....Story of my life....again it's my "day off" and I have about a million things on my to do list (granted a few of those million things are things that I just want to do for "me time"...but that's important too!!). I have another round of tests coming up next week...and while I'm doing ok in my classes this semester...just "ok" isn't good enough....I want to rock these classes!!! So if I can ace both of these tests (which won't be too hard if I can just get motivated to start studying now) I will have set myself up for success for the finals and all will be well! :)
I also have to go into work (I know ... on my day off...what tha what?!) for a 2 hour competency training session. Totally puts a cramp in my day off....but "reviewing" things we all need to know is definitely a good thing!
I also wanted to give you all some blog news......now that we've been here almost a whole year (and have gotten all of our awkward "firsts" out of the way) David and I decided we want to do a blog together about our adventures here!!!! I'm so excited that he wants to do this and I'm so excited that after we're done will have all of our memories to read one day! I'm still going to be doing this blog for school/work purposes so keep following.....but add to your list our blog here .... it will be all things adventure/Iowa/Midwest living!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Happy Endings
I'm exhausted today....I literally can't wake up...two tests yesterday...worked last night....and let me just say...that is enough to wipe out anyone! So glad I have the whole day to myself to recover with some R&R!! Enough with the bitching about my oh so awfully tiresome life .... I wanted to share this story that I saw on the Today Show...that has totally inspired me....
How freakin inspiring...I can't help but see all my patients faces in her story (what she calls her Heart Mate 2 I've mentioned before as our LVAD)....and it got me thinking about the feeling I get when we find out one of our patients gets a heart. It's pretty indescribable...awesome...humbling....and pretty much the best feeling you can get for a person...I mean what a gift right?! I know it must be hard for some people...to realize that someone has to die for you to live....and for some patients who are in and out of hospitals for months and months and maybe even years waiting....for someone to die....so you can get your life back....sounds kind of selfish...and yet these patients are so deserving of life....better than the one they have....it really pulls at your heart strings. But let me just say....even when you think of the awful side of transplants (the other person dying)....its so exhilarating to know that through death comes new life. And in a way...that person who died still gets to live on.
When a patient is notified that they're getting a heart....its kind of like Christmas...you don't really know what to expect going into the operating room (and God only knows what the patients feel....I would love for one of them to share that story with me one day because I know its got to feel pretty crazy)...but there are all kinds of nerves flying around....and theres all kinds of excitement....you hope for the best....and it's that moment in time where everyone just holds their breath...waits...and hopes ....for an outcome as fabulous and as heart warming as the Bionic Bride's story in the link above....
How freakin inspiring...I can't help but see all my patients faces in her story (what she calls her Heart Mate 2 I've mentioned before as our LVAD)....and it got me thinking about the feeling I get when we find out one of our patients gets a heart. It's pretty indescribable...awesome...humbling....and pretty much the best feeling you can get for a person...I mean what a gift right?! I know it must be hard for some people...to realize that someone has to die for you to live....and for some patients who are in and out of hospitals for months and months and maybe even years waiting....for someone to die....so you can get your life back....sounds kind of selfish...and yet these patients are so deserving of life....better than the one they have....it really pulls at your heart strings. But let me just say....even when you think of the awful side of transplants (the other person dying)....its so exhilarating to know that through death comes new life. And in a way...that person who died still gets to live on.
When a patient is notified that they're getting a heart....its kind of like Christmas...you don't really know what to expect going into the operating room (and God only knows what the patients feel....I would love for one of them to share that story with me one day because I know its got to feel pretty crazy)...but there are all kinds of nerves flying around....and theres all kinds of excitement....you hope for the best....and it's that moment in time where everyone just holds their breath...waits...and hopes ....for an outcome as fabulous and as heart warming as the Bionic Bride's story in the link above....
The gift of life....what a perfect gift....
Thursday, October 6, 2011
I've got a feelin....
I just wanted to take a moment to blog about how super excited I am....about life in general! I don't know if its the weather (I freakin love fall time...and the leaves around here are gorge!), or if it's just the fact that I'm finally starting to feel a little more normal these days....but either way....it feels great!
Let me back up .... last weekend I worked (and in case you didn't know from my 57839548932 facebook posts....I hate working weekends!) and as usual my worst fear came true....our census was low and I had to be floated to another floor (#1 reason I hate working weekends---it seems like lately every weekend has been super slow!). Floating to another floor is pretty much the worst for a newbie such as myself...you feel like an honest to goodness fish out of water....you don't know where anything is.....the staff doesn't know you and you don't know the staff...and its all around an awkward experience for everyone....but you try and do your best and swim like hell to just keep your head above water. This float experience was a little different...and I feel like I finally got the boost of confidence I needed to finally feel like I'm actually doing a good job. So I was on the cancer floor (which is right down the hall from our unit). The staff was super nice...the patients were super independent (and they didn't have to be hooked up to monitors...this alone was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders....dealing with telemetry can be such a pain in the butt sometimes!) and when I left the staff told me how great it was to have a float who actually knew how to do their job....and let me just tell you...that made my whole month!
I feel like the more I learn "on the job"....the more confident I feel..."on the job" ... and out in the real world. I feel like this job has totally given me the reassurance I've needed to go forward with my career choice. And i KNOW it's going to pay off when it comes time to take my boards and pass my nursing classes with flying colors! I love giving my friends advice from the info I know...and I love helping my family make better choices when it comes to their health...and its an awesome feeling to educate someone you love on how to care for themselves. I hate to say it....but lately I've had alot of these "if I knew then what I know now" moments....and I should have totally made this decision a long time ago.
I can't wait to keep learning....I can't wait to keep evolving...and I can't wait to develop into the rock start nurse that I know I'm meant to be....I'm so thankful I have so many "role models" to look up to at work....and I'm so thankful for all the experiences I've had so far...good and bad :)
Since October is Breast Cancer awareness month ... just thought I'd include this video.... Lexington medical center "pink glove dance"....voted for them and think its an awesome video...hope they win and get loads of money for cancer research!!!
Let me back up .... last weekend I worked (and in case you didn't know from my 57839548932 facebook posts....I hate working weekends!) and as usual my worst fear came true....our census was low and I had to be floated to another floor (#1 reason I hate working weekends---it seems like lately every weekend has been super slow!). Floating to another floor is pretty much the worst for a newbie such as myself...you feel like an honest to goodness fish out of water....you don't know where anything is.....the staff doesn't know you and you don't know the staff...and its all around an awkward experience for everyone....but you try and do your best and swim like hell to just keep your head above water. This float experience was a little different...and I feel like I finally got the boost of confidence I needed to finally feel like I'm actually doing a good job. So I was on the cancer floor (which is right down the hall from our unit). The staff was super nice...the patients were super independent (and they didn't have to be hooked up to monitors...this alone was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders....dealing with telemetry can be such a pain in the butt sometimes!) and when I left the staff told me how great it was to have a float who actually knew how to do their job....and let me just tell you...that made my whole month!
I feel like the more I learn "on the job"....the more confident I feel..."on the job" ... and out in the real world. I feel like this job has totally given me the reassurance I've needed to go forward with my career choice. And i KNOW it's going to pay off when it comes time to take my boards and pass my nursing classes with flying colors! I love giving my friends advice from the info I know...and I love helping my family make better choices when it comes to their health...and its an awesome feeling to educate someone you love on how to care for themselves. I hate to say it....but lately I've had alot of these "if I knew then what I know now" moments....and I should have totally made this decision a long time ago.
I can't wait to keep learning....I can't wait to keep evolving...and I can't wait to develop into the rock start nurse that I know I'm meant to be....I'm so thankful I have so many "role models" to look up to at work....and I'm so thankful for all the experiences I've had so far...good and bad :)
Since October is Breast Cancer awareness month ... just thought I'd include this video.... Lexington medical center "pink glove dance"....voted for them and think its an awesome video...hope they win and get loads of money for cancer research!!!
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