Monday, November 17, 2008
STBTF
Everyday I'm thankful for the health of my loved ones, especially my children.
our first trip to Venezia-2001
our trip to Ravenna, Italy-2004
These are my goofs, and it was taken in 2005. I'm a little quirky, so I definitely like abstract viewpoints.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
meme for a break
Decided to fool around in blogland for a break from the studies, and before I go to study group, and came across this meme on my newest blogfriend Tiffany's blog.
Crazy Eights
8 TV Shows I Love to Watch:
1. Greys Anatomy
2. House
3. Survivor
4. ER
5. ANTM
6. Big Brother
7. What Not to Wear
8. Jon and Kate+8
8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Griolis
2. Cafe Asiatique
3. Applebees
4. Bennigan's
5. Red Robin
6. Red Lobster
7. The Crab Shack
8. Joe's Crab Shack
8 Things that Happened Today:
1. woke up without a HA
2. said goodbye to LB's friend AM as he left after sleeping over
3. said goodbye to LB's friend DR as he left after sleeping over
4. wrote out more not-so-flashable cards
5. ate breakfast of cinnamon and spice oatmeal
6. organized materials for study group
7. showered
8. ate lunch
8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. becoming a nurse
2. seeing my boys grow into well-adjusted adults
3. building our own home...someday
4. sunshine
5. going to the beach next summer
6. going to CO for my HS reunion next July, 20 years!
7. seeing Mom and Dad at Christmas
8. Dec 5, my FINAL final with UMUC! and Dec 16, my last final exam for my first semester of nursing school
8 Things on My Wishlist
1. things would stop breaking down with our house and cars-it'snot like any of them are old!
2. when DC, my 15 yr old cat, passes away (it will probably be sooner than later, he's hyperthyroid) he goes peacefully and without suffering
3. when LB drives he drives with caution and care
4. to pass all my exams
5. my butt wasn't so big
6. the boys would clean up after themselves when they have sleepovers
7. Ipod
8. new carpet
Crazy Eights
8 TV Shows I Love to Watch:
1. Greys Anatomy
2. House
3. Survivor
4. ER
5. ANTM
6. Big Brother
7. What Not to Wear
8. Jon and Kate+8
8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Griolis
2. Cafe Asiatique
3. Applebees
4. Bennigan's
5. Red Robin
6. Red Lobster
7. The Crab Shack
8. Joe's Crab Shack
8 Things that Happened Today:
1. woke up without a HA
2. said goodbye to LB's friend AM as he left after sleeping over
3. said goodbye to LB's friend DR as he left after sleeping over
4. wrote out more not-so-flashable cards
5. ate breakfast of cinnamon and spice oatmeal
6. organized materials for study group
7. showered
8. ate lunch
8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. becoming a nurse
2. seeing my boys grow into well-adjusted adults
3. building our own home...someday
4. sunshine
5. going to the beach next summer
6. going to CO for my HS reunion next July, 20 years!
7. seeing Mom and Dad at Christmas
8. Dec 5, my FINAL final with UMUC! and Dec 16, my last final exam for my first semester of nursing school
8 Things on My Wishlist
1. things would stop breaking down with our house and cars-it'snot like any of them are old!
2. when DC, my 15 yr old cat, passes away (it will probably be sooner than later, he's hyperthyroid) he goes peacefully and without suffering
3. when LB drives he drives with caution and care
4. to pass all my exams
5. my butt wasn't so big
6. the boys would clean up after themselves when they have sleepovers
7. Ipod
8. new carpet
turning in knots
So much has gone on this past week, with the sudden departure of one of our instructors and my indecision as to whether I will transfer or not. It's pretty scarey because what if I quit my current program, apply to another one and then I don't get in!? I did receive the package from one of the other local CCs.
I've also been dealing with trying to study for the two exams we have this coming Tuesday. We have one in Nur100-Intro and Nur105-Basic Skills. The basic skills exam is over Kozier chapter 36, Wound blah, blah. Nur 100 is over 9 chapters (our biggest as far as volume of chapters goes), and they range from 15-23...documenting to growth and development, and all the stages! Yippee!
We are having a study group today. There is probably going to be about 6 of us there. I'll have to make sure we stay on task. I've been making up flash cards, which are more like not-so-flashable cards because of how much actually has to go on each. It's not always as simple as defining a term in nursing school-it's about application and concepts! I was hoping to make it into a jeopardy game, but haven't had time to do that. I would want to maintain the info on the cards as well as using them for the game, you know putting dollar amounts on each in some fashion. Not enough time I say!
Speaking of which I better get off here and get back to the not-so-flashables!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
it was awesome!
Yesterday I took part in a greater than great experience. I witnessed my first open heart surgery. I wanted to be down in the OR sooo bad!
The local high school that my son attends as a sophomore takes their Health and Medical Occupations classes to one of the major hospitals in Northern Virginia to watch open heart surgery. This hospital has a grant program that allows for this.
So the 19 students, 3 other parents, the teacher and myself headed up north at 5 a.m. Yep, we had to be at the school at 5. Evidently all the school busses in VA have been set to 45mph, and wont go over it. This was the maiden voyage going this speed to the destination we were going to, so we had to leave early to allow for traffic, and the lack of speed. We made it in about 1 hour and 10 minutes. So we had about 50 minutes to spare before we could go into the hospital.
We stayed on the bus to allow the kids some more sleep time, and then we headed in.
We were ushered into a conference room where the nurse in charge had us sign the privacy statements, and then she told us the particulars of the procedures to be performed-mitral valve replacement and MAZE procedure. She then took us into the room. In the center of the room is a huge rectagular dome of windows, on two levels.The bottom level you can sit right up against the glass and watch, the upper level you sit in a chair and lean into the railing as far as you possibly can so you can see as much as you can. You can move around the room so as to see different things.
We missed them opening up the chest, much to my displeasure-I wanted to see EVERYTHING!
At first I sat up on the upper level, with a bird's eye view of the heart. I saw the first surgeon go in and prepare the area directly around the heart. After the first surgeon did his thing another stepped in and took over. He did the MAZE procedure. He also did the mitral valve replacement.
Come to find out they also had to do an aortic VR. The first surgeon came back in to complete ths aortic VR. Awesome, awesome stuff I tell ya! If you're a medical freak like me, who can't get enough of this kind of thing, you will love to see these procedures. The MAZE is cool and everything, but becomes a little boring after a while. They're just going around the heart freezing off certain nerve pathweays, because those nerves keep firing in more than one direction.
The VR's were exceptionally spectacular! They first of all go in and put a ring of suture around the area just superior to where the valve is located. It looks like a web with a hole in the center...or maybe some sort of embroidery project. Then they set the new valve into the bottom of the web, suture into the fabric ring around the top of the new valve, and then push it into its new permanent location. Intricate would be the word to use to describe valve replacements.
I watched as much as I could, including the nurses, the perfusionist, the CRNA, and anybody else who did anything in that OR!
The kids had various different reactions. Mostly they were in awe and were very fascinated. So many of them in the class are planning careers in the medical field, so they weren't as incredibly mortified or grossed out as one might assume. They did become bored, about the time of the duration of the MAZE procedure, since it took a while. Some slept, some just chatted. Some flirted.
We had a couple of people come in that were other surgical staff. One in particular is a perfusionist who was getting ready to go in on another case. Needless to say HE was kind of cute, and the girls could not ask him enough questions! Funny stuff. He was very accomodating though, and answered tons of questions, including mine and other parents' inquiries.
After the aortic VR was completed they attempted to start to close, but the area surrounding it kept bleeding so they had to keep waiting, and packing in gauze sponges in the mean time.
When I say packing, I mean packing. It was shocking to me in my surgical virgin state. I've assisted in minor surgeries, mainly of the podiatric variety, as well as stood in on some other surgeries, but nothing like this! They stuffed gauze into that area to where you couldn't see the heart any longer, it just looked like a package ready to be mailed! They couldn't get the bleeding to stop, and by this time we had stayed even past the arranged departure time, so we had to head out.
We not only didn't get to see them open, we didn't get to see them close either! BUMMER!
Friday, November 14, 2008
today's the day!
Today I am thankful that the day for the local high school's Health and Medical Occupations class's field trip to go watch open heart surgery is finally here! I'm going as a chaperone!!! Yippee! More later....
Thursday, November 13, 2008
weirdest thing
At least once a month I head to Quantico to do our grocery shopping at the commissary. The route we take is all rural highway and is about a 45 minute drive, usually. Today it took a little longer.
As I'm rounding a curve I see some vehicles up ahead that are creeping along at a snail's pace, so I figured there was an accident since it was raining. As I get closer I see a sheriff's car with it's lights going, but there's no mangled automobile anywhere to be found. Instead it was this monstrosity, as you can see from the following pictures. It was in a line of vehicles, from the rear forward, that included the sheriff's car I just mentioned, the monstrosity being pulled by some whacked out semi, some weird looking truck in front of it, and another sheriff's car.
When I say creeping, I mean creeping. We were going about 10 mph at best! It was wild! There was no point in getting mad, since there was nothing that could be done about it!
Now I've seen my fair share of oversized loads, but never one that takes up the whole road, being led by the sheriff's car that was ahead by at least 1/2 mile. The deputy was signaling to oncoming drivers to pull over. That's easier said than done considering there aren't anything you could call shoulders on this roadway, for a good part of it. Many times they had to pull off into the sporadic driveway or a patch of grass.
We've been stationed in places where it's not uncommon to come upon a military movement transporting nukes. This didn't look like a nuke anyway. It kind of spooked me because I had never seen anything like it. I did take notice of the fact that there were no army tanks around. So that was reassuring.
The point we were at where I was able to take the photos was a turn. It took forever for the semi to make the turn, and once it did they pulled off to the side and let the line of us that had become a part of the caravan move on. Thank heavens! That was definitely STBTF!
As I passed I took notice of the GE logo, so it's apparent it is just a big component from some power plant around here.
In the second and third photos you might notice the poor guy who was riding on some sort of seat at the rear of the trailer.
As I'm rounding a curve I see some vehicles up ahead that are creeping along at a snail's pace, so I figured there was an accident since it was raining. As I get closer I see a sheriff's car with it's lights going, but there's no mangled automobile anywhere to be found. Instead it was this monstrosity, as you can see from the following pictures. It was in a line of vehicles, from the rear forward, that included the sheriff's car I just mentioned, the monstrosity being pulled by some whacked out semi, some weird looking truck in front of it, and another sheriff's car.
When I say creeping, I mean creeping. We were going about 10 mph at best! It was wild! There was no point in getting mad, since there was nothing that could be done about it!
Now I've seen my fair share of oversized loads, but never one that takes up the whole road, being led by the sheriff's car that was ahead by at least 1/2 mile. The deputy was signaling to oncoming drivers to pull over. That's easier said than done considering there aren't anything you could call shoulders on this roadway, for a good part of it. Many times they had to pull off into the sporadic driveway or a patch of grass.
We've been stationed in places where it's not uncommon to come upon a military movement transporting nukes. This didn't look like a nuke anyway. It kind of spooked me because I had never seen anything like it. I did take notice of the fact that there were no army tanks around. So that was reassuring.
The point we were at where I was able to take the photos was a turn. It took forever for the semi to make the turn, and once it did they pulled off to the side and let the line of us that had become a part of the caravan move on. Thank heavens! That was definitely STBTF!
As I passed I took notice of the GE logo, so it's apparent it is just a big component from some power plant around here.
In the second and third photos you might notice the poor guy who was riding on some sort of seat at the rear of the trailer.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
STBTF
Yesterday we had parent-teacher conferences. I couldn't have been more proud walking away from AW's. Four of his teachers sat in on my conference, and they all had great things to say about him. The one "bad" thing, across the board, is he needs to improve his study habits to improve his test grades. Otherwise he's doing very well turning in most homework assignments, completing classwork, and everyone just loves him-the teachers and the kids!
This is special, and I am thankful, because he was tested for autism when he was in kindergarten, based on his speech problems and social deficits.
He's come a long way! No deficits now!!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
a hit with the proverbial monkey wrench
So much for the great mood I was in this morning!
This morning as I'm hurriedly walking into the building where my classes are held I happen to see a lady whom I recognize as one of the previous instructors, who had resigned just before classes started this August. Low and behold, she's walking into my classroom.
I started a post a while back, and never posted it...now's the time, because a lot of what I said is now coming to a head:
If you're following my blog, a lot of what is about to be said is repetitive, (such as here, KLS, Student Nurse: dilemma, or here, KLS, Student Nurse: to be or not to be, but I'm hoping to pick the brains of newer readers, as well as anyone else who makes it through this whole thing.
I intend to lay it all out, even if it's just for me to see it all in black and white. Please bare with me.
First and foremost, let me say I have wanted to become a nurse for nearly ten years. A wrench was thrown into my first attempt at nursing school, back in 2000, when we received orders to go overseas.
At the point when we had settled into our new home in Italy I started taking classes toward a B.S. in Psych, that was the fall of '01. It was then my intention of either articulating that degree into a possible career in education, which for me was the next bext thing, or nursing, if I so chose to swing back that way.
After arriving back in the states I applied for the local public schools and was finally hired as an instructional assistant, for the local high school special ed department, for the '06-'07 school year. By this itme I was pretty much leaning toward teaching.
Fast forward to '07-'08, during which I decided to go back to my first career aspiration-nursing.
Many factors came into play, a major one being that it's always been an itch that couldn't be scratched away. I applied in February, and received my acceptance letter in May.
September 9th we were notified by our dean, during lecture (Our dean is teaching our Nur100-Intro to Nsg class. There was a huge instructor turn-over right before classes started), that our program is not accredited. This has caused me a lot of stress since then. I've researched other local programs and toyed with the idea of transferring.
Then there is the idea that if I'm going to do that why not just transfer into one of the BSN programs. I have a leg up because I will be able to transfer in as a junior, or even into an accelerated program.
Because I have been going to school since 1999, when I first started in a pre-nursing program, I am burning out at the speed of light. Part of me just wants to be lazy. I could be done with school in December!! Done, finito...finished, at least for a little bit.
Or...I could take the next year off. Once you're in the program you have a total of four years to complete, so I could take a break and start up again. I could even work during that time.
Which leads me to one of my other issues. I've mentioned before, there are a lot of things I want to do. There are home improvements to be made...a lot. We are not going to remain in this house forever, and so we'll eventually need to sell. Improvements need to be made prior to putting the house on the market.
Or...just stay where I'm at, what's two years? I would graduate in May '10, and then be able to get a great job...or would I?
Back to today...
I walk into the classroom after this instructor, only to notice the normal instructor is not present.
I arrive at my desk, and one of my classmates tells me one of the new instructors (one of the ones who just started prior to classes beginning this semester), had walked out, hence the other instructor's presence. Walked out!? Yeah, as in quit...or was she fired? Who really knows!
Can we have a big ole WTF!?
Just last week I had resigned myself to stay in this program, because after all, I am in this program...not to mention they are accepting credits that another school might not.
So this newer instructor who just left, yeah, well, she was the one I really, truly thought was going to be the one to turn our program around. We were in the VA State Board of Nursing's report, from this July, as one of the schools with a less than 80%pass rate!
Who needs the stress of a program that isn't accredited, there is no guarantee of passing the NCLEX (not that there ever is, but you have a better chance with some schools), and now who's to say the old instructor is here to stay for the long haul? Or is she just here as a temporary fix? And if that's the case were going to have to deal with another new instructor come Spring semester who needs to get his or her act together.
What's a student nurse to do?
This morning as I'm hurriedly walking into the building where my classes are held I happen to see a lady whom I recognize as one of the previous instructors, who had resigned just before classes started this August. Low and behold, she's walking into my classroom.
I started a post a while back, and never posted it...now's the time, because a lot of what I said is now coming to a head:
If you're following my blog, a lot of what is about to be said is repetitive, (such as here, KLS, Student Nurse: dilemma, or here, KLS, Student Nurse: to be or not to be, but I'm hoping to pick the brains of newer readers, as well as anyone else who makes it through this whole thing.
I intend to lay it all out, even if it's just for me to see it all in black and white. Please bare with me.
First and foremost, let me say I have wanted to become a nurse for nearly ten years. A wrench was thrown into my first attempt at nursing school, back in 2000, when we received orders to go overseas.
At the point when we had settled into our new home in Italy I started taking classes toward a B.S. in Psych, that was the fall of '01. It was then my intention of either articulating that degree into a possible career in education, which for me was the next bext thing, or nursing, if I so chose to swing back that way.
After arriving back in the states I applied for the local public schools and was finally hired as an instructional assistant, for the local high school special ed department, for the '06-'07 school year. By this itme I was pretty much leaning toward teaching.
Fast forward to '07-'08, during which I decided to go back to my first career aspiration-nursing.
Many factors came into play, a major one being that it's always been an itch that couldn't be scratched away. I applied in February, and received my acceptance letter in May.
September 9th we were notified by our dean, during lecture (Our dean is teaching our Nur100-Intro to Nsg class. There was a huge instructor turn-over right before classes started), that our program is not accredited. This has caused me a lot of stress since then. I've researched other local programs and toyed with the idea of transferring.
Then there is the idea that if I'm going to do that why not just transfer into one of the BSN programs. I have a leg up because I will be able to transfer in as a junior, or even into an accelerated program.
Because I have been going to school since 1999, when I first started in a pre-nursing program, I am burning out at the speed of light. Part of me just wants to be lazy. I could be done with school in December!! Done, finito...finished, at least for a little bit.
Or...I could take the next year off. Once you're in the program you have a total of four years to complete, so I could take a break and start up again. I could even work during that time.
Which leads me to one of my other issues. I've mentioned before, there are a lot of things I want to do. There are home improvements to be made...a lot. We are not going to remain in this house forever, and so we'll eventually need to sell. Improvements need to be made prior to putting the house on the market.
Or...just stay where I'm at, what's two years? I would graduate in May '10, and then be able to get a great job...or would I?
Back to today...
I walk into the classroom after this instructor, only to notice the normal instructor is not present.
I arrive at my desk, and one of my classmates tells me one of the new instructors (one of the ones who just started prior to classes beginning this semester), had walked out, hence the other instructor's presence. Walked out!? Yeah, as in quit...or was she fired? Who really knows!
Can we have a big ole WTF!?
Just last week I had resigned myself to stay in this program, because after all, I am in this program...not to mention they are accepting credits that another school might not.
So this newer instructor who just left, yeah, well, she was the one I really, truly thought was going to be the one to turn our program around. We were in the VA State Board of Nursing's report, from this July, as one of the schools with a less than 80%pass rate!
Who needs the stress of a program that isn't accredited, there is no guarantee of passing the NCLEX (not that there ever is, but you have a better chance with some schools), and now who's to say the old instructor is here to stay for the long haul? Or is she just here as a temporary fix? And if that's the case were going to have to deal with another new instructor come Spring semester who needs to get his or her act together.
What's a student nurse to do?
STBTF
I found it! And I am so happy! You might be wondering what I lost that could make me so happy to have found it. It would be my Fundamentals of Nursing DVD-ROM!!! I was just looking online for a replacement and decided to look around the desk, thinking it just had to be here somewhere, and voila! It was on top of the computer tower under our Blockbuster.com envelopes!!!!!!!!!!! So I am thankful for whomever placed it there, although its MIA status has caused a lot of concern for many days now!
I was so happy I even kissed it. That is sad...sad, sad nursing student!
Something else that makes me happy, and that I am grateful for, is my newfound friendships here in blogland. Thanks to those of you who have been keeping in touch and offering your support. It means a lot!
I was so happy I even kissed it. That is sad...sad, sad nursing student!
Something else that makes me happy, and that I am grateful for, is my newfound friendships here in blogland. Thanks to those of you who have been keeping in touch and offering your support. It means a lot!
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