Well folks, here we are.....at the point of no return. As Scarlett O'Hara's nursey cousin might say....God as my Witness, I shall focus on nothing more than Graduating Nursing School!! We have approximately 261 days left give or take before graduation.
My brain is semi-crackley with Anitbiotics, Antivirals, Antifungals, Antiprotazoals, AntiHemilinth drugs.....not from taking them but learning about them. So I will make this article simple as I can.
Top 5 Interesting Recent Events:
1) We tried on our dress uniforms. They are the "whites" we will be wearing to the hospitals. I have to give our school snaps because I have seen some ugly uniforms in my day......and these are not half bad. And I am thrilled beyond belief that they are pants and not skirts. I have nothing against skirts but pants are more functional. The tops are nice and look nice on both the breastically advanced as well as the boobulously challenged. And that is refreshing. The guys have to wear white scrubs. I pity the fools. But actually....I will be investing in a couple bottles of bleach here soon. I wonder if you can scotch guard scrubs? Hee.
2) For at least 2 days a week next mod we will be released into the wild to show off our nursey skills. It will be interesting to see what this mod will bring and where we will be going. The rumors are of nursing homes. And I love that. I know it is hard work but when I was 14 years old that is where I started. Not easy but I loved the people patients. I still remember their names and I wonder where they are today. The one where I began is no longer there. I remember one lady in particular.....she was an extra on Gone With the Wind. And she told me every time about her experience and one day one of the CNAs asked me how I could stand to listen to the same story over and over. I still don't know. The story changed a little bit everytime and to me it was cool. How many times in your life can you have the opportunity to meet someone like that? You never can know how long you hold greatness in your arms. And she was just one of many.....anyway....back to the list.
3) We have a great teacher for Pharm II She is interesting, she likes her subject, she loves nursing, she has had the most interesting jobs (they all have actually) and she actually wants to help us. Well they all say they do....but I really feel that her words are congruent to her actions....she is actually the second teacher like this. PLEASE GOD let them be there for clinicals!
4) I am moving Geez what was I thinking. It is very difficult but i am glad it is happening now as opposed to later. Besides my slumlords are being horrible. And the neighborhood, which was formerly nice, is getting scary.
5) I am getting scared Something has got to give. And I think it will be work. But I must work to live. There has to be a happy medium somewhere. I figure a month without income is scary but doable. Maybe even two months. But 8 possibly 9 months? holy schnikeys! I cannot think about this right now.
Ridiculous Rules For the Week:
1) Now we must number our tests and tests must be checked against scantrons etc and so forth. The crazy methods that are being forced upon us so that we do not cheat......I will not be suprised if next week I am reporting that we are taking tests in isolation chambers. No scantrons will be allowed. Just lick the correct answer and we will send it to the lab for DNA sampling. I understand the need to prevent cheating but there have been no less than 5 (maybe more) new policies enacted to avoid cheating. Including a signing of a paper swearing you won't cheat. Now I suppose this all sucks for the cheater. But speaking from a non cheating perspective.....it blows. I feel like I go to kindergarten. I had Jr High previously....but no....this is more like kindergarten boarding school. Why all these measures for cheaters.....why not address the cheaters....using the academic rules already in place???? Geez.
2) No extraneous piercings This rule is actually a good one in my mind. I am kind of glad I don't have to listen to the clack, clack, clack of the tongue piercings anymore.....But actually I don't see why they cannot use the little clear pierce thing so it cannot be seen. But they aren't my rules. I do have to say it was gross though when they were told to remove their piercing in that very moment. They should have been allowed to go to the bathroom and wash their hands. The earrings being small is a good one. Actually when I went to nursing school before (koff koff 20 years ago koff koff) we were not allowed to wear earrings at all so it is nice that we can now. (It can fall out of your ear and hurt somebody, rings can scratch and harbor bacteria) This rule actually came from last week but I thought it was interesting to add....as well as.....
3) No crocs I really, really hate this rule. And I did not understand it. But I did some research.....so Barbara and Shorty Doo Wop....this is what I discovered. According to some of the nursing threads I belong to the crocs are dangerous because they can get bacteria on their surfaces. I have to disagree with this....not that they don't get bacteria....but all shoes get bacteria. i would believe that the crocs are better because you can actually clean them with bleach and the like. You can clean them with alcohol in a pinch. AND if blood or body fluids get splashed....they wipe and don't stain. NOW there is the issue of holes. They say the fluids can soak into your feet thru the holes in the shoes.....and I can see this but would they not with other kinds of shoes? I am not very sure. Also they say there is a risk of needlestick thru the holes. As in a dropped syringe can be like a dart. So why an we not wear crocs san holes? They are comfortable and better on your feet. I always thought.....what ugly shoes. But now I am a believer. Any nurses or healthcare personnel.....please feel free to offer your thoughts and opinions.
Unanswered Questions of the week:
1) Why can I never get my schedule in good time so that I can make arrangements? I am a nurse....not a nun. But I imagine even nuns have lives outside of school.
2) Do cheaters always win? Just curious.
3) We were told that the tests from the day classes are different than the night. My question to that statement is.....is there that much cheating that we had to be told this. I don't have time to worry about the stinking day class. IF cheating is such a problem.....why isn't it being addressed to the cheaters? If atttendance is a problem.....why is it not addressed to the problem students? Why would they let this get this far? Just wondering is all. I guess loose personal ethics is the new cool. And just let it be said. Not everyone cheats. Barbara doesn't cheat, Shorty doesn't cheat, Sholana doesn't cheat, Valentina doesn't cheat. And I am sure there are many more. I don't know personally, it isn't my biz.....but I would think it is SOMEBODY's business.
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Comments: 36
La B, you are going to be a wonderful nurse. I wish you would move out here. We need more nurses as compassionate and loving as you.
I had to confront him. He stonewalled. I felt terrible because I was responsible for his success of failure. I could not get him to understand that I wanted to help him get it. Old memories of bad schooling I guess.
I was/am so afraid of mistakes.....that it is 75% of my test anxiety.
I swear that is what was jacking me up in nursing math. As Barbara knows, I am usually the first, second or third to finish a test. Until Nursing Math where I was dead last. It wasn't hard....i just kept seeing littled instructor's faces floating in orbit around my head..."you could kill somebody....you could kill somebody" Ugh I feel nauseous just thinking about it.
Out here, a lot of nurses wear Birkenstocks. I don't blame them, they are super comfy, even if some of the styles are just plain ugly! Now that I have given up stylist stilleto heels and pointy toes for plain comfort and ease, Birkenstock is all I wear :-)
Crocs are similar to Berkinstocks except that they are all plastic. I love my Berkinstocks too, just seems that they would be much to hard to keep clean in a hospital setting.
Crocs are lighter too. Easier to transport. No blisters. You can run all day in them. They are ugly....but they are a beautiful thing.
There are Birkenstocks made specially for nurses so, maybe those will be easier to keep clean?
How do these miscreants cheat, by the way? Just out of curiosity, you know. :-)
We have the classic, "look at my paper" people
We have the "I sit in front of the teacher and there are all the tests before me, if I take long enough or the teacher doesn't notice...."
We have the cell phone offenders (texting, storing, etc....)
From this comes the cell phone ban.
Storing formulas in calculators. (chem teacher was on to this)
very small pieces of paper with very small writing
under sleeves
skipping the test on test day and taking the make up after polling everyone. So now it is very difficult if you legitimately have to miss a day.
Some steal tests.
So now test are numbered.
Apparently somebody is asking the day class so now night tests are changed.
I am sure there are other ways that i am not familiar with.
I wonder if coats are now banned because of paper in the pockets. And this is why I got so sick when the air conditioner was on the wack. grrrrr.
I just got another notification from eBay about Birki clogs [they do a search for me and notify me when certain items I want show up for sale]... I clicked on a link they sent me and the Seller had some Birkis on his list. Try this ebay number 180100073412 if you want to look at what a nurse's pair of Birki clogs would look like...
BTW, I can always buy Birkenstocks on eBay at a lot lower price than at their stores or via their catalogues... even with the shipping factored in. That is why after being introduced to them a little over 2 years ago, I now own 26 pairs... Call me Imelda2. :-)
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976935775
Check out the funny video.....a true shoe lover will understand.
Let us pray