Last week got me!

Ok, so last week 'snowballed'... yep, the challenge and intensity I was expecting a month ago... The difference is the patient care and documentation that we started last week. The documenting of the nursing diagnosis and interventions took a lot longer than I expected. And my expectations of myself are SO high that I was pretty critical and hard on me. If you find your self in these shoes- the day that the textbook and real world collide right in front of your very eyes is a difficult pill to swallow. The instructors have been telling us that textbook and real world are different- but seeing it and experiencing it with your own eyes is way different.

I am enjoying it though! Monday morning is like the calm before the storm. Once I'm on my way to pharmacology class at 2 pm on Mondays- its all down hill and it's Friday before I know what happened! I did most of my reading for the week, and started my lab assignments, but I can now anticipate the time I won't have this week and it is more important now to be a step ahead on the reading and assignments. The other stuff I've got going this week revolves around my loans, scholarships, and course requirements/counseling. It's all necessary but not fun work...

Second theory exam was Thursday. The study guide review sessions are a MUST! Most of the students scored an A on the second exam and the lowest score was an 80. I think the test was created a little easier- and there were 3 extra credit questions to help out. So, I scored 100% on that one. I missed one and got all the extra credit- but the instructor capped the score at 100. Next week (Monday) will be our next Pharm exam... definitely need to spend a little more time studying for that one... and this weekend coming up is busy too... looks like its time to adjust to a little less sleep to get it all done.

Grade Update!

Just an fyi... the first pharmacology exam grades are in... I got an 86%... missed 7 of 50 questions. I got all 25 of 25 on the dosages and calculations exam from last week. My grade on the theory exam from last Thursday ended up being a 90%- she threw out a question that everyone missed- so I ended up with an A instead of a B.

I think I've got a good idea of the testing style for both instructors. Need to hit the books a little more thoroughly and take advantage of the ATI web site by doing some practice exams every week. Overall, I am very pleased so far. Not extremely difficult, but I have the time and room to improve.

"Student nurse calls false code blue"

Today was orientation... lots of paperwork and a tour... and a brief bout of embarrasment. During the tour of a patient room I was the closest to the call light reset button and the code blue button. So I grabbed the curtain and moved it out of the way to show the other students. Then the instructor tells me that the code blue button is usually VERY sensitive and if I would have perchanced touched the button when grabbing the curtains well... just the THOUGHT of it had my face flushed with heat and bright red as I imagined it happening. I think if I would have set off the code blue alarm it just may have been necessary after the fact- I would have probably hit the floor from a heart attack! She made a joke about all the attention I'd get and blah, blah... all that to say I really couldn't remember the last time I was truly embarrassed. Not that a person wants to recall these memories but it's been awhile... and that also points out to me how badly I don't want to screw this up! We are told story after story every day about some other students mistakes all for the sake of learning from them. I'm trying to be a good sponge but I've got a fire hose pointed at me...

Certificate of Completion

Yes, they actually handed out Certificate of Completion Week #3 certificates. Really? I chuckled. The counseling faculty are so excited for us first semester students. It was cute and yeah, the first three weeks are over. Got a few pass marks in my skills book. Lived through the dosages and calculations exam (still don't know my score) and survived the first theory exam. None of it was that bad. I only got anxious once- and that was because I left my watch at home. It'd be a little difficult to count pulse with no watch but I found an extra one in the car- so crisis averted. Based on the in-class review of the test I took this morning, I missed 4 out of 30- so its a B. And I am perfectly happy with that. I've had worse first exams.

So we are off to the hospital next week. I'm sure I'll have much more to say after a day or two under my belt there. I'm enjoying it and just soaking it all in.