What a Semester!!
Hello Everyone!!!
It’s good to talk to you all again. This semester is about to come to an end in just 3 days!!! I must say this has been the hardest semester of my life. I have had to pull multiple all nighters and drink tons of cappucino but I have made it through. My last clinical was over last friday and its hard to believe that I won’t be seeing my patients anymore. Clinicals were definitely the most fun this semester. We got the chance to experience so many things. My very first patient was someone who was fed through a peg tube. So I learned how to hook up her feedings and turn them off. I learned how to clean around her peg tube and I also learned how to aspirate for any residual. If you future nursing students don’t know what any of that means don’t worry you will!! She was one of the sweetest patients in the nursing home, even though she wasn’t too happy when we had to wake her up and give her a bath at 7:00am..=(.
My second patient was a little bit different than my first. She was a little more independent. Although she could not bathe herself, she could feed herself and she was able to be in a wheelchair for half the day. She probably loved bananas more than anyone I have ever met. And of course they were “Chiquita” bananas. =)). I wouldn’t allow her to eat any other type! My partner Millie (who is also a blogger!) had a patient who was definitely a character. She knew what she wanted and if you were doing something wrong she had no problem expressing it vocally. She also loved to grab people but she could say the sweetest things at times. I will definitely miss her outgoing personality.
While we were in the nursing home we learned how to give medications properly, give insulin shots, and we learned how to bathe our patients. I can’t even count how many baths we did. On the second day of clinical we gave each other intramuscular shots and boy was I pretty much the worst shot giver to ever hit the nursing program!! Poor Millie was my victim and she was so sweet about it but I knew that she was hurting a little bit. I was just sooooooooo nervous! I had never given a shot before and I didn’t want to hurt Millie so I tried to be as gentle as possible. But when I went to put the needle in I was too gentle so I didn’t even break her skin so pretty much i just pricked her, finally I was able to break the skin but the needle kept almost coming out and my hand was shaking, trust me it was like a horror film. Thankfully my clinical group was all able to laugh about it but it was definitely a terrifying moment. Before I ever started the nursing program, shots were the only thing I was really scared about doing. So actually doing it was pretty terrifying but I’m glad I got it over with and I’m confident I will do much better next time!!=)). I will at least penetrate the skin the first time!
Overall, I would have to say that this semster has definitely been a good one. The classes were hard and the tests even harder but trust me, If I can do it working 3 other jobs then you all can do it too!!!! I would advise you future nursing students to cut back on whatever you can because you will have to dedicate alot of time to the program but it is well worth it!! And if you don’t know anyone in the nursing program..don’t worry!!! You will make so many friends once you start. Everyone is so sweet and understanding…it’ll be like a little family. So have fun and enjoy every minute of it!!! It will go by fast!!! If you have any questions or want to know more just let me know!!! I will try to keep you updated!!!
