I passed Integrated Skills yesterday. Basically, you're given a scenario and you have 15 minutes to prepare (look up your drugs, make some notes, etc.). Then you go into the room where the mannequin is set up and do your thing.
My scenario was a man with Prostate Cancer who had a TURP the day before. He was on continuous bladder irrigation (CBI) and had dime size blood clots in the tubing with no urine outflow.
This tells me that he needs manual irrigation (which he had orders for). Crap. I had heard that we wouldn't have to do open irrigation since we didn't have much instruction on it, so that was something at least.
Except it wasn't true.
I did closed irrigation and the instructor says "It wasn't successful. Now what?" I said that I would do it again. "Okay, still didn't work. Now what?" Sigh... "I would get an order for open irrigation." "You got it. Go ahead."
Ah, shit.
I actually did the procedure perfectly. I also had to do a central line dressing change and give medications. The instructor told me I got a 100% (although it's really pass/fail). I hit all the points they wanted me to. Woohoo!
Today was my final. I did some studying with Laura Tuesday night and then yesterday I went over and studied with her and 3 other people. Then I came home and reviewed the power points online. I felt well prepared.
The good news is I got a 91% on my final!
The
bad news is I got a 90% for my class participation grade which gives me
a final average of 89.45. I hope my teacher rounds up or something
because I REALLY WANT THE 'A', DAMMIT! I'm going to be pissed if I get
a B.
Either way though, I am done for almost 4 months! And there was a sign-up sheet posted to select your clinical site for next semester so Laura and I signed up for the same one (Palms West, days. Not that close to my house, but I'd rather that than St. Mary's.)
Tonight is the Dolphins Banquet which would be more exciting if I didn't have to work tomorrow. Ah well...
Laura was supposed to call me when she got done at Skills Lab and then come over so we could study. She had an appointment at 10, I think, but she was going to try to get in at 8 and see if they could squeeze her in early. Well, it's 12 noon now and her phone must be off because it's going straight to voicemail. And for some reason I can't seem to motivate enough to start on my own (although I did print out the review transcript).
What I really want to do is take a nap. My eyelids keep drooping. And hey, I only have to get a 55% on the final to get a B in the class (I need an 89% to get an A. This is preferable.)
Naaaaaaaap.
I got an 88.91 on the HESI exam. I attribute most of that to good guessing, because as I was taking the test, I felt like I did not know anything. Well, I'd see the question and think "huh...I used to know that" and would give it my best shot. So, better than straight up guessing, but nowhere near actually knowing the answer.
Today I worked, but only until 12:15 or so. There were 5 of us on, and
when I mentioned to the charge nurse that I was tired because it was
coming up to finals, she said that after AM care was done I could
probably leave. So leave I did. Which is nice because I am sleepy, but bad because that was my only day this week and instead of 12 hours I got 5.5.
I went to school for my CBI checkoff at 1:30. My clinical instructor, Jessica, was there so she said that she would take me. I told her that I am less comfortable with this skill than any other skill this semester. So she did a demonstration of all three types of bladder irrigation for me. Now this was good because after the demonstration I realized that I had no idea what was expected of me for that skill. This was bad because if you get a demonstration from an instructor, you can't be checked off that same day. I had to sign up for another time on Thursday morning before the final review. That's okay, I guess.
I came home and took a nap for an hour or so. I decided to get Taylor when I woke up at 4:45 because I didn't want to have to get up again to pick her up before 6. On the way home I checked my voice mail and I had one from Jessica asking me to call her about my CARP assignment. She said that it had to be emailed today or else I would have an incomplete for my clinical course. Sigh...I had planned on doing it tonight or tomorrow, although I knew I really should send it in today. So when I got home, instead of going back to sleep I sat down and did my paper. It's not my best work, but I'm pretty happy with it.
I've also
done some HESI modules to prepare for the HESI exam tomorrow morning.
I'm going to do a few more after I figure out what to make for dinner.
I really, really need a nap. Although I took one yesterday, I went to bed pretty late last night and have more or less been awake since 6:45 this morning (I slept in between hitting the snooze bar until 7:45 or so). I had my Final Evaluation for Clinicals this morning at 8:20. I passed, of course, and my instructor had some very nice things to say about me. The only weakness she mentioned was PIE charting, as I (and most of my class) forget to document the evaluation part if it's only something like 'patient understood instruction' blah blah.
Anyway. At 1:30 I have a checkoff in skills lab for Continuous Bladder Irrigation, which is why I'm not sleeping right now. I still have to read/learn it right quick before I go.
Also today I have to
study for my HESI exam tomorrow and I really should write my IPR that
is kinda due today (kinda in that the prof said to turn it in "next
week" last Tuesday, but my syllabus says it's due a week after you go
to CARP). Whatever. I just want to nap.
Alex and I are going to Islamorada this weekend to celebrate our two year anniversary!
I am so excited!!!!
Also, I got a 90% on my test today! Woohoo!
Another day gone, still NO WORK DONE towards school crap. Test is one day closer, still no studying done. I did go to CARP today, and I have to say that I got a lot out of it and I'm really glad I went. Don't feel like going into it now though, cause I'd be here awhile (and if I'm not going to get work done, I should at least get a good night's sleep).
I DID get a haircut today. I hadn't had one since August, not even a trim. This is because I am lazy and don't trust anyone not to mess it up. But I got a postcard for a salon near my house and decided to try it. I really, really like it. I got face framing layers and then layers in the back also. I only lost two inches of length off the bottom. I'm very happy with it.
The fun part was sending this picture to Alex via text:
with the caption "Got a little carried away"
He responded with "OMG"
I called him and just started laughing. I had just pulled back the long parts and left the layers around my face. Hey, if it wasn't for him my hair probably would be almost that short, so I think I'm justified in messing with him once in awhile.
Tomorrow I have no school OR work so I need to get up on my studying for the test on THURSDAY!!! Then after the test on Thursday, I need to do the two assignments I have to turn in next week (the IPR for CARP is going to be much easier than I thought, thank God) so I can enjoy my anniversary weekend.
Now off to bed. I am running myself into the ground.
I cannot even describe how little I want to go to CARP tomorrow. I forget what it stands for, but it's basically a substance abuse treatment center. I am sorry, but I have dealt with enough substance abusers in my life. Enough for two lives, maybe.
While I am there I will converse with a patient, give "therapeutic" responses, and after I leave I will write a paper detailing our conversation in verbatim, with side notes about which category of "therapeutic responses" my feeble replies fall into. If I decide I wasn't appropriately helpful, I can then detail which response I *should* have given instead. It is a giant fucking pain in the ass, and quite possibly one of the LAST things I would do in this world, given the choice.
Listen, I have all the respect in the world for people who have
addictions, admit that, and seek help. But I have to admit that my
viewpoint is colored by the addicts I have known who haven't.
