Wow, I saw a lot of shit this week.

Week in review

Tues at PACU

*TEE (transesophageal echocardiogram)
*Cardioversion (shocking someone to make heart beat in proper rhythm...in a person who didn't gave fatal arrhythmia.
Should be done in those who could have better quality of life from it. This lady had terrible skin wounds, morbid obesity, & renal failure.  I'm like, really? Funny beats were this lady's lowest priority. We got her out of arrhythmia, alright, but she was so bradyed down (slowed) she wasn't hardly getting blood around. (perfusing).
*Art line (arterial) in wrist
*TURP (trans urethral resection of prostate)
Murphy drip (major irrigation after *TURP)
*Dopplered a lady's pedal pulses after total knee

Wednesday

*Personally tried/failed 2 IVs for lady in renal failure
 (made me feel better when 2 other RNs failed. She's in renal failure for crissakes, & has no veins).
*Miscommunication with primary on meds, gave meds late. Boo.
*Gave 40 meds. FORTY. IN. ONE. DAY.
*Learned more about sickle cell crisis as I cared for a guy w/ it.
Sickle cell guy was *arrested* in the hospital! lmao. What a day.

Thursday

*Discharge on terminally ill guy ( who got the majority of yesterday's 40 meds), who hugged me and said he'd remember me. (aw!)
Pedi experience:
*Post surgery care on girl who just turned 16 & had a near fatal car wreck.
(She had a 'headband' of staples from ear across head to other ear. Way better through the hair than on forehead, scar-wise. VERY important for 16 year old, too.)
* Discharged her home, yay! I think she'll be ok.
*Assisted w/ 2 failed IV starts on a toddler
*Assisted w/ 3 failed in-and-out caths on infant. (on a failure-to-thrive baby)
*Assisted w/ 4 failed IV starts on same infant.
*Saw first hand how well sucrose drops work for pain relief in babies! Short term, but oh-so-helpful in procedures.

(He was bone dry. We fed him 3-4 oz of formula, a LOT for such an itty bitty...& then he projectile threw all of it up. Poor little guy.
Baby's 2nd admission in the last couple weeks. His mom was feeding him sugar water. Only. Not formula.  Grrrr!)

So it was interesting working on & with  children this week. Still sorting out how I feel about it.

Really great week, experience-wise.

I loved PACU!

And today, off to the pediatric/urology/ where-we-put-you-when-you're-dying-huge-private-room Floor today.

I applied for a Pedi job recently, so I'm hopeful I actually get a pedi patient to see if I actually like it.

:-)

At 144 lbs today. Yay!

Nursing school updates and "Scared Straight"

Howdy. :-)  So I'm now in 3 days a week, 12 hr day clinicals.  I have one online course I'm taking ("Professional Role) and lots of papers and paperwork with Clinicals.  I'm SO like...really? on the paperwork with clinical. But whatever.  I graduate in approx a month and a half. Double yay!

I'm applying for jobs too.  And for the life of me, I applied to a Pediatric Oncology position at a major children's research hospital.  I don't know why.  I have never felt like Peds was for me, but when I saw the job, I just thought I had to apply.  I have pediatrics this week in clinical (well, 1 day PACU and 2 days Peds) so maybe that will add some clarity to the whole thing.

That hospital is 1 hour away from home.  I guess I can commute.  My niece lives 35 minutes beyond the hospital. Who knows, maybe she'll allow me to rent a room 2 nights a week?  The husb better get ready to take care of the fur-babies, then, huh? ;-)

Hmm, what else...?  I got an 'A' in both of those horrific online classes I took in May.  WhewThankGod.

Went to our State Board of Nursing to see a hearing last week.  Also required for our program.  Kind like the show, "Scared Straight."  Keeping the new nurses on the straight and narrow, lol.
Well, the only woman who showed up was in contempt of her SECOND probation.  And they did not revoke her license.  They listened to her, gave her stricter criteria, and extended her probation.

Really? You can keep your license after failing a drug test during your probation?  This lady actually had extenuating circumstances.  She is prescribed an amphetamine for her fatigue due to MS, but she did test positive for alcohol, which she explained was Nyquil.  *shaking my head.  I dunno.  That is a hard call to make.

Two other people were 'tried,' but they didn't bother to show up.  So they were suspended.  AGAIN, not revocation, but suspension.  I just don't get it.

So some of our class asked at the end, when we were allowed to talk to the board.  They pretty much just said that revocation is FOREVER and so they are extremely reluctant to revoke.  Wow.

In other news, I'm doing the Dukan diet.  Down 2.6 in 2 days - Yay for me!