I have a confession to blog. It is really typical and you'll probably think how this happens to so many people. Lets just say there is someone interesting that walked into my life and the funny thing is they've always been there actually about 5 or 6 yrs. We were acquaintances if anything but talking to a person can make such a difference - go ahead and laugh at the abviousness of my statement. But its true.
Otherwise things are moving along in nursing school ZE END IS NEAR! WOO!HOO!WOO!HOO!
On my 5th shift, five minutes after shift start, one of my preceptor's patients oxygen dropped to the low 80’s and had to be transferred to the ICU which took about 2hrs to do. So mean while I assessed her three other patients and worked with two other nurses to medicate the remaining patients. I took report for two patients one of who was a heroin addict who was receiving methadone but not enough because he refused to be admitted into a methadone clinic. He was receiving antibiotics IV for abscess that was infected in his lower right leg. He also had a variety of cuts and wounds that all looked infected. After I hanged his IV, I came to check on him because the last nurse informed me that he tends to pull out his IV. And of course I was no different; he had pulled out his IV and put it right below his pillow. So at first glance it looked like it was still attached but it wasn’t and closer look I saw that his antibiotic had emptied into his bed. I told my preceptor who came in and let him know that he shouldn’t pull out his IV and at this point he wanted to know who told such a lie and then he wanted to talk to his lawyer. At that point my preceptor assigned me to a different patient, a young exchange student who was in a unrestrained MVA(motor vehicle accident). Fortunately other than bruises she only broke a finger and her left collar bone. The rest of the shift was easy enough and I found it easy to organize myself once everything calmed down.
Next week I plan to take on two patients, one IMCU(critical) and a regular non-IMCU. I feel like planning for this unit is a bit hard because I never know what to expect. It changes so quickly and if a nurse is off the floor because of another patient the rest of the nurses have to absorb the remaining patients of that nurse. As a new nurse it makes it difficult to coordinate with my nurse preceptor. Also I don’t understand why I have no access to the medication I can’t even see them. I understand I can’t take them out but currently I mark them off under my preceptor's sign in name. I don’t understand how my preceptor can assess how well am organizing myself if I have no independence at all. I mean I get really frustrated with this and I feel like I can’t really truly assess my own improvement. BAAAAAAAH!
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Somali pt's are tougher sometimes than a non-somali - attachment issues on both sides.
I did Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 2pm for my next shift. After my last shift, AG (preceptor) advised me to care for a non-IMCU(non critical) patient and admit one at 10am since she was on the admission board next. She considered this one and half patient. The day started good enough, I got a much better report, assessed and got my patient washed up by 9am. Then I got her the 9am medications which were are all thankfully PO(by mouth) much easier than PICC or central line medications. Andrea took report for me since I was busy with my 9am medication and my admission was going to be 30min early. It was a Somali teenage boy who was stabbed several places after he opened his house door to a girl he thought needed some help. He was in protection so he was only allowed the two visitors he wrote down for the police and no one else. He was young for his age and would not do anything for himself whatsoever. He was also shocked by what happened to him and wasn’t dealing with his injuries well. For the remainder of the shift except for BS(blood sugar) finger stick for my other patient I remained with my new admission until ortho came by to explain to him the surgeries he needed. By this time his mother had come and was asking me over and over again to explain what the doctor was saying in Somali. I tried to calm her down and took her to the waiting room because I could see she was adding to my patient’s anxiety. I told her they were just irrigating the wounds around his knee to avoid infection nothing was being taken out. She and my patient were both extremely agitated by the chest tube which was draining blood. The level of technology scared them and they told me several times for it to be taken out even though I explained repeatedly that it was actually helping him. I was assigned to him Sunday again. The Somali family didn’t understand that he was a protected patient an only those on the visit list could visit. This caused a lot of trouble between the family and the hospital security. They were given a warning to not allow anyone else to visit. I felt like I couldn’t communicate with either side the needs and reasons of the other. So I did my best and documented in my note to watch for the visitors.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
First shift in a stepdown unit
My second shift was on Tuesday the 22nd from 7pm to 7am. Because I came in at the beginning of shift, AG(my preceptor) told me about her assignment and I chose to care for one of her IMCU(critical care) patients. I figure since the patient was really sick if I could take care of her then I should be able to care of two non-IMCU’s next week. I was not prepared for the amount of medications, documentation and suctioning I had to do. After report which was very confusing and unorganized I decided to first check on my patient and found oxygen sat. at 89% with the oxygen tube on the floor. She was also coughing so hard that she would almost sit up in bed. There was also so much secretion on her gown and around her trach. The nurse said she produced a lot of secretion but I have never seen so much secretion in my life. She looked like she wasn’t suctioned for the past shift. As I came to find out it takes a short amount of time for her to produce this amount of secretions. The rest of the night was me suctioning, medicating and hanging up new IV lines because off coarse all were due to be changed before midnight. I was also lost on why the chromosomal disorder caused so many problems. This woman was a nurse practitioner when they found this disorder and when I met her she couldn’t even nod her head yes if you asked about pain. She couldn’t use the call light so I was constantly monitoring by doing my notes in the room. See I don’t how any nurse could handle this patient with 2 other patients even if they were non-IMCUs(not critical care). By the end of the shift I was exhausted, hungry, thirsty and I had mild headache that was slowly working its way into a migraine. I know new why the nurse I took report from looked so tired and all over the place when I took report. I didn’t like that they have medication due at 6am. How are we supposed to do notes with medications one hour before you’re suppose to report off to the next nurse. I washed my patient and finished my note by 730 am. I was so ready to report off to the next nurse. That was until I got a float nurse that apparently was mean to everyone to report to. I told her about my patient and all I did until I told her that we couldn’t draw the 6am labs because all of her lines had clotted and that we ordered TPA(medication to unclot the line) for the lines and paged the IV nurses at which time she let me know that she didn’t appreciated that I left tasks that were to be done by me for her. I was in no state to deal with her so I told her there was nothing I could do about that. I was never happier to be home that morning.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Since last time
God I miss blogging about stuff. Currently I am at the end of nursing school. I am excited and both scared to death of starting out on my own. I am doing my preceptorship which is basically working with one nurse and taking on her assignment whatever it is and trying to manage it with as little help as possible. I am at a hospital where 19% of its patient population is uninsured. Compared to the other major hospitals in boston this is where your homeless, criminal and most of the minorities end up. The difference in care is starkly apperent. I would call this the second class hospital. They are understaffed, underfunded and underequiped. I don't find the time to eat let alone take a break. I am in a stepdown unit which basically means once the ICU is full they will send the less "sick" to the stepdown unit. These patients you can tell need one on one observation but the system is too poor and so they are sent to us with the hope that they will survive which puts the nurse in an impossible situation.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
YAAAAAAAAY! I SCORED 51 PTS
This is a real test given by the Human Relations Dept.
At many of the major corporations today. It helps them get
better insight concerning their employees and in their
prospective employees.
It's only 10 Simple questions, so grab a pencil and
paper, keeping track of your letter answers to each
question.
1. When do you feel your best...
A) in the morning
>> B) during the afternoon and early evening
C) late at night
2. You usually walk...
A) fairly fast, with long steps
B) fairly fast, with little steps
>> C) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
D) less fast, head down
E) very slowly
3. When talking to people you...
A) stand with your arms folded
B) have your hands clasped
C) have one or both your hands on your hips
>> D) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
E) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your
hair
4. When relaxing, you sit with...
A) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
>> B) your legs crossed
C) your legs stretched out or straight
D) one leg curled under you
5. When something really amuses you, you react with...
>> A) big appreciated laugh
B) a laugh, but not a loud one
C) a quiet chuckle
D) a sheepish smile
6. When you go to a party or social gathering you...
A) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
>> B) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
C) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed
7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted. ..
A) welcome the break
B) feel extremely irritated
>> C) vary between these two extremes
8. Which of the following colors do you like most...
>> A) Red or orange
B) black
C) yellow or light blue
D) green
E) dark blue or purple
F) white
G) brown or gray
9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are...
A) stretched out on your back
B) stretched out face down on your stomach
C) on your side, slightly curled
D) with your head on one arm
>> E) with your head under the covers
10. You often dream that you are...
A) falling
B) fighting or struggling
C) searching for something or somebody
D) flying or floating
>> E) you usually have dreamless sleep
F) your dreams are always pleasant
POINTS:
1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1
10 (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1
Now add up the total number of points...My total 51pts
OVER 60 POINT: Others see you as someone they should
'handle with care'. You're seen as vain,
self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may
admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but
don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply
involved with you.
51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly
volatile, rather impulsive personality, a natural leader,
who's quick to make decisions, though not always the
right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone
who will try anything once, someone who takes chances and
enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company
because of the excitement you radiate.
41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively,
charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting,
someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but
sufficiently well balanced not to let it go to their head.
They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding,
someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.
31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious,
careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or
talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too
quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to
friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in
return. Those who really get to know you, realize it takes
a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that
it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever
broken.
21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and
fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a
slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if
you ever did something impulsively
or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine
everything carefully from every angle and then, usually
decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly
by your careful nature.
UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and
indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always
wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn't
want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you
as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist.
Some people think you're boring Only those who know you
well, know that you aren't.
At many of the major corporations today. It helps them get
better insight concerning their employees and in their
prospective employees.
It's only 10 Simple questions, so grab a pencil and
paper, keeping track of your letter answers to each
question.
1. When do you feel your best...
A) in the morning
>> B) during the afternoon and early evening
C) late at night
2. You usually walk...
A) fairly fast, with long steps
B) fairly fast, with little steps
>> C) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
D) less fast, head down
E) very slowly
3. When talking to people you...
A) stand with your arms folded
B) have your hands clasped
C) have one or both your hands on your hips
>> D) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
E) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your
hair
4. When relaxing, you sit with...
A) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
>> B) your legs crossed
C) your legs stretched out or straight
D) one leg curled under you
5. When something really amuses you, you react with...
>> A) big appreciated laugh
B) a laugh, but not a loud one
C) a quiet chuckle
D) a sheepish smile
6. When you go to a party or social gathering you...
A) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
>> B) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
C) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed
7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted. ..
A) welcome the break
B) feel extremely irritated
>> C) vary between these two extremes
8. Which of the following colors do you like most...
>> A) Red or orange
B) black
C) yellow or light blue
D) green
E) dark blue or purple
F) white
G) brown or gray
9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are...
A) stretched out on your back
B) stretched out face down on your stomach
C) on your side, slightly curled
D) with your head on one arm
>> E) with your head under the covers
10. You often dream that you are...
A) falling
B) fighting or struggling
C) searching for something or somebody
D) flying or floating
>> E) you usually have dreamless sleep
F) your dreams are always pleasant
POINTS:
1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1
10 (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1
Now add up the total number of points...My total 51pts
OVER 60 POINT: Others see you as someone they should
'handle with care'. You're seen as vain,
self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may
admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but
don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply
involved with you.
51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly
volatile, rather impulsive personality, a natural leader,
who's quick to make decisions, though not always the
right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone
who will try anything once, someone who takes chances and
enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company
because of the excitement you radiate.
41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively,
charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting,
someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but
sufficiently well balanced not to let it go to their head.
They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding,
someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.
31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious,
careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or
talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too
quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to
friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in
return. Those who really get to know you, realize it takes
a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that
it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever
broken.
21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and
fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a
slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if
you ever did something impulsively
or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine
everything carefully from every angle and then, usually
decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly
by your careful nature.
UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and
indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always
wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn't
want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you
as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist.
Some people think you're boring Only those who know you
well, know that you aren't.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Life...
life is good these days aside from the fact that its getting colder by the minute...but that is just part of life gotta take the good w/ the bad.
I love my family. I really never thought of it before but they have decided that they will take care of my entire living expenses while in nursing school. I mean all my sisters are pitching in, even the 17yr old one sent me a hundred last week from her pt job. And they call me all the time to cheer me on. Oh and they are paying for my ticket back to seattle during break...Alhamdulilah is all I can say. Yeah I just figured out I am in love w/ my own family...lolz and this came at 25 hehe.
My second day at clinical w/ my first patient came and I was so nervous my knees were shaking. I looked forward to this day for years...and I mean all freakin 25yrs of my life. I knew I was suppose to work in a hospital at my blastocyst stage(1st 4 cells of development) hehe.
I came into the room and introduced myself and after that things were so simple that I kind of laughed at myself for being so damned nervous. I remembered to do all my vitals, charted and impressively asked all the right questions...lolz. I feel not so clueless now. There is something to be said for just putting us out for the wolves on the first day cause it was either sink or swim and boy did I swim ... yeah I knew this was my thing and hospitals make me happy.
Someone in room 1120 died, another had a heart attack and another one had a mild stroke. Who knew the neurofloor could be so exciting...but then it is a post-op floor.
Till next time
ASG
P.S. Happy Early Eid Mubaarak all...
I love my family. I really never thought of it before but they have decided that they will take care of my entire living expenses while in nursing school. I mean all my sisters are pitching in, even the 17yr old one sent me a hundred last week from her pt job. And they call me all the time to cheer me on. Oh and they are paying for my ticket back to seattle during break...Alhamdulilah is all I can say. Yeah I just figured out I am in love w/ my own family...lolz and this came at 25 hehe.
My second day at clinical w/ my first patient came and I was so nervous my knees were shaking. I looked forward to this day for years...and I mean all freakin 25yrs of my life. I knew I was suppose to work in a hospital at my blastocyst stage(1st 4 cells of development) hehe.
I came into the room and introduced myself and after that things were so simple that I kind of laughed at myself for being so damned nervous. I remembered to do all my vitals, charted and impressively asked all the right questions...lolz. I feel not so clueless now. There is something to be said for just putting us out for the wolves on the first day cause it was either sink or swim and boy did I swim ... yeah I knew this was my thing and hospitals make me happy.
Someone in room 1120 died, another had a heart attack and another one had a mild stroke. Who knew the neurofloor could be so exciting...but then it is a post-op floor.
Till next time
ASG
P.S. Happy Early Eid Mubaarak all...
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Somalia during its 15min of fame....Alqaeda days...
this is a peace I wrote a while back when somalia was center stage w/ UIC and couple of suspected alqaeda dudes running about in somalia.
Yeah, the kid w/o food could have been me or any other somali person in the western world today, but we escaped. Yeah we're the lucky ones so does that make them the unlucky ones, the ones who aren't probably going to survive to enjoy life's simpler things like reading a book quitely.
If everyone in the world had a glimps of the pain of being hungery for days, feeling unsafe to the point that its normal or seeing the ones you love be killed, raped, and defaced then maybe we wouldn't be in a rush to start a war. I am so outraged by somalia's situation, it's suffering, my ppl's suffering.
The west goes on about their fucking grand ideas, like terrorism and how somalia has like OH GOD 3-4 "so called alqaida members in somalia" . Are you fuckin kidding me 3-4 for the amount of sufferin you're causing. This at a time when somalia is suffering from a draught for the last 3 years and now from floods. The kenyan border is closed and they refuse to take in anymore refugees because well god forbid the 3-4 "al qaida suspects might slip through".
Here is a thought for the U.S. leaders.... did they ever ponder at the idea that they are giving "al qaida" power by taking ppls suffering lightly. Get the terrorist at any cost!! What are they on a mission to make the most enemies the fastest way!
And now stupid ass cnn is going on and on about how somalia was always a problem!
REALLY! how so mr.senior analyst jack ass. Well we all remember "black hawk down". Do we? the most boring, untrue shit ever made in hollywood, how could we forget! go on sir. Well the somalis never liked the U.S.? mmmmhhhh that must be why they came to U.S. in droves and the U.S. granted them permanent residence...cause of the mutual DISLIKE for one another.
mr. senior analyst jackass how do the somalis feel about the U.S. bombing of somalia's capital? Well they are happy to rid of at least 2 (not confirmed dead yet) of the alqaida members. They are infact celebrating their liberation from those Alqaida leaders and the UIC. ... yeah you know as somalis jolliest ppl you will ever meet don't mind the hundreds of death caused by the bombing as long as the U.S. whom we dislike are happy!!! Thank you for that INSIGHTFUL look in to somalia's situation mr. senior analyst JACKASS!!!
just reading it makes me angry...
later
ASG
Yeah, the kid w/o food could have been me or any other somali person in the western world today, but we escaped. Yeah we're the lucky ones so does that make them the unlucky ones, the ones who aren't probably going to survive to enjoy life's simpler things like reading a book quitely.
If everyone in the world had a glimps of the pain of being hungery for days, feeling unsafe to the point that its normal or seeing the ones you love be killed, raped, and defaced then maybe we wouldn't be in a rush to start a war. I am so outraged by somalia's situation, it's suffering, my ppl's suffering.
The west goes on about their fucking grand ideas, like terrorism and how somalia has like OH GOD 3-4 "so called alqaida members in somalia" . Are you fuckin kidding me 3-4 for the amount of sufferin you're causing. This at a time when somalia is suffering from a draught for the last 3 years and now from floods. The kenyan border is closed and they refuse to take in anymore refugees because well god forbid the 3-4 "al qaida suspects might slip through".
Here is a thought for the U.S. leaders.... did they ever ponder at the idea that they are giving "al qaida" power by taking ppls suffering lightly. Get the terrorist at any cost!! What are they on a mission to make the most enemies the fastest way!
And now stupid ass cnn is going on and on about how somalia was always a problem!
REALLY! how so mr.senior analyst jack ass. Well we all remember "black hawk down". Do we? the most boring, untrue shit ever made in hollywood, how could we forget! go on sir. Well the somalis never liked the U.S.? mmmmhhhh that must be why they came to U.S. in droves and the U.S. granted them permanent residence...cause of the mutual DISLIKE for one another.
mr. senior analyst jackass how do the somalis feel about the U.S. bombing of somalia's capital? Well they are happy to rid of at least 2 (not confirmed dead yet) of the alqaida members. They are infact celebrating their liberation from those Alqaida leaders and the UIC. ... yeah you know as somalis jolliest ppl you will ever meet don't mind the hundreds of death caused by the bombing as long as the U.S. whom we dislike are happy!!! Thank you for that INSIGHTFUL look in to somalia's situation mr. senior analyst JACKASS!!!
just reading it makes me angry...
later
ASG
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