i rocked the vote-have you?

Just returned home from classes, and also my obligation as a proud American, casting my vote. What was extremely great about today's vote was NOT waiting in a line! There's been a lot of hype about how many people would be turning out this year, causing extended waits in line at the polls. It's probably the advantage of living in a rural, small town. Everyone was out there this morning, waiting in line, so those of us who showed up later walked right in, voted and walked right back out.

This nursing student is grateful!

We took our third test in Nur105,basic nursing skills lecture, today. I received a 91%, which in our program is one point away from an A. We have one more test in that class, and then the final exam. For that matter, the same holds true for Nur100, Intro to Nursing. Along with those tests, and the final exams we have two more skills practical exams, a group project to do for 100, one more online entry, and I have the last portion of my community service to do.

We have to do six hours of community service in our program. I received permission to count the field trip I'm going on with the local high school's Health and Medical Occupations class to see open heart surgery, as part of my hours. The other portion was fulfilled working at the free clinic for two hours. Many people have done that, in three 2 hour increments, or they worked a blood drive, or the "drive-thru flu shot" program the college put on. Those both would have been great experiences, but so will the open heart surgery, even if I'm just observing.

Tomorrow in skills lab we're going to be learning about skin integrity and wound care.

This all doesn't include the mountain of work left to do in the horrid psych class. This week alone we have 3 assignments (a quiz, a cultural activity, and our individual aubmission for the roundtable we'll be doing next week.) I still have the conclusion that was due last week, from our group, to start and finish. I had emailed the professor about this dilemma, that being that the other two group members had yet to submit literature reviews, and the results section, which are necessary to base a conclusion-discussion on! He is permitting us to turn it in late. That took a huge load of my shoulders since I had to spend the weekend studying.

must reads

No, really. I must read these.

Who else reads these? I'm kind of interested in seeing what other nursing schools required texts are, especially what kind of NCLEX program you use. We use ATI, and I've received bad reviews of it from fellow students or recent grads. This photo is of the Fundamentals module...there are many more to be read in subsequent semesters.

It's true what they say about nursing school. You'll eat it, breathe it, sleep it, and read until you feel like your eyes might bleed.

Back to the books!

in true goober form

2007

I will not tell a lie. BZ is still a goober after all these years. He went from wearing a Buzz costume three years in a row, to trying out a ladybug costume while terrorizing a Toys R Us one day!




2006

OK, so I gave birth to not only one, but two goobers. These are of Alec, when he and Big B went to Bull Run Battlefield a while back.



Explains a lot, eh?

halloween hams of yesteryear

Decided to take a break from studying, if for no other reason than to let my hands recuperate from the acute onset of writing induced arthritis! Ended up checking out the latest blogs out there and came across Running Wildly's most recent post, "Buzz". Like I mentioned to her, it brought back memories for me. I just have to share photos of those memories. Two are pages from scrapbook pages I did long ago, and the last is two raw photos I stuck together and scanned in.

1996



1997



1998



Yes, my eldest wore his Buzz Lightyear costume three years in a row. Why we kept it around all those years? Who knows! It's the kind of stuff memories are made of!

He didn't grow much during those three years, so it fit! You might notice from the "my own personal pity party" post he's grown a bit. He's fifteen and is somewhat of a human garbage dump!

they call him the Philly Phanatic

Big B returned from his trip to Philly this morning, with tons of photos from the 2008 World Series Champions, Philadelphia Phillies, parade and stadium celebration. I thought I'd share some photos of their mascot, the Philly Phanatic.

These (as well as all the photos I add on here) are taken with my Canon Powershot A720 IS. It's pretty small time I guess, but it's just enough for this sub-amateur photographer and her hubby! We're just learning how to use its more advanced functions.

my socialization via blogs

Stopped by Nurse Ratched's Place and am so happy I did! She posted about "Change of Shift", in particular Amanda's submission of CoS, at This Crazy Miracle Called Life. I consider myself fortunate for taking the time to check out these blogs because as you may know from my last couple of posts, I am in desperate need of inspiration. Through Amanda's blog I came across Running Wildly, who offers yet another remarkably inspirational forum for other nursing students to seek refuge in and take away a ray of hope!

Thanks ladies!

oops, I'm doing it again...

I've battled with the idea of whether or not nursing is right for me. Funny thing is I really can't see myself doing anything else. Earlier this morning I was set off by another blog. I'm not going to link to it because I would feel horrible if she thought she was the cause of my indecision and frustration. She's not, it has been ongoing since I started this semester. Here's a link to one of my previous whine sessions: KLS, Student Nurse: to be or not to be

I was looking at this blog, originally because she is also a SN, and I had never come across hers before. What caught my attention, and got me thinking is her love of home decorating. We have this in common.

There is so much I want. I don't even want to go that in-depth right now...not enough time. But it all has to do with me really just wanting to be able to work right now and bring home a paycheck so I can replace the flooring in my kitchen, or carpet upstairs.

I don't have the time for keeping up the house even as little as I did before. I am grateful to have a husband that is a bit OCD in that area.

Who has the time to even look at a decorating magazine, let alone redecorate your teenager's room, while in nursing school? I sure make time to blog. I think insanity would have finally taken me into her clutching claws long ago if it weren't for my blogging.

I have been going to school off and on, more on than off, for nearly ten years now! In less than 38 days I will take my final final exam with UMUC, and December 30th will "graduate". I'll walk at commencement in May. The point is why am I doing this? Why am I going to school beyond December? I might even benefit from taking some time off. I could find a job somewhere...

Then there's the $500 I still have in scholarship money to be used for Spring semester. I would be inclined to take the Nutrition class that I still lack, as well as A&P II that I'm probably going ot have to take. That doesn't make any sense.

I'm not making any sense, and if you've come this far than thank you.

Well I have to at least finish this semester out, so it's onward with the reading and assignments...

I know this is somewhat insipid. There are so many more important things in life, but it is a matter of happiness.

tortured no more

Phillin Phine in Philadelphia.

So I've caught the bug. Who wouldn't especially being somewhat of a history buff? I watched, along with a zillion others, as history was made last night!

In a world where so much can be depressing this was a sheer moment of joy. If only you could have seen the look on my husband's face.

Big B is heading up to NJ this afternoon. He's from the Trenton area, which I guess you could say is the sister city to the city of "brotherly love." He'll stay at his dad's house tonight, wake up tomorrow morning and set out with his brother to Philly so they watch the parade.

Wish I could go, but the boys have exams today and tomorrow, and I have to study along with completing some assignments.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Brad Lidge after throwing winning pitch,with Carlos Ruiz, photo courtesy of The Charlotte Observer


photo courtesy of Associated Press


Ryan Howard just before dog piling his teammates, photo courtesy of Reuters


Chase Utley celebrating with champagne, photo courtesy of Associated Press


Cole Hamels won 2008 World Series MVP, photo courtesy of Reuters

irony and integrity

I must vent.

Our next assignment has to do with describing the purpose of the nursing profession, highlighting values and ethical principles that are important regarding the nursing profession. In this essay we are to give an example of how these values or principles apply to a certain action, and contrast that action with another important value. We are also supposed to contrast nursing with another helping profession, and its purpose and/or values. I'm so mad I'm probably not making much sense. It's ok, the assignment has had many people confused anyway.

Originally I was going to use integrity and the opposing value would have been timeliness. An example would be making a mistake that needs reporting. If you value integrity you will report the mistake no matter what. If you value timeliness you may forego reporting, especially if there were not any ill consequences suffered due to the mistake, in an effort to save time.

I discussed this with another student yesterday, after she had told me about her essay. She said her value was equality. She was having a lot of trouble discerning if her essay was appropriate per the assignment or not.

Fast forward to today, I talk to this other student, whom I consider a friend, and she informs me she rewrote her paper, using integrity as her value.

I was definitely taken aback by this admission, but she went on to say how she'd been inspired and how it gave her clarity as to what the assignment was supposed to be about.

Since hanging up and thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that it really does irritate me. I would never take another person's idea and make it my own...never. It wouldn't matter how tempting it was.

I dunno, to me it's a matter of integrity.

note to self

Do not watch basic nursing skills CD-Rom, subject bathing an adult client-perineal care, while 12 year old boy is within a mile. He may be oblivious when you are speaking directly to him, at any time; however, he will pick up the word "rectum", from a distance, as if it were said through a megaphone when in all actuality the volume was at a normal level.

The word "rectum" will send 12 year old boy into fits of disgust and he will most likely be drawn to the source. If you are caught in this situation again, hope that once again, he will just miss the visual of the female perineum.

Thank goodness for draping.