MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'girl in greenwood' source. Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:09:45 +0100 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/488046038/year-end.html This year has really flown by. My workmate E* recently pointed out that we've been employed at Big County Hospital for 6 months, which is astonishing. It's turning out better than I could have hoped - I work with a fantastic bunch of people. I'm somehow surprised to find R* & I still in our rental house - intellectually I know that we planned to spend about two years here, but it's already been an entire year? Wow. This little house has been treating us well - it is completely free of poo in the bathtub and the furnace is working like a dream. Not to mention the guest quarters for anyone who needs to stay with us and the garage storage for bikes and such. We're still contemplating our next move - R* believes the housing market will continue to fall for some time, so the longer we wait, the... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046754 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2046754 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/488390160/eyeball.html I can't believe I didn't mention Eyeball Girl before! In the vaguest possible privacy-protecting description, she was a young woman with a heroin problem who got a necrotizing infection of her face.Okay, now keep voting. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046753 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2046753 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/476877021/compensation.html UroStream: Harley riders: beware!I wonder if us trauma nurses could use this as an additional demotivator for motorcylce-riding patients? We see so many accident victims who were on motorcycles... maybe they'd stop riding if they knew it could break their penises. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017553 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2017553 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/468020226/thankful.html 2007Thankful 2006Thankful 2005Thankful 2004I am thankful for a lot of things this year. I love my husband and my mom and dad a whole lot.I graduated from nursing school!I passed the NCLEX!I got a job at a terrific hospital, and it turned out that I love it.And I also seriously love my coworkers!R* and I are in a financially sound place even as the whole world's economy goes down the crapper.Time for having a baby is any time now. (No, I don't have an announcement at this time.)None of my loved ones have any of the horrible problems that I see at work: head injuries, diabetes, addiction problems, colostomies...In just a few more weeks, Barack Obama will be our president!Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope you're all happy & healthy. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996273 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1996273 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/461403125/infectious.html There has been a great deal of outrage at work based on this series in the Seattle Times:Culture of ResistanceI work at the Big County Hospital prominently featured in the articles. I can tell you that our MRSA infection rate for last month (October) was the lowest that it has been in the last 10 years. This is due to aggressive detection & isolation practices as well as strict hygiene and cleaning measures. The casual statements made in the article about how the hospital doesn't screen or isolate patients is WRONG. All ICU patients are screened at admission and routinely thereafter. MRSA patients are very rarely roomed with non-MRSA patients - and when this happens, it's because the county hospital cannot just close its doors because it's too full. We have to continue to provide care. In ... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980623 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1980623 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/437714897/spit.html I learned a random fascinating fact today: Byetta (a drug used to help treat type II diabetes) was derived from the saliva of the Gila monster. The coworker & I who were looking up the drug agreed that we couldn't make this stuff up!I also did a good thing for a patient today - the patient had a painful wound that needed to be cleaned and have the dressing changed twice a day. The night nurse told me that it was so painful the patient was literally crying loudly... so before I did his wound care, I paged the doc and asked for an order for topical lidocaine. Which he stopped by and wrote for me almost immediately. So I was able to blast a bunch of numbing medication into this guy's wound - and it made a huge difference in his comfort level for the rest of my shift. That felt really, really ... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1926407 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1926407 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/429879835/undecided.html UndecidedI haven't really bought into the whole David Sedaris thing, probably just because everyone in my age group thinks he's the best writer that ever existed, but I have to say this made me laugh out loud. Especially this bit about the undecided voters who keep showing up on the evening news:"I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?” To be undecided in this election is to pause fo... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905848 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1905848 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/412532910/adjustment.html I noticed this week that I'm feeling like I'm getting the hang of being a nurse. I go to work, I get my assignment, I go about my day, and I generally don't freak out about any of the regular stuff that occurs in my shift. I still leave the hospital each day thinking that I could have done better/more/in depth/smarter... but I suppose that's always the case. I continue to get good feedback from my patients, which is pretty reassuring. And I am really growing to like my coworkers. I already knew I liked the 4 others I went to school with, but I like the ones I didn't know in advance, too. I did post-mortem care for the first time this past week. The patient wasn't assigned to me, but the nurse who was assigned to him was busy with a semi-emergency and the deceased patient was, well, decease... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879824 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1879824 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/403318702/hilarious.html Your Urgent Help NeededLove it. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834589 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1834589 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/396394785/flow.html Things feel like they're falling into place. I'm getting used to my job, although I still wonder who on earth thinks it's a good idea to allow me to take care of patients all by myself - can't they see I don't know anything? But mostly I'm doing all right as a new nurse. I wish I could figure out how to be more on top of everything that needs to be done... I feel like I'm barely getting all the basics accomplished during my shift, which is frustrating to a perfectionist like myself. I'm also doing better in terms of taking care of my health. I'm down 22 pounds since NCLEX, we're consistently eating better and getting more exercise and activity. I still haven't figured out how to keep the house from becoming a disaster, but I imagine that will come together at some point. I find myself want... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809731 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1809731 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/383917910/fried.html I woke up late today. Really late. The clock said 6:22. My carpool buddy was supposed to pick me up 2 blocks away at 6:25. I threw on my scrubs, grabbed my keys & my badge, and literally ran the whole way. We made it to work on time.Where I had 5 patients in the course of my shift, one of whom spoke only Spanish. And was going home. And needed teaching about his new colostomy. My Spanish is really not up to the task.Then my night-shift coworkers didn't come get report from me until 15 minutes after I was supposed to be gone.Now I'm going to sleep the sleep of the dead. And luxuriate in my four days off. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1768862 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1768862 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/368777809/first.html Today was my first day on the floor where I was actually hired to work. I had just finished 3 shifts on the unit where I was training... I had such a good experience there that I thought I would be sad to move on. But I had a surprisingly good day, and I feel surprisingly happy about being in this new place. After just one day I already have ideas about how to make things run more smoothly. And best of all, I did not feel like the "new kid". I knew 2 of the nurses on the floor with me, both of the unit secretaries, and one of the aides. And then my classmates E* and O* showed up at shift change and it was truly lovely to see them both. E* and I are sharing a locker in the staff room now, where we will keep a stash of cinnamon Altoids which my husband hates. I don't know if E*'s wife likes ... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713910 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1713910 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/366764187/replying.html I've been working and not blogging. But I appreciate the visits & comments from readers! So here are my replies to some of you, because I have been a terrible e-mailer lately.UnsinkableMB - Thanks for the thoughts on shoes, orthotics, and achey hips. I've been trying out different shoes in my closet and haven't found the perfect thing yet - but I'll keep looking. And I think I'll investigate orthotics, especially if my insurance will pay for them!ThirdDegreeNurse - it's so nice to hear from you! I hope you're doing well in your nurse career, too. I'd love to get an update from you if you feel so inspired.Emilie - Yes, nurses have to eat either in starving bear mode or in fluttering bird mode. One shovels without perceptible chewing or swallowing, the other zooms through the breakroom and s... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709050 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1709050 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/343217161/good-bad-weird.html Good things that have happened at work:I noticed when one of my patients had early signs of bleeding internally (increased heart rate, low blood pressure...) and got my preceptor involved right away and we ended up calling a rapid response, which culminated with the attending physician coming into the room, taking one look at the patient, and saying something to the effect of "I'll see you in the operating room in 15 minutes". My preceptor congratulated me aftewards, saying I made a good catch.I freely confess that the only reason I knew what was going on and that I needed to react quickly was because a former coworker told me about a nurse who got fired because they missed the early signs of a patient bleeding internally after surgery, and the patient died. When I heard the story, I promi... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645909 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1645909 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/316684033/weekend.html Since Meeegan asked - I am working tomorrow (Saturday) for 12 hours. I'm off on Sunday, though!I forgot one thing on my list of stuff I've learned so far - working as a nurse is excellent for dieting if you can avoid the junk food in the staff lounge. I barely have time to sit and eat my lunch - and I'm not even up to a full patient load yet. Also, I'm down 10 pounds since taking the NCLEX. Just 20 more to go to get back to my pre-nursing school weight. It's like I was pregnant for two years, or something.Tomorrow I'll be moved up to taking two patients. I handled one today pretty much independently and it went well. So I hope I don't have a meltdown with two tomorrow! (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1535726 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1535726 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/314845648/so-far.html I've worked on the floor at BCH for 5 shifts and here are a few things I've learned so far:1) There is a device for cleaning out gnarly wounds called a waterpick. I did not know such a thing even existed before last week.2) Fentanyl lollipops (excuse me, transmucosal delivery systems) don't look like lollipops at all. They look like an instrument that is the perfect size to shove into a nostril, actually.3) If you are a morbidly obese diabetic man, you may want to look into personal hygiene, before you develop an infection where the sun doesn't shine. Holy crap, I've never seen wounds like that before.4) Apparently having a rectal tube (excuse me, fecal continence management system) installed feels like "having a Ho-Ho shoved up [your] butt". Or so my patient informed me. 5) If you inject ... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526113 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1526113 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/313589813/worker-bee.html Hello Internet, I have not visited with you in quite a while! My biggest news is that I started my new job as an RN at Big County Hospital (BCH from here on out). I had 5 8-hour days of classroom orientation the first week, which was shockingly exhausting. My brain felt swollen from acquiring so much information at such a rapid pace. The next week I had an all-day computer training which was excruciating - then I started out on the floor with my preceptor.This is a little confusing to explain, but I am not training on the unit where I will eventually be working. I was pretty upset about that when I found out, but after I met my preceptor and got started, I was no longer upset. My preceptor is AWESOME. She's been a nurse for a long time, she's smart and funny and encouraging and kind - exac... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526114 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1526114 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/294412111/decorator-slugs.html Look at these sea slugs from National Geographic. They're beautiful! You could use some of them as inspiration for interior decorating. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458505 Tue, 20 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1458505 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/286989524/hempy.html Top 50 'Sesame Street' MomentsToo much fun!*the way I pronounced Sesame when I was 2 (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432423 Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1432423 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/286255343/manipulative.html Ooh, interesting. One thing we talked about a lot in school is that labeling your patients as "drug-seeking" or "lazy" or what-have-you affects not only the care you provide, but the care that those around you think is appropriate to provide as well. "Manipulative" is one of those words, but I hadn't really thought about it before. Honestly, I had thought that some patients are in fact manipulative, so why not call a spade a spade?Then I read this piece from Maria. Here's a quote:"Consider striking the word “manipulative” from your vocabulary. Just describe what people are doing. “She says that she will kill herself if I don’t give her Vicodin” is a lot more informative than “She’s manipulative”. Furthermore, brainstorming ideas and conferring with others (including the pat... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1428984 Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1428984 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/281670066/rn.html I passed the damn test! (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413437 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1413437 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/281141957/i-did-that.html Took the NCLEX today. It shut off at 75 questions, which is the minimum. I think I feel okay about it. I won't know my results for a couple of days. Stay tuned!Afterwards, I went for burgers and beers with two classmates, then we went over to classmate E*'s house and drank beer and watched a movie, until more classmates arrived and we gave up on the movie and gossiped instead. It was fun. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1411752 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1411752 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/276699269/still-here.html . Still studying. One week to go. I know of 5 classmates who have passed so far. There are 3 more who have taken the test but haven't gotten results yet.I really can't think about anything else. Sorry to be boring. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1395100 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1395100 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/270202282/yoga-today.html Yoga TodayI did not even know this site existed! They post new approximately hour-long yoga videos for free. Just click on 'em and do your practice. Very cool. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1370733 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1370733 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/267129581/wow.html This is a collection of science-related tattoos. Awesome!!!!Now I'm wondering if my dad will get some phospholipids tattooed on his arm or something... (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360555 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1360555 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/262494717/study.html It has begun: the studying for the NCLEX. I took inventory of myself and my study habits, and then picked up the phone and called two my favorite, most focused classmates and asked them to study with me. R* and E* are both going to be my coworkers on the same unit at Big County Hospital and we will be going through orientation together as well. We conferred on which review books we had and how we should tackle this huge body of knowledge, and yesterday we started. Today we continued with an extra bonus classmate C*. So far we've gotten through 8 chapters of the Kaplan review book and have repeatedly exclaimed "why didn't they tell us this in school??" We also learned that Maslow's hierarchy allegedly contains sex on the most basic level, right next to food, water, oxygen, and protection fr... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344208 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1344208 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/105044943/book-report-electric-michaelangelo.html The Electric Michaelangeloby Sarah HallI'm really behind on my book report list. I read this book like a year ago. The strange thing is that I remember not liking it very much but finished it anyway. I just went back and read the Amazon reviews of the books and now I remember - the writing was really beautiful and the book introduced me to a world - a couple, actually - that were completely unfamiliar to me. But it was a sad and dark and disturbing book, and I think that's why I remember not liking it very much.Cy is a child of a single mother in a small seaside town in England early in the 20th century. His mother runs a hotel that is more of an infirmary for tuberculosis patients who have come to "take the sea air" in hopes that it will help their disease. When Cy gets a little older, he... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508223 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100 508223 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/105038972/book-report-hard-boiled-wonderland-and.html Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the Worldby Haruki MurakamiThis is, I believe, the second Murakami book I've read. The first was Kafka by the Shore, which was just... weird. This one was also weird, but more satisfyingly so. And it wasn't quite as disturbing, or the distubing bits seemed more normal to me, or something.The main character is a "calcutec" - someone who does freelance data processing with some kind of brain implant - who gets caught up in an adventure with a crazy neuroscientist and his odd granddaughter. These chapters alternate with a parallel story set in a fantasy land of the Town, where people must separate themselves from their shadows and then their shadows die. Ordinary objects like paperclips take on an unusual significance, as do musical instruments. It's all ... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508226 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 508226 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/105038971/book-report-death-du-jour.html Death Du Jourby Kathy ReichsI am currently reading the 4th book in this series (Death Du Jour is the 2nd) and so far I think I have liked this one the best. The book begins with Tempe Brennan looking for the buried bones of a Quebecois nun in a Montreal churchyard - she's up for sainthood so they need to find her bones! But the nun's bones are not where they are supposed to be. Next up on Tempe's caseload is a horrible house fire that has killed a lot of people... soon followed by the disappearance of a young graduate student who may have been sucked into a cult. The revelation about the nun's personal history is the most interesting bit of the book, although there were lots of good twists and turns in the story. That's why I'm still entangled in the series. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508225 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 508225 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/105044945/book-report-deadly-decisions.html Deadly Decisionby Kathy ReichsThis was not my favorite Temperance Brennan novel, although I was caught up in the story. This time, Tempe is investigating the murder of a 9-year-old who was caught in the crossfire of a biker gang war. She gets drawn into various other biker issues (apparently motorcycle gangs are a big problem in Quebec? And North Carolina? I did not know this. And have my suspicions about its accuracy) including an old unsolved murder from decades before. Maybe I just don't care about bikers as much as nuns, but this plotline didn't do as much for me as Death Du Jour. It's pretty exciting, though, especially if you like motorcycles and people shooting each other. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508224 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 508224 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/104820088/tea-time.html I am home from Canada, quite a bit more rested and relaxed. My final exam went excellently well - I got a 90% and ended up with a 3.3 in the class, which is quite a bit higher than I'd been anticipating. All but 2 of my classmates passed into next quarter - one of them was a "backfill" student second quarter so now we're down to 19 of the original 30 students that started first quarter together. The day after the final, I spent most of the day cleaning house because my parents came into town and spent the night at our house. I know it doesn't sound like much fun to clean the house on my break but it's awfully nice to have a clean house again. Friday morning we got up super early and went down to the waterfront to catch the Victoria Clipper to, uh, Victoria. Upon arriving, we cabbed over to... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=505648 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 505648 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/102461607/im-studying-i-swear.html Let's talk about fluid balance, shall we?Mr. Hypo Thalamus was watching the monitors in his office, keeping track of the temperature, the hunger level, the thirst level, and several other screens. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. "Come in," said Hypo. The door opened and a messenger stuck his head in. "Hey, Hypo, it's Osmo Receptor. Got a note for you. It's getting kind of salty out there, I think the company has lost some fluid." "Thanks, Osmo," replied Hypo. "I'll get right on that."Hypo Thalamus picked up the telephone and punched the button for overhead paging. "Attention, everyone, we are going to Thirst Level 1. Let's drink some water out there!". He then dialed the extension for the pituitary department down the hall. "Hi, Pituitary? I've got a message for the back office. Y... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478254 Sat, 17 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 478254 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/101400166/childrens-stories-for-nurses.html I've been thinking throughout the whole nursing program so far that many of these concepts - especially physiology stuff - would be a lot easier to understand if they were rephrased into children's stories. Or children's style stories, I should say. For example, I could NOT remember how left shift worked until I made up the following snippet of a story:The war against the Bacterial Invaders was going poorly. The captain of the White Cell Guard took stock of his troops and realized that they were down to less than 5000 soldiers. "Troops!" he shouted. "Our numbers are getting low! We're going to have to send in our kids!" The troops replied, "But captain! The kids are not mature, and won't be as effective against the invaders." The captain sighed and said, "I know, but we don't have any othe... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=470189 Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 470189 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/99882497/downhill.html It looks like this quarter may someday come to an end. It's been a tough one. I was thinking about it recently, and out of the 30 people who started together first quarter last April, we're down to 20. (There are students backfilled in each quarter, plus the LPN to RN program starts with 3rd quarter, so our class always has 30+ students - they're just not all original members!) We lost 7 at the end of first quarter. Everyone passed second quarter, but one woman didn't come back for third quarter. And we've had two people withdraw near the end of the quarter, presumably because they got word they were not going to pass the quarter. I'm anxious to see who passes into next quarter.We got partial word today about next quarter's clinical groups - I know I'm not going to Downtown Private Hospita... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465043 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465043 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/97786373/next-to-last-night.html Tonight was my next to last night of clinical for the quarter. And my night was like an entire quarter's worth of clinical crammed into 8 hours. I did all kinds of unspeakable things to people! I started an IV on an older, dehydrated gentleman with rolly veins (on the first stick, I might add). I started a Foley catheter on a post-op patient who decided that he would put a towel over his face and "go to his happy place" while I did the deed, which struck me as an excellent coping technique. I gave the aforementioned elderly gentleman a suppository. And I changed a dressing on a road rash wound. It was a busy night.And tomorrow is the LAST night of clinical for this quarter. We're going to go in for a few hours and then we're all going out to dinner together. I can't wait to be done. I gues... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465044 Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465044 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/96004558/heading-toward-burnout.html The past two quarters have gone by extremely quickly. This quarter started out going fast, and then sometime in the past week or two, it came screeching to a halt. There are two full weeks left, then one more week with lecture but no clinicals, and then one more week where we have one day of lecture and then the final exam a couple days later. How is it possible that there is still almost a month left? Haven't I been in 3rd quarter for about 100 years?I am dreading going into 4th quarter with this level of burnout. From what I've heard, it's like 3rd quarter plus another entire class and clinical (psych nursing). Am I going to have to give up sleeping and eating to make it work? I suppose that's one way to lose weight... (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465045 Sun, 25 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465045 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/92742753/book-report-forge-of-god.html The Forge of Godby Greg BearI haven't yet read "Anvil of Stars," which many people seem to feel is a better story than this prequel. I thought "Forge of God" was quite interesting, if a little too wordy, and a little too loose in the ending. The book is set in the last several months before the destruction of the earth by a mysterious race of "planet-eaters". Humankind is initially contacted by two constructs made by the planet-eaters' opponents - one construct seems like a sci-fi movie alien, and the other is a group of ovoid floating silver robots. Both constructs self-destruct, leaving humanity mostly in the dark about the fate of the Earth. As the world wonders what is going to happen after the warnings from the faux aliens, some individuals encounter tiny spider-like robots that "bite... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465047 Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465047 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/92742752/book-report-passage.html Passageby Connie WillisI felt a strong connection to this book, as it dealt with many of the issues I've been pondering over the past couple of years: medicine, end-of-life issues, what happens in near-death experiences, Alzheimer's disease, how survivors deal with loss when someone dies, hospitals...The main character, Joanna, is a nurse working on a research project interviewing people in the hospital who have had near-death experiences. She believes in her work but is often frustrated and thwarted by a colleague who contaminates the subjects' stories by blathering about angels and spirits and generally convincing everyone to follow his script of a near-death experience. Joanna meets a new researcher, Dr. Wright, and gets involved with his project which involves creating near-death-like ... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465046 Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465046 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/92160018/eczema-cream.html I found this company at the Ballard Farmer's Market last weekend. I didn't have the cash on hand to buy any eczema cream or hand salve at the time, but I tried them both and they're really nice. With all the hand-washing I have to do as a nursing student, really good hand cream is important! (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465049 Sat, 17 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465049 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/92183068/broken.html I went back to clinical this week now that my instructor is feeling better. The extremely broken girl I mentioned last week was still on the unit on Tuesday, so I selected her again (since I'd already written a care plan for her!). I also selected another patient and wrote a care plan on him... and when I got to the hospital on Wednesday he had been discharged. Crap. So, I asked my nurse if she had another patient I could pick up, and then I basically followed my nurse around like a puppy all night. Well, I guess that's not true, I did do quite a bit of care on my own and with a classmate. I stood by and handed my nurse lots and lots of gloves while she did a manual disimpaction on my second patient... if you don't know what that means, consider yourself lucky and think no more about it. C... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465048 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465048 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/90335504/gifted-learnergifted-doer.html This is a really interesting article that articulates a lot of the stuff I have tried to say in the past about my own designation as a gifted child. The very short version is that being a precocious child in a particular field is not a good predictor of success or achievement in that field as an adult. There is a myth in our culture that someone who is a genius as a child will be a super-genius as an adult, but the reality seems to be that most "genius children" turn out just okay as adults. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465050 Tue, 13 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465050 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/88217371/wish-answered.html On Tuesday, I almost fell asleep in lecture, then had to go to the hospital to pick patients for clinical. I was exhausted, cranky that my fave classmate M* wasn't with us, annoyed that I'd been allegedly exposed to pertussis at clinical last week and had to take 5 days of azithromycin, and anxious about moving to a new unit (ortho trauma, now with 100% more broken patients!) where I could hurt someone inadvertantly, etc. I commented to classmates A* and A* who were in my car that if I could just have a weekend right then, between Tuesday and Wednesday, everything would be fine. I would catch up on my sleep and get caught up at home and study for our cardio test on Monday.So we arrived at the hospital and I went up to the new unit, nervous as all hell, and spoke to the charge nurse (who wa... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465051 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465051 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/85815210/half-done-with-clinical.html I can't believe it, but I'm already halfway done with hands-on clinical for the quarter. I've finished my rotation on the telemetry unit and next week I'll move to an orthopedics/trauma unit. I've heard there are some fascinating cases on that floor! Today I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I think I just hit a wall by the end of clinical last night. I was actually on the floor until 11:00 - no wonder I'm exhausted. This was actually week three of clinicals... the first week I shadowed a nurse and nominally had one patient to care for, except that my patient was just on the tele unit for observation and didn't need any nursing. I helped my nurse with some routine stuff, but mostly stood around and stared. The next week, I was assigned to one patient and took care of him myself. He ... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465052 Fri, 02 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465052 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/84087898/karma-kismet.html Apparently Meeegan's comment-karma did the job, because I only missed 2 points on my exam, despite ignoring the majority of the readings for this unit. (Respiratory diseases are gross, and also similar. Lots o' phlegm is lots o' phlegm, yeah?)And Miss Kismet Kitty has discovered the joy of napping with her people. Yesterday she napped with R* after he coaxed her a little. Today I came home from class and got into bed for a power nap, and Kismet materialized on my chest about 3 seconds later, and began to purr. When I got sleepy enough that I stopped stroking her, she climbed down next to my hip and curled up and went to sleep. She's getting the hang of being a cat! (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465053 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465053 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/83553885/whirlwind.html I made it through my first full week of clinical with flying colors. I was really nervous, but apparently I have learned something during all this school I've been attending, and it turns out I actually do know how to take care of patients. Last week we had to take care of one patient for two shifts, and going forward we'll have two patients. I'm a little nervous about that considering that a normal load for a nurse on the unit is 3 or 4 patients depending on their acuity... but I suppose I'll manage. I got a lot of positive feedback from my instructor and from the nurses I worked with on the floor, which was nice.This weekend R* and I went out of town to visit my mom and dad. It was really nice to go to their house and relax and not have to worry about housework or anything for a couple o... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465054 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465054 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/74943268/third-quarter-off-and-running.html This is the end of the first week of third quarter of nursing school. And boy did we hit the ground running. Day 1 we had a brief intro to the instructors and what we would do this quarter, then we had 2+ hours of lecture on testable material! Then we had a 2-hour skills lab as well. I love my skills/clinical instructor - she's very funny and silly, but also really seems to know her stuff and is very protective of her group of students. Tuesday was another 3 hours of lecture. Then Wednesday, we got up way too early and six of us convened at the park & ride to go to Big County Hospital for clinical orientation. We were there from 7:30 until 4:00 - it was a long day. While we did learn some useful things, a lot of it was pretty boring (especially the video about infection control). I know in... girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465055 Sat, 13 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465055 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/73958121/restaurant-i-want-to-try.html TilthI just read a review of Tilth, a new-ish restaurant in Wallingford. It's certified organic and is run by a chef who used to be at Earth & Ocean at the W Hotel downtown. It sounds like they have terrific food and a fun atmosphere - I would love to try it sometime. They even take reservations online! (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465056 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465056 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/73168863/indian-music.html I've been listening to Indian music this afternoon while I study. Only problem is, it makes me crave mattar paneer and kheer. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465057 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465057 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/72456006/another-bsn-option.html University of PhoenixI did not know until today that there was another option for me to finish my BSN after I complete my ADN, other than the program through UW-Bothell. But look! Univeristy of Phoenix offers an online BSN completion program for working RNs! Neato keen. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465058 Mon, 08 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465058 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GirlInGreenwood/~3/71678679/i-heart-guts.html These are the cutest 'lil guts I've ever seen! What a great gift for a nursing student. (Source: girl in greenwood) girl in greenwood blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=465059 Sat, 06 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 465059