August 2011

Well here we are, flying through the program and only two weeks away from a break! We have now completed half of our clinical rotations for Med/Surg, and only have 4, 12 hour shifts left. Though I am thoroughly exhausted getting up to start a 12 hour shift, arriving at the hospital at 6:30 is accompanied by a beautiful Colorado site…

Makes being up early not so bad!

 As part of the Medical/Surgical experience, we all get to spend a day following a patient through pre-op, the operating room, and then post-op. I was able to see a lumbar spinal fusion, with some of the most impressive technology used. The surgeon was able to take tissue from the patient and create a graft right there in the OR to promote bone growth from his own cells! The surgery was exciting to watch, but it was also great to see the various roles a nurse can have in the acute care setting. It has also been amazing to see the Air Life team arriving and departing feet from where I park every day! In the excitement of taking a picture with one of my classmates in front of the helicopter, the picture was deleted!

In between the hustle and bustle of the long days and many hours of studying, I have continued to enjoy the beautiful weather with a few hikes here and there. One of our favorite spots to hit up is Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

Watching the elk lock antlers with the mountains as a backdrop. Couldn’t ask for anything more!

Enough about me…I am excited to welcome all the interviewees for the January start! You have made it this far in the process, now just be yourself and let everyone know why you chose Regis.  I understand that a few people posted some questions on Brett’s blog, and I am here to offer my best advice.  There was interest in the type of questions asked during the interview… several questions that stood out in my mind were…Why did you choose nursing? Why did you pick Regis? What type of support system do you have/coping mechanisms? What do you think you can contribute to the Regis community? Where do you see yourself in five years, and ten years? It is important for the interviewers to know that you understand the Regis Jesuit mission, and that you have the want and support to be an active member of the Regis nursing community!

Another question that was brought up was about having time to work in travel to visit significant others. I can say that the first 10-15 weeks have been fairly busy…the program is a little front loaded. However, with that being said, if you have good time management and the motivation to study during your trips, it has been very feasible for students to travel over the weekends. For the May start date, we have had just about every Friday off, and because of holidays we have had a few 4 day weekends. Not to mention the upcoming week off to recover from the first 15 weeks, and then a long break over the holidays!

I hope this helps a little bit. Good luck with interviews, I will be cheering for you all!

July 2011

Pharmacology, the whirlwind, is over! Though it was like learning a new language, most of which I cannot pronounce, it was a very good introduction to the world of drugs and their uses. Now it is time to apply those drugs in Care of the Adult/Older Adult 1. We also will begin to use the many skills we learned in the lab during Foundations. It seems as though when you blink, an entire course can sneak right by. Foundations of Nursing was a great course that taught us many of the very skills that are the basis of nursing care.

As a part of Foundations, we got a taste for what life was like in the clinical setting. I completed my Foundations Clinical at Shalom Park with six other classmates and a very wonderful clinical instructor. Though there was not necessarily the hustle and bustle of an ER, we were able to hone several of our skills in a safe environment.  I was impressed with the facility, and now that my feet are wet, I am ready to jump into the next clinical-at SkyRidge! 

- Amber, Dane, Lauren, myself, Shannon, and Marcela in the lobby of Shalom. We all stood out in our matching scrubs!

With two more classes and 16 hours of clinical behind us, many of us were ready to have a weekend with little thought about the start of our next two courses. After completing what is called the ATI test (practice NCLEX) for Foundations, some of the folks decided to blow off some steam in a friendly game of pickup basketball.

The two girls were trying to beat up on the boys! I think the ladies won.

They started the weekend with a little physical activity, and then a few of us picked up with an abdominal workout on Saturday. After great conversation about anything but school over a little sip of whiskey at a local Irish Pub, we headed over to a show at The Comedy Works. The two hours of laughter was a great workout and good mental therapy after the last ten weeks of class!

Erin, Ashley, Molly and me enjoying a few laughs courtesy of Dana Gould at Comedy Works

With ten weeks down and five more to go (for this semester at least)…we can taste the much needed week long break that seems to be just around the corner! Many of my classmates have wonderful trips planned, and though I wish I could go in their suit cases, I will be here continuing to plan for my wedding! I have already taken a few hours here and there to go dress shopping and venue hunting which has been a welcome break from studying. Though not 100% sure, we are leaning toward a ceremony at Garden of the Gods Club in Colorado Springs (exciting,  however it means that the date will be pushed forward by 2 months- which means less time for planning)!

Where we are hoping to get married!

Every time I begin to feel overwhelmed, I remember why I am here. Regis was the only place for me, and I feel stronger about that decision every day. The amazing faculty has been so supportive every step of the way, and they continue to reaffirm the joy that one can experience while practicing as a nurse! Until next time, enjoy the beautiful summer and remember to follow the path that is calling you.

July 2011

I am sorry to say that I am disappointed with the watermelon vodka. However, shortly after starting the experiment we also did a backup trial of pineapple vodka. So far so good, but it still has a little fermenting to do!

Last entry, I started to describe our adventures in Foundations lab. I will continue with this picture of fellow classmate, Christine, cleaning and dressing “Tom’s” open wound. He was such a great patient.

It is great practice, but I am having a hard time believing all our future patients will be so compliant! However, I will soon find out, as this week is our first experience dealing with patients as a student nurse, rather than a volunteer. I am excited to be completing my hours at Shalom Park nursing home in Aurora with 6 other student nurses. We will complete 16 hours over 4 shifts in the next two weeks. I am looking forward to wearing the Regis scrubs and using my very own stethoscope on patients instead of classmates.

With the hustle and bustle of class, sometimes we lose sight of our own health needs. Many of us found that our bodies were calling for some therapeutic movement in between sitting in class for 8 hours a day. A few of our classmates are yoga instructors and graciously offered to lead a yoga hour on lunch break. What a welcome sense of peace and rejuvenation we all felt when we were finished!

Maiki led us through an hour of core power yoga. It was quite a workout, but we all felt refreshed heading back to class for the afternoon

Eight weeks into the program, we got what we all felt to be a well-deserved break over the 4 day Fourth of July weekend. Many of us enjoyed family and friends, outdoor activities in the beautiful Colorado weather, and various fireworks displays. Returning to class on Tuesday, though sluggish from all the activities, there were many smiles and refreshed faces.

Patriotic start to the Rockies game

Happy Fourth of July!

Next time you hear from me, I will officially be 2/3 of the way through summer semester, and preparing for our first 96 hour clinical in med-surge! Until then, it is back to the books.

June 2011

Here we are, halfway through our first semester of nursing school! We are one week shy of finishing our second course, and we have only 3 weeks of pharmacology left. It has not been nearly as bad as everyone told us it would be. Yes we are all very busy, but if you are organized there is plenty of time for “normalcy!”  

One month into the program we had the honor of participating in a ceremony with the faculty of the nursing program. We all had the privilege of having our hands blessed before we enter the field of care in which we will use our hands every day to help heal our clients. It really welcomed all of us into the profession we will soon embark on.

Myself and fellow students having our hands blessed with lavender oil

Kieran’s team playing in the final rounds

When I find the time to prioritize my life and health in between school, I have enjoyed the great outdoors of Colorado! I still hike, bike and partake in several yoga classes every week. Many of my classmates were able to attend the national championship rugby game at a close by sports ground. One of our classmates helps coach a team that was playing in the finals. It was a learning experience for all of us who did not understand the concept of rugby!

Upon completion of our first class, Health Assessment, many students convened at Wash Park to have a cook out and enjoy the beautiful weather. I was unable to attend that get together…rather I was observing a 3D ultrasound of my soon-to-be nephew! Wow, what an experience, especially being interested in labor and delivery, pre-and postnatal care.

What amazing technology! We got to see the little man tumbling around and moving his hand to his mouth to suck his thumb. Here he was giving us the thumbs up!

In my other spare moments, I have taken on the practice of making my own fruit-flavored infused vodka. For our first batch, we are trying watermelon! I will have to let you all know how it turns out…it should be ready for tasting right as we finish the second five weeks. What perfect timing!

Can’t wait for the taste test!

Currently, in our Foundations class and lab, we have become much closer with our fellow classmates. We have enjoyed learning how to give bed baths on one another, and we have practiced putting each other on bedpans. There is a reason all of the patients hate those things! In just one short week we will be entering facilities for the first time as student nurses. We begin our clinical in the assisted living facilities. Next time I check back in with you all, I will let you know how the clinical experience goes…first time putting on our Regis scrubs and nametags…it is so exciting!

June 2011

 This last month has been a whirlwind! The life changes are proving to be well worth it though. We have officially survived our first Health Assessment test and our first Pharmacology exam, and it appears as though we are all still standing! We are already over halfway through our first 5 week session…time flies when you are having fun and sometimes even when you are not.

Over the last month, I have learned to accept those things I cannot control and enjoy those things that make up my “new normal”:

-My down time is now the hour long drive through city traffic after 8 hours of class

-My newly acquired second language is medical terminology and abbreviations

-My new family has become the 47 other folks that make up our unique and diverse cohort

-Our coffee talk has turned into whispering about laxatives and anti-diarrheals in the middle of Starbucks

The camaraderie that has developed between such a diverse group of individuals has been a key component in helping each of us develop a wide perspective of the world and the healthcare field. However, we are not only classmates that share our learning experiences with one another, but we are also now friends that enjoy hanging out together outside of the classroom. We have established a Thursday evening, “We have made it through another week!” happy hour that travels from bar to bar close to campus. We have considered attending Movie on the Rocks as a group (Footloose will be a great start), and I am sure there will be many times that the Rockies rock pile will be overflowing with Regis students!   

We have jumped right into our service learning, teaching us the critical component of developing personal relationships with those individuals that we will soon call our patients. Our cohort is split into groups that volunteer at three different facilities in the area. I am currently at Little Sisters of the Poor, Mullen House, with 9 other students. We have enjoyed serving the residents at meal time, celebrating the 25^th anniversary of one of the lady’s move in dates, giving many of the residents manicures, and visiting several folks one on one.

Outside Mullen House. We all were a little apprehensive to start in an assisted living facility, but we have grown to cherish all that the elderly have to teach us.

As for my life outside of school, I got engaged one week before the program started…just in case life was not going to be crazy enough!  My fiancé and I have quickly learned how valuable the short time we have together is. We often multitask and discuss “wedding talk” while we sit at Coors Field watching the Rockies, or in between me practicing my health assessment on him. We are ready for an exciting year of planning, studying, and working (I am counting on him to bring in the big bucks!). I also look forward to many future group outings with all of my classmates and their significant others and friends. For all I know, some of them might attend my wedding!

Sean and I talking wedding details over a cold beer at the Rockies game.