Week #13 - WOW!

It has been REALLY hectic these last few weeks. I had signed up for spring semester and I thought I would have 1st pick, so I wasn't worried about betting where I wanted for clinical. Well I was wrong. When I found out where I had been placed, I almost burst into tears, I got Gail again! She was the instructor I had first semester and I did not want to re-live that again. So I went and talked to the scheduling lady immediately. Lindsey had been placed in a different Clare Clinical while the other 2 girls I car pool with were in the clinical I wanted. So I told the lady that my car pool group was in that clinical and how I thought I was first pick for clinical and why did I get stuck with this clinical site that I obviously didn't sign up for. She told me that apparently I was the last choice and she would put me up for a possible change, but there was nothing she could do about it right now. So I thought I would send out an email seeing if by chance anyone would want to trade for the clinical I wanted or ANY other one, because I really didn't want to be in Clare period...But who in there right mind would?! They all know about her. Well last week I got an email telling me that they found someone to switch and I got into the clinical with the other 2 girls!!! I was so happy I almost started crying!! That was a huge weight off me and I could be excited about clinical once again. So that was my drama for now.

This week I was in clinical and I was following a nurse around, to get more experience doing procedures and other things we might need practice in. Yesterday I got to take out my first catheter, which was really very easy. I also got to go watch an echocardiogram (Ultrasound of the heart) which was really cool. You don't realize how fast everything works until you see it like that...all the valves opening & closing, it was really neat. Oh I'll also tell you about the lady I met. She was in her 80's and was missing her thumb. The nurse asked what happened and she said "My Mom hit a telephone pole and I bit it off" That was all she said. The nurse said she was only 3 or 4 when it happened. How horrible!! I guess my Mom cutting my finger with the nail clippers wasn't so bad! Today there wasn't much exciting going on but it ended up being better than I thought. I did get to draw-up and give some insulin, and I haven't done that since the first semester with Gail. I witnessed a baptism of a man who was going off dialysis. It was really sad. His wife was crying and when it was done he kissed me & the other nurse, very sad. I also witnessed a rapid response code, because a lady was having shortness of breath and her heart rate dropped in the 30's. It wasn't tragic, but it was good to watch. So overall it has been eventful and I'll try to keep this updated better once I get into spring clinical.