Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Semester 2 schedule

Well, here is the tentative schedule for Semester 2:

Monday
Med Surg 1: 8:00-9:20
Med Surg Advantage 1: 1:00-2:50
MS1 lab: 3:30-5:20

Tuesday
MS 1 clinical: 7:00-3:00

Wednesday
Psych nursing 1 clinical: 7:00-2:00

Thursday
Pharmacology: 12:00-2:50

Friday
MS 1: 8:00-9:20
Psych nursing 1: 1:00-3:50

17 credits.

Took Fund exam 3 yesterday: 90%, but still waiting on the results because if 75% or more got a question incorrect then it is thrown out *crosses fingers*
Also, I had a patho quiz, which I didn't do so great on: 22/25=88%. This will hopefully be my drop quiz:(

Happy Halloween!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

the "convention"

Well, since I am just sitting here while time flies by, not studying..I have decided to write about my experience in Daytona.
For the most part, it was okay/fun, really. The condo was gorgeous, the beach was beautiful (the gulf is still 423423 times better though), and the weather was nice for the most part, except when we woke up and it was 47 degrees!
The reason I took off time from school was mainly to GO TO THE CONVENTION. I am a geek and I was actually excited about the focus sessions and talking with other nursing students and even nurses. What can I say? I'm a big, fat nerd. However, NO ONE else shared this sentiment. There were so many focus sessions I would have loved to attend, but we only ended up going to TWO!! It would have been three had one of them not been cancelled the first day. We attended Physical Exam/Assessment tips and "Pharmacology made INSANELY easy," which is just fine and dandy, except that I'm not even in pharm yet, so it was kind of useless to me.
I would have loved to attend "Studying and Test Taking strategies," but it was cancelled. No one wanted to go earlier with me the next day when it repeated.
"7 Tips for Highly Effective Nurses?" YES! I thought that would have been interesting...apparently I was the only one.
Also, I thought it would have been neat to see how the HOUSE OF DELEGATES worked, but no--once again, I was the only one.
NURSE JEOPARDY? The geek in me would have loved to do this. In fact, the 3rd semester students needed more students. I said, Hey, I'll do it, but none of the people in my group wanted to stay and even WATCH. THEY COULDN'T EVEN STAY AND WATCH ME EMBARASS MYSELF? So, I didn't.
Gosh, I sound like such a push-over, but I'm really not. I almost went by myself at one point to "Volunteering during a disaster, why and how," but then everyone was going out to lunch, and since my friend was helping me with expenses for the entire trip, I did not want to starve.

Another thing that was stupid--we were on Daytona beach and the majority of the time--they sat in the hotel watching E! True Hollywood Stories....WHAT? We're in Daytona, it is beautiful outside, and we never get a break. TV will always be there, but this will not. I layed out by the pool instead. They said it was too cold to lay out, but my friend and I were like PFT, NO. It was warm in the sun and I have a very odd sunburn to prove it.

And finally, Thursday night they decided to go to a club called "Razzles." *blank stare*
1. I don't drink
2. I don't dance
3. I've been around enough drunken people dancing in my life (ie-crazy family members every holiday)

NOOOOOOO.
I got all dressed up (overstatement) to go, I was dreading it, but I had two other girls with me who do not drink and who do not dance, so I was like..oook, let's go. I backed out last minute. I just felt too stupid. I know, someone will say--you should have just went, could have made fun of the drunk people, would have been a new experience, etc etc. But seriously, that is just NOT ME. It is not my scene and I don't feel like I should do something just because everyone else is doing it.
So while I was left alone in the beautiful condo, I called Mirza, ate mint chocolate chip ice cream, and I got naked in the jacuzzi. I had fun anyway.
TURNS OUT, I am even more glad I did not go because the stories I heard from everyone that involve making out with strangers, strangers touching you, etc--GLAD that I preserved the images of my classmates as I know them now. Besides of course seeing them drunk at the condo.

It was fun...there were laughs and hot tubs and pools, but seriously? Meh. I would have thoroughly enjoyed the trip if I were with Mirza.

Okay, I will say THIS--it was a much needed break, especially considering the day after our Thanksgiving "break" we have a test. It was a lot of fun visiting a new place and seeing new things. I have some pictures, but I am scared to post them.

I hope no one finds this and hates me, haha.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

DAYTONA!!!

I'm leaving in about 2 hours for the Florida Nursing Student Association Convention!!!
I have been all up the east coast of America, but somehow missed the east cost of Florida--it'll be a first.
We're staying here: http://www.oceanwalk.com/

Everything is packed, including my notes and Fundamentals book, although I don't know how much time study-wise I'll get in! Oh well, I need a break. And as an American, I defnitely do not get enough of them.
Pictures hopefully to come!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Disappointment set in when I opened my blinds this morning to find no sun. However, now that I've been sitting here with the window open, the grey skies and cool breeze is kind of welcomed. I can hear the same person playing saxaphone across the campus as I do for hours everyday and it smells crisp outside. Generally, I do not look forward to winter and cold weather, but for some reason I am excited this year. I don't know what it is.
All I know is that despite all of this drama going on with my life currently, I still have probably one of the best lives around. Mirza is the greatest, most supportive boyfriend in the world. And I get to go to school and study something I love. Also, I love watching this squirrel outside my window. We've developed a relationship since I moved in late August. He jumps from limb to limb and I just watch...I hope he doesn't go away once it gets colder. It will be nice to see my apartment decorated for Christmas.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

I'll give you an update!!

Okay, let's see....I'm drawing a blank.
Let's not discuss family life because it is nuts, embarassing, digusting, and stressful on every level.

Nursing school recap:
Fundamentals: Exam 3 on Monday Oct 30
Pathophysiology: Quiz covering 6 chapters (heart) Monday Oct 30
Physical Exam and Assessment: Exam 2 Thursday Nov 3rd.

THIS WEEK:
Monday: Fundamentals and patho
Tuesday: LEAVE FOR DAYTONA--FLORIDA NURSING SCHOOL CONVENTION.
Wed: FNSA CONVENTION
Thurs: Same
Fri: Morning-same, leave. Study.
Sat: Study until dead
Sun: Study until dead
Monday: DIE

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Ah yes

Ooooh today was definitely...interesting.

I chose my patient to do my PAT on.
She was 25 years old, 31 weeks pregnant, a heroin and crack addict and she smoked a pack a day. ALSO, she was a prostitute.
Last time she did heroin was last week...and she periodically took cigarette breaks...all while pregnant.

But the BEST part was when she was vomitting during my assessment!!! She said, "I need a bucket~!" and I frantically looked around for one and gave her the garbage instead (with the red bags) and then she threw up all over, but I couldn't leave the room immediately like I WANTED TO because I was in a gown and gloves since she was on contact precautions for MRSA and she was Hep. C positive, SOOOOO I had to de-gown and de-glove and wash my hands all while listening to her vomit forever.....FUN TIMES.
I said WELL, thanks, I think I got enough info!!!
But she goes, "Well I feel a lot better now! we don't have to stop." No, really. WE DO.
Before this, she even fell asleep during my interview.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Things are looking better!!

This past week I did not get in a lot of useful studying. I read, yes, but studying? Not so much. It wasn't from pure laziness though. I found homes for almost all of our 5 cats. Two friends of mine from clinicals took two (one of them is mine, who he is holding until I can move out after next semester and into my own apt, as opposed to a dorm), my dear friend Megan took Cinders, my brother took Sable, and my mom's friend took Sadie.
Truly, this week has been stressful. My mother left yesterday--she left everything behind except for a few necessities. Besides that, the apartment was left full of our things and it was disgustingly dirty. My step dad has been taking care of it. I am so glad my mom is gone. Now, the only stress I want in my life should be related to school and money. It is kind of sad when those are WELCOMED now considering the stresses I COULD be facing.

Onto school, last Wednesday I did Hospice. I basically went with a nurse to two patients homes, then she bought me lunch, and then I sat alone in a really boring meeting for 2 hours. It was not the most fufilling or fun experience, but I also had a lot on my mind.
My Fundamentals exam 2 grade is now a 93% (A!!!).
Next week=FNSA CONVENTION IN DAYTONA!! YAY!!! FUN.
As far as this week goes? I am almost finished with reading for Fund. since the test for that is the Monday after convention. This week I have a patho quiz on Thurs. We have one almost every week, so it's not a big deal.
So far, my grades look like this:
Fundamentals: 95%
Pathophysiology: 96%
Physical Exam/Assessment: 100%
Clinicals/Lab: Satisfactory (we only get S or U).

Perhaps I will begin taking more pictures like I once did, especially for convention. Look for those maybe.

Monday, October 9, 2006

school and life

I have survived Fundamentals Exam #2. I made an 86%. Trust me, this is GOOD. More than half the class failed last time (I made an 80, but a 92 with the curve), so a B is definitely great in my eyes. Also, she will be throwing out some crappy questions, so my grade will go up once again. It just sucks because she refuses to give any sort of study guide, yet it covers 13 chapters (and we go over like 5 chapters in class). She says they used to give study guides, but they can't anymore because then students did not do so well on the Fundamentals HESI at the end of the semester because they only focused on the study guides when you need to know...everything in the book.
Also, today I had a Patho quiz, which covered neurology. It consisted of 40 questions covering 5 chapters. I miss 3, which is a 92 (B...missed an A by one point). Patho is a fun class and it is not difficult because he helps narrow down the information for us a lot. Also, we can drop one quiz and get up to 20 points extra credit for being "victims" in the disaster training thing-a-ma-bobber.
Besides the constant studying, my life is pretty much turning upside down. My mother is an alcoholic and my step father finally left because he can not deal with her constant threats of suicide and refusal to get a job for over a year. Now, he is gone and my mother is left with nothing, so she is moving to Massachusetts and giving away all of our 5 cats (who I love more than life) and pretty much abandoning me in Florida. So, I won't have a family anymore and it's going to suck. Not that it is much of a family anyway, but at least there was the facade. Also, she has MY cat who cannot live with me since I am in dorm, so now she is taking her up north. I am very depressed.

I cannot be in contact with her though unless she gets sober, which she will not. She is going to die.
Supposedly she is leaving on Friday. First, she was going to drive (pft), but then she cried like a baby up north, so her brother is sending her money for a ticket. She is the most selfish woman ever. Now I have to go home sometime this week in between classes and clinicals and pick up my things like my computer, television, mountains of books, and some clothes. I am really really dreading going and saying goodbye to my cat or possibly not even seeing the other cats because she might have gotten rid of them already. I don't know how she can do this. She is ruining my life. I love my cats so much, how can she just give them away?!! They are like her children. I know she is going to regret this and hate herself. I dont know what she thinks she is going to find in Massachusetts--she is going to be a drunk either way. ughh. All week I have been repressing this because I needed to study for my exams. She called me on Friday in the middle of my studying and that really pissed me off and I got super angry at her. HOW CAN SHE DO THIS?

Tuesday, October 3, 2006

tuesdays=anxious

I don't know why, but every Tuesday I feel like I cannot fully relax. I think it has to do with the fact that it is my one day off, so I feel so much pressure to use my study time wisely, yet I have SO MUCH TO STUDY that it feels overwhelming. That, and I have clinicals in the morning, which means I wake up at 4:10am, so I feel anxious wondering if I will get enough sleep. At least last Tues. I went to bed at like 7pm, but I don't know. Also, I don't know why I get nervous before clinicals because nothing bad has ever happened, it has always been a good experience, yet I still feel nervous the day before.
One thing I am super worried about right now is money. I am suppoed to get monthly checks from the VA and now it is Oct 3rd and my check hasn't come. They are always screwing something up it seems. I hope my mom calls me today and says it came.
ALSO, Oct 25-27 is the Florida Nursing Student Association convention in Daytona, which 12 of us are going to--I am excited, BUT then I realized the Monday after that is our 3rd Fundamentals exam and a Patho quiz,ugh. I don't know when I will study!!
That, and I am stressed about not seeing Mirza as often as I would like. I really miss him.

ps: in case anyone ever wondered who the hell I was: http://www.myspace.com/moonischasingme1