Practicum Skills Test

I PASSED! (: 
My first skills test is out of the way... I am on my way to becoming a Nurse!


I know I am a CNA, so I'm not quite sure why I was so worried--I have passed a test like this before. Even though I know these skills by hears, its different when you are performing them for a teacher. I do have to say--there is something terrifying about an instructor watching you perform a skill; watching your every move, waiting for you to make a mistake.

There were only 3 skills that we had to perform--Vital Signs (Pulse and Blood Pressure), Putting in a Urinary Cath, and a random skill out of the "grab bad" (I got change a sterile dressing). Seems pretty easy right?

Of course, the skill that I was most confident in gave me the most trouble--Vital Signs. I do these every time I work. I have done them dozens of times on old people--and those are the hardest to hear! The classmate I was paired up with was obviously super nervous. I second guessed myself when I heard her BP and had to take it twice to get my final number--but I got it correct. Whoo. My partner's pulse also threw me off completely... I took it on her wrist to start--I counted 72 for 30 seconds. That is also an extremely high number. Welcome to the world of nursing...where patients VS will be wacky everyday, and I will have to take them!

The rest of the skills were passed with ease, thankfully! So if anyone needs an enema or a catheter--I'm your lady! (;
I am ready for my first clinical adventure as a nursing student!
Our orientation is tomorrow morning at Maryview Medical Hospital in Portsmouth, VA.
Finally something exciting! I am beyond sick of power points and theory. I am ready to do some hands on learning and put this theory to good use! Thank goodness clinicals are finally here!!

This is how I have felt all week...

Half Way done with my first Class!

It has been awhile since I have posted, but here is what you have been missing:

Well, after our first "winter storm" we were blessed with another 12'' of snow. Class was cancelled for another 2 days last week--putting us even more behind than we already were in class. The teachers were rushing through lectures and telling us to read the material. With snow days, that wasn't too hard to accomplish! We spent the first day out in the snow all morning--playing with the dog and drifting in empty parking lots. We even went to play in the beach for a little while... snow and sand is a very strange mix. We had a good week of snow days and I really enjoyed spending some time with my hubby.

My classes have been crammed and going over information extremely fast--we are now trying to pack an 8 week class into 6 weeks...
Luckily I have been passing my exams with a 94% average... thank god. I am not even learning the complicated things (yet) and I am already studying more than I ever have before. Luckily, I have a husband who forbids me from napping and gets me to focus on the things I need to learn. Although I am passing, many of my classmates are not. I am glad that I have such a great support system in place. Trevor has been helping me so I don't have to work, and his mom helps me when I have questions about skills we are learning. I don't know where I would be without them. Many people in my class aren't as blessed as I am.

We have learned many different skills over the past few weeks and are being tested over them on next Tuesday before we go to our clinical site on Thursday (yahoo!). My clinical site is called Maryview Hospital in Portsmouth, VA. I will be using my wonderful husband to practice all of my skills until then! (:  He knew once we got married that he was officially a volunteer for me to practice on...poor guy.

 So far, a grand total of 4 people have dropped the course completely--lets see how many are gone by next week.