Medical Math!

Last week saw us facing two exams, on back to back days. The maternity/L&D exam went quite well, I think (I hope!). The ethics/professionalism/legalities was another reality.  It was awful. Simply awful. I'm hoping for the best, but was not pleased at all with that exam.

In theory, I had already passed the course going into that exam, given that 65% of the course was based on two major research papers. But that's definitely not the type of marks I get, so that is of little reassurance.  Hopefully I'll somehow still manage to pull of an A-, despite that exam.  But that's still frustrating knowing I had an A+ going into the final.  Still, I'd happily settle for an A-, given that awful exam. That's my hope, anyways....

The only exam still to do is 'med math' -- doing all kinds of math calculations based on children's weights, dosages ordered, dosages on hand, IV drip rates, medication reconstitution, and the like.  You get the idea. Its not difficult math, but its clearly of the utmost important to not make any careless mistakes.  Medication errors simply terrify me.

They say that every nurse makes some medication errors.  And they also say that if a nurse say's they've never made a med error, that's even scarier, because that person probably doesn't realize the errors he/she's made.  Yep - this is one aspect of nursing that terrifies me.

Here's a great site I've discovered to quiz myself on medication dosage calculations:  www.dosagehelp.com

There are so many great resources out there.  Its quite the change from my previous degrees (says this dinosaur from prehistoric times, as my oldest kid like to tease me) -- students have it great these days.  I'm in awe of resources available today, and how profs all post their slides online before classes.  When I did my science degree way back, how I used to wish my profs could hand out their lecture slides and we could actually listen to the lecture instead of writing (with pen on paper!) like mad to try to capture the info in the slides.  Times certainly have changed, for the better.

I cannot believe we only have 3 semesters left.  That feels awesome.

Exams Start Tomorrow

Two exams are waiting for me, in the coming two days.  Maternity/L&D and a course about nursing ethics, professionalism and legalities of the profession.  Truth be told, the more I learn about the jurisprudence aspect of nursing, the more worried I get about the legal implications of doing something wrong -- not charting as accurately as I could, or whatever.  Scary stuff.

Anyhow, I'm here very briefly (OK, perhaps I'm procrastinating a wee bit), as a study break. I'm so happy that after this Christmas, there will only be one more pre-Christmas preparation time that nursing school basically ruins (until I start my Nurse Practitioner schooling, that is!).  I'm so stressed about Christmas, its just not right.  But I'll worry about that after Thursday's exam.

To those of you who read this blog and who actually know me in person -- I'm tellin' ya now that my Christmas cards will be l-a-t-e this year.  Maybe they'll be New Year's cards...

OK. Back to the books.  I just want these exams over and done with.  3 more terms to go!!!

It's almost over.  We can all do this.

Less than 500 days to go

That may seem like a huge number to some, but when I first figured out how to put a countdown clock item to my blog, the number was just over 900 days.  And honestly, that doesn't feel like it was that long ago.

There is one more week of school left, and this term is finished. 

That means that after next week, three terms remain.  In more concrete numbers, that means only 36 more weeks of classes.  36 weeks of education stand between me and being allowed to say, "I'm a nurse."  Its scary to think of how much I still have to learn, and how little time is left.

Nursing school gives you the basics to go start your practice.  Reality will be very different, and truly becoming a nurse comes over time with experience.  I imagine the first couple years out of school will be THE biggest learning curve of my working life, and probably the most stressful too. 

I have two more shifts this weekend -- my last two in L&D.  How I'm going to miss that!!!  Next term will be mental health and a rotation on an adult medical floor.  Meh.  I'm open to every experience and hope to get the most out of both rotations, but I know that those areas of nursing are not for me.  Kids and babies and labouring moms are my nursing niche.  :-)

Back to reality.  I have a presentation to draft now and to give next week.  I've got to focus on the 'here and now', so I can actually carry on to the next three terms, and not just think about them!

This has been (well, still is), one of the busiest 12 weeks of my life.  It's almost over, and I'm still smiling (most days, anyways!)  Lol!!!

Another great delivery!!!

Wowie!!!  I had another fantastic shift in the birthing unit last night.  I left the hospital after midnight, and practically floated home.  I learned SO much yesterday about fetal monitoring, reading the heart-rate strips, re-positioning baby inside by mom changing positions, about adjusting epidurals and Pitocin drips, about dealing with labouring moms who aren't the most engaged in the labouring process (puts my first-career diplomacy skills to good use!!!  Looks like that's a 'transferrable skill' I'll be using often as a nurse!). 

And I also learned how much I still need to learn.  I mean I totally realize that nursing school can only teach us so much -- the basics, so to speak.  But real life work experience in the first couple years out of nursing school are going to be a learning curve all of their own. 

Bring it on, I say!  One step at a time.

And thank you to allnurses.com for the following laugh, which exactly sums up how I feel in clinicals.  And apparently that tome is just Volume 1! : 

Really???

Thong underwear???

I'm working on the post-partum unit these days.  I was shocked to see someone had brought thong underwear to wear.  And this was not a first-time mom -- that I could understand not knowing exactly what's involved in the post-partum period.  I mean, the pads the women need are approx. 40 cm long and about 15 cm wide.  They're huge.  Thongs barely hold those mega-pads in place.

To each their own.  I'm not here to judge anyone.  (But I can shake my head in wonder...lol!)

Off to the birthing unit for a shift today!!!  I l.o.v.e working in labour & delivery.

Kate
:-)

Thalasso Bain Bébé Jumeaux - Twin Baby Bath

Last year, I posted a video of the Thalasso Bain baby bath. 

It is a type of newborn bath performed by a nurse in France, Mme Sonia Rochel.  It was a beautifully done video, set to soothing music, and it showed the baby enraptured by the experience.  The viewer could also not help but be enraptured by the video.   

Now, another video is making the Internet rounds, produced by the same French nurse.  This time, it is twins who are enjoying their Thalasso Bain.  I loved this video too, so I also have to share it here.

Maybe one day I'll have the privilege to have the chance to learn to perform such baby baths.

Enjoy.

Fun Nursing Links

OK -- time to lighten up a bit.  I've noticed how serious I'm getting, as the stress of what is third year nursing school drags on.  I knew this would be one of the toughest years of my student life -- and its living up to expectations.  Luckily its also been one of the most interesting and rewarding semesters of my student life, and even more luckily, the end is coming into sight for this semester.  Yay!

So, on a lighter note, I wish to add two links to some sites I check regularly.  They never fail to bring at least a smile to my face, if not actually a "lol". 

I've got two weekend shifts waiting for me on labour & delivery (double yey!!!) and a maternity midterm exam on Monday morning.  So guess what my focus is during every spare moment until Monday morning...

Enjoy!

http://nurseeyeroll.com/  (I'll be sharing the latest post, "So, You're Married to a Nurse" with my husband...it will be required reading for him!)

http://whatshouldwecallnursing.tumblr.com/

http://adventuresinbabeland.tumblr.com/  (BTW -- that title refers to the nurses adventures in post partum nursing -- that type of "babeland"...the real thing, not the other "babe" type...This site has not been updated in eons, but the clips in the archives are good.)

Its always good to have a laugh.  :-)