time they are accepted into a nursing program, already have an idea of where they would like to work as a future RN. We may speak about it to our classmates, our families, we may get excited when we learn about that particular topic in class, and we may even speak about it nonstop no matter the time or the place. 


When i was younger I was so sure I was going to work with babies or children. As I've gotten older and working as a CNA (certified nursing aide) I realized that I am much better working with adults. The first day I worked on an ICU (intensive care unit) floor, I realized that the ICU was the place for me. It is amazing to have this type revelation!


And then, there comes that point where clinical stop and preceptorship begins. That point was at the end of the 6th quarter, my teacher came into our Pediatric class and told us to write down our top three choices for placement. Half of my class wanted maternity or infants/toddlers. 5% of my class was interested in fields likes Psychiatry or Geriatrics. And 45%, including myself, was interested in critical care. Of course, I picked ICU, critical care, and ER as my top three choices. It is funny when I think back of the old Avalon, she wouldn't touch any of these choices with a ten foot pole! Sometimes what you think you want is not where you are meant to be.


So, I said all of that to say I found out this week that I will be placed in a type of critical care area that has always seemed very interesting to me. PCU- progressive care unit-telemetry. This is somewhat of a ICU step down unit, where the patients are not sick enough to be in the ICU and too sick to be on the medical-surgical floor.


I am super excited for this experience! We start our preceptorship in October. We have to "work" when our preceptor is working, no matter if it is 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am. It is going to be so much fun! 


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

9.29.2011

UUUUGGGHHHH, already?!

Okay, so yesterday my leadership teacher wanted to "meet with us before class started". Mind you class starts on Monday, but she had "so many things to tell us". I just wanted to scream, "I am not ready to get bombarded yet!!".

So I dragged myself off the couch and drove up to my school. It was bittersweet, to the say the least, to see my classmates before the start of classes but that is nursing school for you. I define my class as a dysfunctional family.

So one of the biggest changes presented to us, was that one of the classes that was supposed to be given a grade, is now a "pass or fail" class. Okay, really? So instead of us having three chances to get a grade and getting it averaged into our GPA, we now only have two chances. NOT COOL.
Other changes included, not having multiple papers but having one major research project on educating patients who have hypertension (not so bad). Each one of my classmates have a different role in the research and my role is, *drumroll please* RESEARCH! I will be doing database searches on hypertension education. I am actually really excited about this project because we have a chance to make an impact and cause a change.

Also, most nursing schools utilize ATI. If you don't know what ATI is, it is basically a testing site, where you can do practice exams on areas of nursing such as med surg, peds and psych. There are also proctored exams we take under the supervision of a teacher. During my break I have been working on practice tests on areas where I am weaker in. We will be continuously working intensively on ATI during our last quarter, much more than previous quarters. NCLEX is right around the quarter for me, so the sooner I start brushing up on my weaker areas the more confident I will be by the time the state boards comes along.

So yea, there goes the last few days my vacation.

Positivity Beckons Positivity,
 

Adult Truths

As I mentioned before, I plan on posting things on this blog that may be off the topic of nursing school.
So, here is something to make you ponder and laugh and possibly cry from laughter.

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stores.

11. You never know when when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we call just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a work they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can were them forever.

22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble location their care keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

24. People who forward email without deleting the tons of previous recipients should be shot and then tarred and feathered.

25. The first testicular guard, the "Cup", was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. Ladies, quit laughing!

Heal the past, live the present, dream the future.

Enjoy life!!!
(Source Facebook, Author Unknown)


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

9.28.2011

The Schematics

Let me tell you all about the nursing program I'm a part of. It's a 20 month, accelerated BSN, program with seven-11 week quarters. I have to say, it does go super fast, hence the term "accelerated". I started in April of 2010 and I will be finished in December of 2011! 


We started with about 32 students and we're now at 8 students. It has been an emotional ride (and still is) with the loss of 24 students and the constant fear of doing horrendously on exams. But, besides all of that, I've enjoyed all my clinical experiences from fundamentals to psychology.


I am so proud of myself and happy that God has blessed me to make it to this point. I am so excited to start my last quarter and to experience all that it has to offer. I hope you join me on this emotional and exhilarating journey of completing nursing school. 


Positivity Beckons Positivity, 

Welcome!

Hi and thank you for reading my blog! I would like to inform you all of what my blog will entail. I will be chronicling my last quarter in nursing school and speaking about past experiences....and of course, other random tid bits.


I have always wanted to write my own blog and now I've finally done it. Nursing school has become such a focal point in my life and I would like to share that with others. Stay tuned for new posts weekly.


Positivity beckons Positivity,