"The odds may be one-hundred to one against you, but a determined person can do anything."
source: my 12 year old son
He just said that to me, as I'm sitting here with my head hurting from trying to understand and memorize so many nursing theories for Monday's exam.
Learning nursing theories is still a nightmare course. I'll most definitely, without any shadow of any doubt, leave evolving nursing theories to other nurses, in my future career.
UGH!!!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Another Shift - Another Code White
OK, to be completely honest, today was one of the scariest, must unnerving days I've ever spent on the job. Yes, there was another Code White called on a patient.
I didn't witness this one, but the build-up to it was almost surreal.
I'd often heard the expression, "the tension was palpable in the air", today I completely understood what that means, and how that feels.
Not only were all my fellow nursing students and I on edge, and feeling the tension, but so were many of the patients. I could see how distressing it was for them, who are dealing with severe problems of their own.
The patient in question was not doing anything outright that would raise red flags to prompt a de-escalation or medication. It was just a quiet building of tension that continued to grow. It was a feeling unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I was so relieved that I wasn't there when he did blow.
Everyone was jittery and on-edge today it seemed - staff, students, patients.
I was so relieved to walk out of there this afternoon.
And now I find I'm still having a tough time concentrating on my work assignments and to try to focus on the nursing theories exam that's coming up early next week.
One more shift tomorrow morning. Hopefully it'll be a new day, and a better shift.
Psych nursing is most, most definitely NOT for this future nurse.
I didn't witness this one, but the build-up to it was almost surreal.
I'd often heard the expression, "the tension was palpable in the air", today I completely understood what that means, and how that feels.
Not only were all my fellow nursing students and I on edge, and feeling the tension, but so were many of the patients. I could see how distressing it was for them, who are dealing with severe problems of their own.
The patient in question was not doing anything outright that would raise red flags to prompt a de-escalation or medication. It was just a quiet building of tension that continued to grow. It was a feeling unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I was so relieved that I wasn't there when he did blow.
Everyone was jittery and on-edge today it seemed - staff, students, patients.
I was so relieved to walk out of there this afternoon.
And now I find I'm still having a tough time concentrating on my work assignments and to try to focus on the nursing theories exam that's coming up early next week.
One more shift tomorrow morning. Hopefully it'll be a new day, and a better shift.
Psych nursing is most, most definitely NOT for this future nurse.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Dreaming about Nursing
That's not the dreaming in the sense of, "I'd really love to go to nursing school and change careers" type of dreaming. I had plenty of years of that.
Rather, its the "wake up in a cold sweat and gratefully gasp as waves of relief flood your body because you realized it was just a dream/nightmare" type of dream.
Yep, that's what I awoke to this morning. And forget trying to get back to sleep after that!
I had a nightmare about administering medications.
One of my worst fears as a nurse, perhaps even "the" worst fear I have, is making medication errors. They say its inevitable that every nurse makes med errors, and to be wary of those nurses who claim they've never made one, as they're the scariest ones, as they most likely don't realize their errors. But I digress.
In my nightmare, I was being a completely careless nurse. It was a busy nursing station, and the patients were coming up to it go get their meds (as happens in the psych ward at times, with certain patients). I was filling in or something, but it was definitely a new unit to me in the dream. I was chatting with one guy as I prepared his meds. Then I gave him his meds and that was that.
Wrong.
Except shortly thereafter, another guy came to the window and asked for his meds. I asked him his name, and then realized that those were the meds I'd just administered to the first guy -- whom I hadn't even asked his name, let alone checked his wrist band AND asked him his birthday. Oh. My. God. (This was when the panic welled up in me, even in real life as this dream unfolded).
Then, to make matters even worse, when I told the nursing manager about my error, she asked me what meds I'd given the guy, and I didn't know!!! I mean, I knew what the names of the pills were, and how much I'd given, but I had no idea if they were heart medication pills, or blood thinners, or antibiotics, or what - you get the idea. This is how nursing jobs and licences are lost, and even worse, possibly lives.
I woke up around this point. Heart pounding. I told hubby about it, still breathing gasps of relief that it wasn't real. His comment was, "At least you've gotten this mistake out of the way, and learned from it." Lol!
I still cringe when I think back to that nightmare.
The rights of medication administration have been drilled into our heads for awhile now.
The nurse must ensure he/she's got/giving the RIGHT:
patient
medication
dose
route (of administration)
time
reason (for giving that particular medication)
frequency
site
documentation (after the medication is given).
I will definitely ensure that such a mistake ONLY happens in my dreams -- or rather, my nightmares.
My first career definitely did not come with this type of stress and responsibility...
Rather, its the "wake up in a cold sweat and gratefully gasp as waves of relief flood your body because you realized it was just a dream/nightmare" type of dream.
Yep, that's what I awoke to this morning. And forget trying to get back to sleep after that!
I had a nightmare about administering medications.
One of my worst fears as a nurse, perhaps even "the" worst fear I have, is making medication errors. They say its inevitable that every nurse makes med errors, and to be wary of those nurses who claim they've never made one, as they're the scariest ones, as they most likely don't realize their errors. But I digress.
In my nightmare, I was being a completely careless nurse. It was a busy nursing station, and the patients were coming up to it go get their meds (as happens in the psych ward at times, with certain patients). I was filling in or something, but it was definitely a new unit to me in the dream. I was chatting with one guy as I prepared his meds. Then I gave him his meds and that was that.
Wrong.
Except shortly thereafter, another guy came to the window and asked for his meds. I asked him his name, and then realized that those were the meds I'd just administered to the first guy -- whom I hadn't even asked his name, let alone checked his wrist band AND asked him his birthday. Oh. My. God. (This was when the panic welled up in me, even in real life as this dream unfolded).
Then, to make matters even worse, when I told the nursing manager about my error, she asked me what meds I'd given the guy, and I didn't know!!! I mean, I knew what the names of the pills were, and how much I'd given, but I had no idea if they were heart medication pills, or blood thinners, or antibiotics, or what - you get the idea. This is how nursing jobs and licences are lost, and even worse, possibly lives.
I woke up around this point. Heart pounding. I told hubby about it, still breathing gasps of relief that it wasn't real. His comment was, "At least you've gotten this mistake out of the way, and learned from it." Lol!
I still cringe when I think back to that nightmare.
The rights of medication administration have been drilled into our heads for awhile now.
The nurse must ensure he/she's got/giving the RIGHT:
patient
medication
dose
route (of administration)
time
reason (for giving that particular medication)
frequency
site
documentation (after the medication is given).
I will definitely ensure that such a mistake ONLY happens in my dreams -- or rather, my nightmares.
My first career definitely did not come with this type of stress and responsibility...
Monday, February 3, 2014
Code White!
Yes, I witnessed my first "code white" on the psych floor -- meaning "violent patient". Orderlies and security came running.
What a strange and horrible feeling to witness something like that.
Only 4 more shifts to go.
Its been a good rotation so far. I've learned a lot. My clinical instructor couldn't be better. My group is awesome. I've met some really nice people, who suffer greatly in their lives, even if their problems aren't visible. But, this is not the specialty I see myself in.
Nope. Psychiatric nursing is definitely not for this future nurse. Most definitely not.
What a strange and horrible feeling to witness something like that.
Only 4 more shifts to go.
Its been a good rotation so far. I've learned a lot. My clinical instructor couldn't be better. My group is awesome. I've met some really nice people, who suffer greatly in their lives, even if their problems aren't visible. But, this is not the specialty I see myself in.
Nope. Psychiatric nursing is definitely not for this future nurse. Most definitely not.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
On the psychiatric ward - first thoughts
We've had two shifts so far in this mental health rotation. The first was the obligatory orientation to the unit and the hospital (a new one for me). We had minimal patient interaction that day.
The second day was a nurse buddy shift. However, my patient was leaving that morning for an extended pass, so I got to at least prepare the patient's medication, go through all the meds and when they're to be taken, and to do the paperwork/documentation required for the temporary home pass.
Other than that, I had minimal patient interaction again. I sat in on a few patient sessions that were given by other members of the interdisciplinary team. Those were interesting. I hadn't quite realized, mostly because I hadn't really thought about it before, just how intertwined mental health nursing is with other health and social disciplines. The cases can be so complex on so many levels, that go beyond "just" mental health...adequate housing, social support, nutrition, etc.
It really is a very interesting field. I still love pediatrics more than anything, but am now starting to think I may have to (one day, when NS is over), do some mental health-related volunteering, on a crisis line or something like that.
The communications skills we're learning are fantastic, and applicable to so many situations. The crisis line position would certainly put those new skills to good use, and keep them sharp.
I've got evening shifts coming up tonight and tomorrow.
Life is good.
The second day was a nurse buddy shift. However, my patient was leaving that morning for an extended pass, so I got to at least prepare the patient's medication, go through all the meds and when they're to be taken, and to do the paperwork/documentation required for the temporary home pass.
Other than that, I had minimal patient interaction again. I sat in on a few patient sessions that were given by other members of the interdisciplinary team. Those were interesting. I hadn't quite realized, mostly because I hadn't really thought about it before, just how intertwined mental health nursing is with other health and social disciplines. The cases can be so complex on so many levels, that go beyond "just" mental health...adequate housing, social support, nutrition, etc.
It really is a very interesting field. I still love pediatrics more than anything, but am now starting to think I may have to (one day, when NS is over), do some mental health-related volunteering, on a crisis line or something like that.
The communications skills we're learning are fantastic, and applicable to so many situations. The crisis line position would certainly put those new skills to good use, and keep them sharp.
I've got evening shifts coming up tonight and tomorrow.
Life is good.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Mental Health Rotation
It was a course and clinical rotation that I've long thought of as "meh...something to get through as part of nursing school."
Guess what?
I think I'm going to l-o-v-e this one....
Will write more after my first two rotations, in the next two days. I can't wait to try this!!!
Guess what?
I think I'm going to l-o-v-e this one....
Will write more after my first two rotations, in the next two days. I can't wait to try this!!!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Happy New Year 2014!
Wishing everyone a happy 2014, and may we all work towards our dreams and wishes come true!
And the best part -- now I can say -- I GRADUATE NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the best part -- now I can say -- I GRADUATE NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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