We had our first real simulation lab experience yesterday, with a baby Sim named Emma.
She was breathing, had O2 sats, respirations, had a post-op club foot, and even cried. It was almost eerie how real she was, yet so obviously made from plastic.
In next week's lab we'll be video taped as we do our assessments and care, and then we get to watch it and analyze it. Oh yay. I can "hardly" wait to see that video...sigh...
I remember once in my first career when I was video taped, in a media course. In was a course in how to handle the media (like that's possible!). The trainers set up a fake scrum situation, and we were in the middle of a throng of reporters fielding questions.
I handled the media part way better than I expected -- in fact I thought I looked very professional and calm and in control -- which was the opposite of how I was feeling inside. So that was reassuring and has transposed to other situations in my career.
But, the one thing that stood out in that media training video was my need for a new hairstyle -- or simply a hairstyle! I remember calling my hubby and saying I was going to be later coming home that night, because I was stopping at the hairdressers for a haircut! It's funny the things one learns from video...sometimes totally unrelated to the topic at hand.
And I should add, then next time I had a training session with a video component, I made sure to put on my best power suit, take time with my hair and do good make up. And I looked great on that video (if I can say so myself!).
In next week's video, it'll be back to basics...no make up, scrubs and hair pulled back in a ponytail. I'll have to do extra well on my nursing skills to try and overlook how I actually look!
Life goes on. It'll be fine. And can I repeat once again, how much I love being in nursing school and launching a new career?!?!? :-)
Showing posts with label simulation lab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simulation lab. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
First lab day - year 3
Oh. My. Goodness.
I simply cannot believe how much I've forgotten over the summer.
Yesterday we were informed that we had to read about 200 pages to prep for today's lab. I got through most of them, but do admit to skimming the last 50 or so. We reviewed in class the various types of injections, and head-to-toe assessments.
Then we had to write a brief nursing narrative of a particular case. Do you think any of the appropriate terminology was coming to mind as I stared at the blank sheet of paper??? In April, a mere few months ago, I was starting to feel I actually sounded a bit like a medical professional. Today, nil. Nothing. Hopefully that will come back quickly. I felt like I was a 5 year old writing a nursing note. How embarrassing!
We use mannequins ("dummies"!) in the lab, and they are so realistic, I can hardly believe it. They have a pulse, we can take their BP, we can listen to their breathing and various breath sounds and crackles and the like.
At one point today, I was listening to the heart of a simulation baby. I have 3 kids, and have listened to their hearts even as babies. A lot. Yes, I had a stethoscope for many (many!) years before finally getting my courage up and going to nursing school. So all that to say, I have listened to many baby hearts.
Today in lab, when I was listening to the sim baby, had my eyes been closed and I didn't know it was a sim dummy, I would have sworn it was a real heart I was listening to. It was incredible.
We were told they also have a circulatory system on one side where we can practice inserting IVs....that is on tomorrow morning's agenda.
It is still very overwhelming in figuring out due dates for quizzes and assignments, and doing the readings. However, I am beyond thrilled to be in third year nursing school.
Our clinical rotations start next week, and I'm assigned to a floor where 0-4 year olds are looked after. I got the "baby" floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then for the next clinical rotation I got placed on the L&D floor that I have long dreamed to working on. Seriously, how did I get this lucky???
Back to my reading and preparation for tomorrow morning. It's only been 2 days, but I cannot wait for the weekend to catch up on everything.
Yes, they warned us this would be an intense year. They were not exaggerating. Lol!
I simply cannot believe how much I've forgotten over the summer.
Yesterday we were informed that we had to read about 200 pages to prep for today's lab. I got through most of them, but do admit to skimming the last 50 or so. We reviewed in class the various types of injections, and head-to-toe assessments.
Then we had to write a brief nursing narrative of a particular case. Do you think any of the appropriate terminology was coming to mind as I stared at the blank sheet of paper??? In April, a mere few months ago, I was starting to feel I actually sounded a bit like a medical professional. Today, nil. Nothing. Hopefully that will come back quickly. I felt like I was a 5 year old writing a nursing note. How embarrassing!
We use mannequins ("dummies"!) in the lab, and they are so realistic, I can hardly believe it. They have a pulse, we can take their BP, we can listen to their breathing and various breath sounds and crackles and the like.
At one point today, I was listening to the heart of a simulation baby. I have 3 kids, and have listened to their hearts even as babies. A lot. Yes, I had a stethoscope for many (many!) years before finally getting my courage up and going to nursing school. So all that to say, I have listened to many baby hearts.
Today in lab, when I was listening to the sim baby, had my eyes been closed and I didn't know it was a sim dummy, I would have sworn it was a real heart I was listening to. It was incredible.
We were told they also have a circulatory system on one side where we can practice inserting IVs....that is on tomorrow morning's agenda.
It is still very overwhelming in figuring out due dates for quizzes and assignments, and doing the readings. However, I am beyond thrilled to be in third year nursing school.
Our clinical rotations start next week, and I'm assigned to a floor where 0-4 year olds are looked after. I got the "baby" floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then for the next clinical rotation I got placed on the L&D floor that I have long dreamed to working on. Seriously, how did I get this lucky???
Back to my reading and preparation for tomorrow morning. It's only been 2 days, but I cannot wait for the weekend to catch up on everything.
Yes, they warned us this would be an intense year. They were not exaggerating. Lol!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Injections!!!
Injections. Needles. "Noodles" -- as my kids call them.
We are now officially trained in how to give all the various types of injections, and are giving 'noodles' during our clinical shifts. I love giving injections!
I continue to practice at home, honing my skills and preparing for the upcoming lab exam.
No orange is currently safe from receiving an injection in our house!
We are now officially trained in how to give all the various types of injections, and are giving 'noodles' during our clinical shifts. I love giving injections!
I continue to practice at home, honing my skills and preparing for the upcoming lab exam.
No orange is currently safe from receiving an injection in our house!
Friday, November 9, 2012
The Art of Writing Nursing Notes
I feel I am learning a new language, and learning how to write, both at the same time!
I already speak five languages, and can muddle my way through a couple others, that are very similar to the ones I know. I love languages, and was lucky enough to live in several countries where I got to truly learn the languages. Now I'm learning a new language from a textbook in simulation lab...certainly a new experience!
I also already have a MA in Communications, and spent the vast majority of my government career writing and in strategic communications. Writing was one of my core strengths in my job...I wrote, planned and project managed for a living. Writing was so easy, so natural. I knew all the governmentese lingo. I was fluent in it. Not anymore! Now I read my nursing notes and feel like they were written by a five year old.
What a learning curve it is for me to write succinct, yet descriptive medical notes that touch on all the important points that need to be addressed with each patient. The sentences are so intricate. Medical writing fascinates me, as to how a simple sentence can convery so much information.
The medical lingo in itself is mostly new. And learning what to include, what is "note worthy" and what is secondary, is currently the biggest hurdle. Further, today I learned that something as simple as a carelessly written number could make or break a court case, as my nursing notes could be considered invalid evidence. The pressure!
What makes it particularly daunting, is that somebody's life may be on the line. That was NEVER a factor in any of my previous writing. Ever. Now, if I miss documenting something that was, in hindsight, a vital clue for that person's diagnosis, or even if I don't ask the right questions in an interview, the results truly could be life and death.
I'm not trying to sound melodramatic here. It's simply coming to realize the full implications of writing in my new career reality. I never before fully appreciated just how important the writing component is.
That's a lot of responsibility. I'm up for the challenge, and am reading and practicing as much as I can (yes, I've mentioned before I am somewhat of a 'keener' -- but all joking aside, this is really very important to me to learn to do as best as I can, as quickly as I can.)
I'm hoping it will come more naturally over time and from practice, and most importantly, from experience. That last factor is probably 'the' most important piece of the puzzle. We are still only in simulation lab. Lots of practice and real-life experience, where I can read 'real' nursing notes is bound to help with the learning process.
Any suggestions of books or website that people have found useful in learning this craft would be greatly appreciated.
Have I mentioned recently just how much I'm LOVIN' this career change!?!?!
Happy Future Nurse Kate!!!
I already speak five languages, and can muddle my way through a couple others, that are very similar to the ones I know. I love languages, and was lucky enough to live in several countries where I got to truly learn the languages. Now I'm learning a new language from a textbook in simulation lab...certainly a new experience!
I also already have a MA in Communications, and spent the vast majority of my government career writing and in strategic communications. Writing was one of my core strengths in my job...I wrote, planned and project managed for a living. Writing was so easy, so natural. I knew all the governmentese lingo. I was fluent in it. Not anymore! Now I read my nursing notes and feel like they were written by a five year old.
What a learning curve it is for me to write succinct, yet descriptive medical notes that touch on all the important points that need to be addressed with each patient. The sentences are so intricate. Medical writing fascinates me, as to how a simple sentence can convery so much information.
The medical lingo in itself is mostly new. And learning what to include, what is "note worthy" and what is secondary, is currently the biggest hurdle. Further, today I learned that something as simple as a carelessly written number could make or break a court case, as my nursing notes could be considered invalid evidence. The pressure!
What makes it particularly daunting, is that somebody's life may be on the line. That was NEVER a factor in any of my previous writing. Ever. Now, if I miss documenting something that was, in hindsight, a vital clue for that person's diagnosis, or even if I don't ask the right questions in an interview, the results truly could be life and death.
I'm not trying to sound melodramatic here. It's simply coming to realize the full implications of writing in my new career reality. I never before fully appreciated just how important the writing component is.
That's a lot of responsibility. I'm up for the challenge, and am reading and practicing as much as I can (yes, I've mentioned before I am somewhat of a 'keener' -- but all joking aside, this is really very important to me to learn to do as best as I can, as quickly as I can.)
I'm hoping it will come more naturally over time and from practice, and most importantly, from experience. That last factor is probably 'the' most important piece of the puzzle. We are still only in simulation lab. Lots of practice and real-life experience, where I can read 'real' nursing notes is bound to help with the learning process.
Any suggestions of books or website that people have found useful in learning this craft would be greatly appreciated.
Have I mentioned recently just how much I'm LOVIN' this career change!?!?!
Happy Future Nurse Kate!!!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Ears? I've got a box of ears!
Is it strange that I now want my very own otoscope to add to my 'medical toys' collection???
"There is a box of ears for you to examine."
"Let's go check out the box of ears now." Yet again, I heard myself utter another sentence that a year or two ago would have seemed completely unprobable for me to say, (unless I had become incoherent due to some bizarre as-yet-unknown and undiagnosed medical condition...)
So there was this box full of ears for us to peer into. Each ear had a number assigned to it, and a handy reference chart indicating what ear condition corresponded to it. Wouldn't it be awesome if it worked that way in real life??? LOL! ("Let me take a look at your child's ear...aha, it appears she has ear #3, which means she has acute otis media.")
Our simulation lab yesterday was about eyes, ears and the neurological system. It was a fascinating lab, as usual. We had to pick new lab partners, so had to part ways with my wonderful first lab partner, Z.
Now, K and I are partnered up. She is a sweet and fun wee "young thing". I'm not sure what she thinks of being paired with a "sweet older thing", but nonetheless, we certainly had a good time in lab, had fun and learned lots. Really, what more is there? It's great.
It's probably a good experience for both of us. My kids are still very young, as are the kids of the vast majority of our friends, so we have a definite gap in our experiences and encounters with the young adult population. Our kids' babysitters are adolescents, and at my former job, the youngest colleagues were in their late 20s. So interraction with the 18-26 age group is one that is definitely lacking in my life. This will be a very good remainder of simulation lab -- and there are only three labs left before we're allowed to try our new-found basic nursing skills on the unsuspecting public!
Back to yesterday's lab....what I learned....(I learned way more than this, but these were the highlights!)...
- I learned that looking into real (and fake!) eyes and ears is fascinating beyond description.
- I learned that I really want my own otoscope to be able to check my kids' ears when they get sick.
- I learned that it is practically impossible for me to distinguish between a chronic ear infection and acute ear infection in the fake ear collection. Thank goodness that is not part of the nursing diagnosis I'll be expected to do in the future...I need to know enough to realize that "this ear does not look healthy" and leave the medical diagnosis to the physicians...
- I learned that if I am examining a patient's right eye, I have to hold the opthalmoscope on MY right eye too (and vice-versa), to avoid an extremely awkward face-to-face position...think about it...
I'm lovin' this nursing school adventure!!! I am so grateful to be exactly where I am.
"There is a box of ears for you to examine."
"Let's go check out the box of ears now." Yet again, I heard myself utter another sentence that a year or two ago would have seemed completely unprobable for me to say, (unless I had become incoherent due to some bizarre as-yet-unknown and undiagnosed medical condition...)
So there was this box full of ears for us to peer into. Each ear had a number assigned to it, and a handy reference chart indicating what ear condition corresponded to it. Wouldn't it be awesome if it worked that way in real life??? LOL! ("Let me take a look at your child's ear...aha, it appears she has ear #3, which means she has acute otis media.")
Our simulation lab yesterday was about eyes, ears and the neurological system. It was a fascinating lab, as usual. We had to pick new lab partners, so had to part ways with my wonderful first lab partner, Z.
Now, K and I are partnered up. She is a sweet and fun wee "young thing". I'm not sure what she thinks of being paired with a "sweet older thing", but nonetheless, we certainly had a good time in lab, had fun and learned lots. Really, what more is there? It's great.
It's probably a good experience for both of us. My kids are still very young, as are the kids of the vast majority of our friends, so we have a definite gap in our experiences and encounters with the young adult population. Our kids' babysitters are adolescents, and at my former job, the youngest colleagues were in their late 20s. So interraction with the 18-26 age group is one that is definitely lacking in my life. This will be a very good remainder of simulation lab -- and there are only three labs left before we're allowed to try our new-found basic nursing skills on the unsuspecting public!
Back to yesterday's lab....what I learned....(I learned way more than this, but these were the highlights!)...
- I learned that looking into real (and fake!) eyes and ears is fascinating beyond description.
- I learned that I really want my own otoscope to be able to check my kids' ears when they get sick.
- I learned that it is practically impossible for me to distinguish between a chronic ear infection and acute ear infection in the fake ear collection. Thank goodness that is not part of the nursing diagnosis I'll be expected to do in the future...I need to know enough to realize that "this ear does not look healthy" and leave the medical diagnosis to the physicians...
- I learned that if I am examining a patient's right eye, I have to hold the opthalmoscope on MY right eye too (and vice-versa), to avoid an extremely awkward face-to-face position...think about it...
I'm lovin' this nursing school adventure!!! I am so grateful to be exactly where I am.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Simulation Labs
Sim labs are great.
Every Friday we (finally!) get to wear our brand new scrubs and casually toss our Littmanns around our necks as we parade into the lab. We get to look like the medical professionals that we aspire to be...our reality is quite the opposite!
Honestly, I love simulation lab. I have a great lab partner, Z, who gives what she gets from me. We learn from each other, and we don't hesitate to give each other feedback. We each have three kids. I didn't mind her examining my post-kids abdomen. She rocks!
In the sim lab, we are now saying sentences to each other, sentences I never thought I'd be saying, like, "Of course you don't hear anything well through your stethoscope, Z, you've put it in your ears backwards!"
And I get it back from her, "Umm, Kate, I think percussing the dorsal chest means percuss my BACK, not my FRONT chest!" (OOPS, that was awkward!!!...and I've known the difference between dorsal and ventral/anterior and posterior, since high school...)
It is just suddenly so different when doing it in a (quasi)medical context.
All I can say is "thank goodness" we have this semester to practice on each other, and our new buddy SAM, the Student Ascultation Mannequin, before we're let loose on the unsuspecting public, when clinical rotations start in January!!!
Bring it on!!!
Every Friday we (finally!) get to wear our brand new scrubs and casually toss our Littmanns around our necks as we parade into the lab. We get to look like the medical professionals that we aspire to be...our reality is quite the opposite!
Honestly, I love simulation lab. I have a great lab partner, Z, who gives what she gets from me. We learn from each other, and we don't hesitate to give each other feedback. We each have three kids. I didn't mind her examining my post-kids abdomen. She rocks!
In the sim lab, we are now saying sentences to each other, sentences I never thought I'd be saying, like, "Of course you don't hear anything well through your stethoscope, Z, you've put it in your ears backwards!"
And I get it back from her, "Umm, Kate, I think percussing the dorsal chest means percuss my BACK, not my FRONT chest!" (OOPS, that was awkward!!!...and I've known the difference between dorsal and ventral/anterior and posterior, since high school...)
It is just suddenly so different when doing it in a (quasi)medical context.
All I can say is "thank goodness" we have this semester to practice on each other, and our new buddy SAM, the Student Ascultation Mannequin, before we're let loose on the unsuspecting public, when clinical rotations start in January!!!
Bring it on!!!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Medical "toys"
Toys are fun, and this doesn't just apply to kids! In recent weeks, I've had the priviledge of buying some medical toys of my own.
My first purchase was my stethoscope. Much debate went into this, whether or not to get a simple "student model" basic stethoscope, or invest the money into the real thing. On one hand, a basic model would probably suffice, given that we are starting from the basic level in our simulation labs (we're just allowed to practice on one another this term, and that is a very good thing...more about that soon!) But I was also thinking that it's probably a good idea to have a good stethoscope in school, as this is the time to learn from our instructors as much as we can, and having the right tools is important.
I talked to various nurses I know about it. Again, the results spanned the spectrum of opinions. Some people said that as nursing students, we just need stethoscopes to hear breath sounds, so we don't need a high quality one, while others stressed the importance of learning what we're listening for correctly, from the start.
In the end, I decided I might as well invest in a good one now. So I very happily brought home my "ceil blue" Littmann Classic II (for those of us who speak French, "ceil" is a typo -- it should be "ciel", which means "sky").
And that evening, everyone in my family got their heart beat and breath sounds listened to attentively, by a keen nursing student, who didn't really know what she was listening for...
The following week in simulation lab, we did blood pressures on one another. Apparently I am somewhat of an "anti-talent" in finding the brachial artery, both by touch and hearing. So off I went to get me my very own blood pressure cuff. I am still working on saying the word, "sphygmomanometer" with a straight face and without stuttering too many "momamomoms" in it. About half my simulation lab group was in the medical bookstore buying blood pressure cuffs, so that made me feel somewhat better, that we all need to practice.
Finally, after last week's lab, I felt the need to have my very own penlight. We had a lab on ear/nose/throat, and I have thoroughly inspected my lab partner's nose, probably like no one has inspected it before.
I feel very professional now with my new medical equipment and scrubs. Now we have to keep practicing and learning more, and by January, they'll let us out in the "real medical world".
Until then, my poor lab partner, husband and kids will continue to have their blood pressure taken regularly, and I'll practice whatever else the labs teach us to examine!!!
My first purchase was my stethoscope. Much debate went into this, whether or not to get a simple "student model" basic stethoscope, or invest the money into the real thing. On one hand, a basic model would probably suffice, given that we are starting from the basic level in our simulation labs (we're just allowed to practice on one another this term, and that is a very good thing...more about that soon!) But I was also thinking that it's probably a good idea to have a good stethoscope in school, as this is the time to learn from our instructors as much as we can, and having the right tools is important.
I talked to various nurses I know about it. Again, the results spanned the spectrum of opinions. Some people said that as nursing students, we just need stethoscopes to hear breath sounds, so we don't need a high quality one, while others stressed the importance of learning what we're listening for correctly, from the start.
In the end, I decided I might as well invest in a good one now. So I very happily brought home my "ceil blue" Littmann Classic II (for those of us who speak French, "ceil" is a typo -- it should be "ciel", which means "sky").
And that evening, everyone in my family got their heart beat and breath sounds listened to attentively, by a keen nursing student, who didn't really know what she was listening for...
The following week in simulation lab, we did blood pressures on one another. Apparently I am somewhat of an "anti-talent" in finding the brachial artery, both by touch and hearing. So off I went to get me my very own blood pressure cuff. I am still working on saying the word, "sphygmomanometer" with a straight face and without stuttering too many "momamomoms" in it. About half my simulation lab group was in the medical bookstore buying blood pressure cuffs, so that made me feel somewhat better, that we all need to practice.
Finally, after last week's lab, I felt the need to have my very own penlight. We had a lab on ear/nose/throat, and I have thoroughly inspected my lab partner's nose, probably like no one has inspected it before.
I feel very professional now with my new medical equipment and scrubs. Now we have to keep practicing and learning more, and by January, they'll let us out in the "real medical world".
Until then, my poor lab partner, husband and kids will continue to have their blood pressure taken regularly, and I'll practice whatever else the labs teach us to examine!!!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Midterm 1 exams - recap
Well, that was a tough, detailed clinical microbiology exam. I think it went fine, but it was definitely much tougher than I had expected. Hopefully my results will reflect that impression that I have about the exam!
The other exam I was somewhat concerned about from two weeks ago, anatomy of the skeletal system and integumentary system, actually, by some miracle, got me a very good result. And I was so concerned about it!!! I had already been thinking about options of re-taking the class in the summer, if need be...sheesh. For the time being, all is very, very well.
The third midterm exam I had was last Friday, on the digestive system. I got my confidence back after writing that one, as I think it went really well (again, results will tell for sure!). I was hoping to not be a "one-semester wonder" in nursing school, and then fizzling with my marks in second term...however, I don't think that will be the case. At least I hope not! Lol!!!
I've been writing and posting a lot more recently. I so do enjoy writing, and I got to thinking that in hind-sight, just as with a journal, it will be more interesting to have a more detailed description of the journey through the adventure, than just periodic highlights. So I'm hoping to keep writing more, even it if may seem like banale details at the given moment.
I'm also thinking that starting next semester, the nursing school adventure will definitely get more interesting, when the 'hands on' components start - starting with a simulation lab (before they let us loose on real patients, we will practice in simulation situations!), and then all the various clinical rotations we get to do. Those experiences will be filled with so many interractions with so many people, that it will be so much more interesting than just memorizing textbooks and writing exams.
However, in addition to memorizing textbooks and writing exams, this semester brings something new -- a term paper! Ha! I haven't written one of these in years. Good thing I enjoy writing.... It's for my Ethics in Health Care class, and I'll be posting more on that soon.
Lunch time!!!
The other exam I was somewhat concerned about from two weeks ago, anatomy of the skeletal system and integumentary system, actually, by some miracle, got me a very good result. And I was so concerned about it!!! I had already been thinking about options of re-taking the class in the summer, if need be...sheesh. For the time being, all is very, very well.
The third midterm exam I had was last Friday, on the digestive system. I got my confidence back after writing that one, as I think it went really well (again, results will tell for sure!). I was hoping to not be a "one-semester wonder" in nursing school, and then fizzling with my marks in second term...however, I don't think that will be the case. At least I hope not! Lol!!!
I've been writing and posting a lot more recently. I so do enjoy writing, and I got to thinking that in hind-sight, just as with a journal, it will be more interesting to have a more detailed description of the journey through the adventure, than just periodic highlights. So I'm hoping to keep writing more, even it if may seem like banale details at the given moment.
I'm also thinking that starting next semester, the nursing school adventure will definitely get more interesting, when the 'hands on' components start - starting with a simulation lab (before they let us loose on real patients, we will practice in simulation situations!), and then all the various clinical rotations we get to do. Those experiences will be filled with so many interractions with so many people, that it will be so much more interesting than just memorizing textbooks and writing exams.
However, in addition to memorizing textbooks and writing exams, this semester brings something new -- a term paper! Ha! I haven't written one of these in years. Good thing I enjoy writing.... It's for my Ethics in Health Care class, and I'll be posting more on that soon.
Lunch time!!!
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