Costa Vida

Not Beer

Meet Trent.

I was looking for something to do on a Saturday night and Trent agreed we needed to celebrate making the film program.  These celebratory sodas from Cost Vida were pretty good!  Besides dinner, we went to Barnes and Noble because I meant to get a book for the summer and Trent likes books.  Once I was there, I secretly decided to get a library card so I can read the classics I've been meaning to without committing to buying them all.  I think this reinforces the theory that I have commitment issues or that I'm cheap.  Probably both :)  Trent just thought that I was being nice to want to go to Barnes and Noble.

So now I have my work schedule for the night shift!  It fits well with filming Weighted next week.  We have lots of food stuffed into my new apartment and I'm excited to get rid of it.  After it's done, I am going to go visit my sister in Vegas.  It will be a fun adventure :)


My last day with Jason on day shifts seemed to come up suddenly.  I didn't expect to feel anything, but I guess it was how the official staffer came over and abruptly told us it was my last day with him.  I was a little sad!  I left strong though.  I was a little overwhelmed on Thursday so it helped me to make good goals for Friday-I remembered all the doctors orders and labs.  I also gave report better, knew how to deliver dialysis meds, change the dressings, and I even saved someone's IV.  The tubing broke off and the PCTs hurried to get me with "There is a lot of blood!"  I came in to see that the site was fine and it had been covered so I directed how to put pressure on the catheter and replaced the tubing after clearing my idea with the charge nurse so the patient didn't have to get re-poked :)  It was the first time that I felt the PCT's respected me as a nurse and I delivered.


I was also trying to plan my future today.  I have a lot of options.  Film at BYU or online Bachelor's in Nursing.  For some reason, moving to SLC seems really appealing and film will take awhile, but I'll probably stick it out.  I can use it as an opportunity to practice committing.  Besides, I can always do the online program later.

Hurray!

I made the film program!!! I found out that the emails with the news were sent by a friend's text during my lunch break at work.  When I got home I got to see the email with some good news!  Woo hoo!


I've had several days at work now.  Thursday will be number 7!  Things are going well and I've been able to take on more patients.  On Monday I was in charge of 4/5 of them!  Soon I'll be switching to night shift and I heard the hospital is haunted!  Apparently there is a little girl with dark hair the patient's see when they're slipping onto the other side.  Also, there is a room that always has a linen drawer that always ends up open for no reason, despite multiple attempts to close it.  A PCT told me all about it and now I'm going to be scared!


I sold my contract, moved apartments, and took finals last week.  Pretty good for not being able to study for some of them.  Phewf!  Now I'm all ready for spring/summer :)  Here we go!

Day Two!

            My second day of work was on Friday.  I still felt like I was behind all day--we ended up not charting until 1700!   I was more confident in the little mechanical skills though, and my preceptor kept saying things like, "Oh man!  You're getting so strong!" because I could actually open the antibiotics and spike the bags that day.  I also now know how to hang TPN and I got to show my nurse my IV skills-I was really excited.  It was a beautiful IV and I loved hearing my nurse 'awe' in amazement, "Wow! Nice!  Now we know who to go to for our IV skills!"  Good ole' phlebotomy.
             We also had a student nurse following us around that day.  I felt bad because I had to do most of the work so that I could learn my job, but he was nice and didn't seem to mind.  It was weird when I got separated from my preceptor for a time and the student followed me around.  That's got to be illegal somehow...
              In the end, he helped me with a few medications and charted on the patient that he chose so it was nice.  Somewhere in his nursing school journal he'll be complaining about the day though.  In the future, especially when I'm more sure of myself, I'll try to give my nursing students a better experience.  I know how it feels!
              Saturday I took two finals and today I studied for two more.  After tomorrow I'll have one left.  I am a little passed the point of caring, but I am trying to finish strong because I hate the feeling of failure!  I like scheduled finals because, whether you're ready or not, you HAD to take it.  It's nice not having to go to classes anymore and only having to work 3 times a week--summer will be awesome!
             Below is the development of events at the Library on Monday night with my roommate Sara.  And if it wasn't fun enough, the library gave us treats at midnight!  Woo hoo!

Day One...

I am a nurse!  It's real but I can't believe it.  It doesn't feel like work--it feels more like I am playing a game of 'act like a nurse'.  It's cool though, and I like it.  I am tied to a preceptor all day and helping him with his patients.

My first day (4/12), I was super nervous.  I probably only got around 3 hours of sleep due to nerves, roommates, and stress with everything coming up.  I was really alert at 5 in the morning though!  I drove to the hospital and met up with my preceptor in the parking lot because he arrived at the same time.  We wore the same scrubs!  I didn't think much of it (I like my scrubs, so why shouldn't he have good taste too?) but every other employee seemed to comment on us matching.


I had five patients and felt pretty good about my assessments.  I liked using the med machine and earned more and more independence as we went along.  I was amazed with how quickly 12 hours went by!  It seemed like we were always passing medications, checking on patients, or charting.


My orientation ends in 15 shifts.  I got a huge packet of things I need to accomplish in 90 days to be competent in my job.  It is a scary sight!  My preceptor says I'm doing well though so I guess I'll just keep chugging along...