No more LTC!

I officially completed my long-term rotation! YEAH!!!! Next week I start OB. I can't wait!!!

Welcome to my home...

I've had some requests for photos of my home and life here in Tucson. Here is the first instillation.

The front of my condo.

My living room. I do most of my studying on that couch.

My living room from the other direction.

My kitchen.

My room - at the end of my bed is the wind tunnel - a fan, a humidifier and a HEPA filter. Someday I'll be able to breathe!!

What a week...

I started my first clinical rotation in long term care this week. After touring the facility on Tuesday I called home and cried. The place I work probably hasn't bought new furnishings since the early 80's, smelled funny, was hot and humid and had elderly residents sitting in the halls staring at the wall. It scared the bee-gee-bees out of me. I remember when Grandma started telling me not to get old and now I know why. It's scary. Of course Mom gave me a great pep talk so on Wednesday I went in determined to get it my best shot. I got paired with a PCT, and man, they work hard! I didn't get to do any "nursing" things but I got patients up and clean and dressed and comfortable. At the end of the day I helped care for a women who was aspirating. I have to say I've never felt so gross at the end of the day and I don't think I could handle it long term but it was gratifying to take care of people who needed it so desperately.

Thursday turned into a very exciting day for me. I've developed asthma since moving to Tucson, in addition to my horrible allergies, so I've been seeing an immunologist and getting allergy shots. At my first appointment I had to do this lung volume test - 3 little houses show up on a computer screen and I have to blow through a tube and try to "blow them down". The first time I did it I did well - above average lung capacity (still got a diagnosis of asthma :( ). This week I could only blow down 2 and 1/3 houses - not a good thing. I've lost about a soda can worth of lung capacity in the past 2 weeks. I also have a sinus infection. So I started on antibiotics and steroids to bring down the inflammation in my lungs. One of the steroids was an inhaler with a long-acting albuterol, which would have been good for most people but it made my heart rate uncomfortably high. So I went to clinical and couldn't breathe, couldn't walk without getting super winded, light-headed when I bent over, not to mention the pasty skin. Anyway, I got sent home to rest - and to prevent me from passing out. It all worked out okay, I got a new inhaler without albuterol and was back in clinical today. Never a dull moment with me.

Today was a pretty exciting day. Due to HIPPA rules I have no idea what I can say but today I got to complete my first assessment on a real live person and take vitals! Very exciting day for me. However, that wasn't my most important learning experience of the day. Here it is: get you colon cancer screenings. I won't gross you out with details but, please, get your colon screened.

I was right...

They spent a tremendous amount of time today confusing us about clinicals. I think I know where I'm supposed to be tomorrow but I could be wrong. I currently feel like I've been hit by a truck. And Dansko shoes are not comfortable. I promise I will be more cheerful tomorrow. Right now I have to go spend another $50 for pharmacology program and maybe buy another pair of white shoes.

One Term Down

I took my last exam of the term on Thursday morning. I think it was a bit sick and wrong to give us our biggest exam the day after Independence Day but no one consults me on these things. Needless to say, my holiday was a bit lack luster but I did well on my exam. I would have liked to do better but an A is an A. Was that bragging? Maybe just a little. I'm really pleased with how well this first term went and, starting Monday, I will be heading to a long-term care facility to apply my newly developed skills. Half the class will be going to long-term care (LTC) and the other half will be doing an OB rotation (then we'll switch). I think it's laughable that they subject old people and laboring mothers to nursing students with a whopping 5 weeks of school and very little practice. I can see why both student nurses and the patients report being nervous.

Since I arrived I've been hearing about the monsoons that are apparently so spectacular. Well, one has been "coming in" for 2 days now but I've seen little more than a sprinkle. I'm very excited for the electrical storms and the decrease in the temperature. Last night we lost power. Not a good night as it was movie night. The host lost power so the whole group came out to my house (10 min drive) only to find my power out. So we went back to the original host's house who, luckily, had power restored. It was much funnier yesterday.

Tomorrow we're planning on floating down the river. I have no clue which river except that it's in Chandler area and that I get to eat Cafe Rio afterward. I would probably go just for the Cafe Rio.

Some of you have asked what my apartment, school, Sim Man, etc. are. I will work on posting some pictures in the next couple days so check back. I've also had requests to know what my schedule is like. It changes but here's a look at next week.

MONDAY
8-10am Group Discussion - we meet in small groups and discuss readings. I'm probably the only conservative thinker in my group. Anything you deduct from that is probably true. Especially since I've noticed that one member in particular doesn't wash her hands after using the bathroom.

10-11am Course Orientation - we're starting a new quarter so I assume they'll be telling us where we need to be and what we need to be doing but not with enough detail that anyone will actually have a clue.

12-2pm Pharmacology

2:30-3:30pm On-site OB clinical tour and Orientation - I'm not sure how that's going to work since it will take far longer than 30 minutes to get to my OB site.


TUESDAY
8-11am LTC Clinical Orientation

12-4pm Pediatric Skills Class - Why are we having a pediatric skills class when we won't actually work with peds until Fall.

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY
6:45-2:45 Clinical - LTC

This seems, to me, to be a fairly light week. I'm especially excited that we only have reading to do for Monday (mind you, it's 6 chapters of pharmacology and something really boring about being a professional nurse) and an assignment due on Friday. I may actually make it to FHE!

Not so brief up-date

The weather guy just said that Tucson "has one of the best weather climates in the world." He, obviously, has never lived anywhere else. It's hot - still.

Today was the end of a very long 5 days. In the past 5 days I have taken 3 exams and written a paper. No, that wasn't finals. I am very tired but today I treated myself to a massage - which, of course, gave me a headache. Note to self, ahhh, I don't have a note to self. I don't know what caused the headache. So here's the brief rundown of the past week (or so).

Grief.
I hope not to ever work in hospice. Noble profession, not for me. We had the hospice nurses come and do a lecture on grief, dying, blah, blah... It was interesting and helpful, a bit touching at times. Now remember, I average 6-7 hours of sleep these days. After about 2 hours of this lecture one of my classmates raised her hand and asked us to stop as she has a friend dying and this is all very hard for her. Seriously. Seriously!!! Me and my amazing sensitivity thought, "Dude, get a grip or go out but don't stop a lecture". So the touchy, feely nurse had everyone close their eyes and take a deep breath. Bad idea. No deep breaths. My shallow wheezing was keeping me from weeping like a crazed lunatic (don't forget - I'm really tired). So deep breaths. Then she tells us to picture our happy place. ARE YOU INSANE!!!!! I'M PATHETICALLY HOMESICK AND YOU WANT ME TO PICTURE MY HAPPY PLACE??? So I was the lame girl that cried at school. Luckily most people didn't notice. And I now avoid my "happy place" while on campus.

Allergy Testing
I got tested for allergies. I'm allergic to lots of stuff. Hence I can't breathe very well, my lab mates love listening to my wheezy lungs and I take lots of medicine. I'm supposed to use my inhaler when I go outside but I feel like that nerdy kid that no one wanted on their kickball team, so then I don't use it very often. And then I can't breathe. Maybe being the nerdy kid isn't so bad. I start allergy shots in the next week or so. Thank heavens for modern medicine and immunology.

My 1st Cockroach
Until I moved to Tucson I had never seen a cockroach. I saw my first one outside, near bushes and it had to be pointed out to me. The next one I saw, last night, was in my bathroom. I'm not usually fussy about bugs but it was big and crunchy and had wings. Yes, I squealed. Luckily my roommate and her friend were home and they were able to kill it with a flip-flop. I'm incredibly grateful because I would have had to move, leaving all my stuff in the bathroom. I'm still a little nervous in there but it's really hard to hold your feet up while you micturate (that's peeing for lay people).