October 2011

Wow, my head is spinning! It is October 1 and I have no idea where the time has gone. In less than 3 weeks we will be halfway to our degree. We just finished our OB clinical and what an experience that was. I never thought I would be able to handle, let alone enjoy observing a delivery. However, after being involved in several cesarean births and several vaginal deliveries I am so amazed. The most outstanding experience during this clinical was taking care of a high-risk mother who was 28 weeks along in her 3^rd pregnancy. She and the baby were facing a dangerous scenario and the only option left was to deliver the baby 9 weeks early! After monitoring her all day with the staff nurse, I had the opportunity to follow the patient into the OR to observe the C-section before following the baby on her journey to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The amount of teamwork and love for the job that I saw that afternoon was just amazing! I wish I could share a picture of the precious little girl that was born that afternoon with everyone, but as we all learn in school that would be a violation of HIPPA! I checked in on her in the NICU on the last day of my rotation, and she is doing well all things considered…she is such a fighter!

My classroom and clinical experience was great, however nothing can compare to having my first nephew born on the very first day of my Childbearing and Family (OB) class! It was weird timing that I was starting that class, but it was so fun to be able to apply what I was learning to my first-hand experience with my family. He is precious too, not that I am biased or anything!

My nephew Liam relaxing under the warmer just an hour after he was born! Life is great!

While I was not absorbed in my clinical experience or studying for a test a number of my classmates and I joined a Fantasy Football league. It turned out that there are 16 teams and just about half/half ladies to gentlemen. The way our classmate set up the league, we could participate in a live draft or set up an automatic draft in which we would be assigned the next best player when it was our turn to pick. I am always up for a challenge so I decided to join the live draft group (even though many of the guys assumed I would take the easy way out). We all met at Buffalo Wild Wings and the rest is history. I brought my fiancé along to stand in as an assistant coach and help me with some of the decision making…it worked out to my advantage, as I am tied for first in the league with a record of 3-0! I’m showin’ all those boys in the league what I’m made of!

Some of my classmates taking their eyes away from their computers for a quick snapshot during the live draft at Buffalo Wild Wings.

It has been great these past 5 weeks only having one class instead of 3 at the same time like we did last semester. I think I can speak for all my classmates when I say that we have found the little bit of extra time to be very enjoyable as our beautiful Colorado weather sticks around. My fiancé and I went on one of the most beautiful hikes up in Nederland, just past Boulder. It was so nice having an entire day to hike and picnic in the beautiful mountains!

The view we got to admire while we enjoyed a wonderful hike…before it rained on us for half the hike back down!

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September 2011

As we jump back into the fast paced world of school after our week of rest and relaxation, we are greeted by the start of beautiful fall weather. It is much easier to sit in class all day when it is not so sunny and hot outside!

My lack of technological skill on the last entry did not allow me to show you what my pride and joy of our first clinical rotation was.  So, drumroll if you would please…it is the one, the only, amazing Air Life! I could hardly stand myself as I pulled up to the hospital every day and looked at this amazing piece of equipment. Finally, as the other students and I walked out of the hospital one evening, the flight crew was having shift change, and I dragged one of my classmates over to check out the helicopter
with me. Yes, I stopped them and asked if they would show us around, and they were delighted to give us a tour of their office. After a few minutes, the nurse offered for us to climb in “like all the kids do” to see what it was like. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. So here is the official proof that I have sat in the Air Life helicopter and spoken to the flight team!

Victoria and Me with one of the flight nurses, after a long 12 hour shift!

I also wanted to go back in time a few weeks to talk about one of the best experiences I have had so far in nursing school! In our Evidence-Based Practice course, we had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman by the name of David. He is in his early 30’s and has what is known as Locked-in Syndrome. Linda, our instructor, works with David to help improve his quality of life and his ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL’s). Evidence-based practice is about using policies and procedures to provide the best quality of care that is backed by quality, evidence-based research. We had the privilege as a class to provide David with 8 different
policies and procedures that will help him improve his quality of life and allow him to enjoy every day! My group had the opportunity to create a policy that will allow David to safely consume alcohol at social events, despite the fact that he has a feeding tube and that what little liquid he consumes by mouth has to be thickened. At the end of the course, close to David’s birthday,
each group got to present their newly written policy and procedure to David, his father, and one of his care providers, before singing Happy Birthday to him and celebrating with cake! It was an amazing and unique way to apply the knowledge we were learning in a way that would benefit someone else, and yet aid me in my education.

David soaking up being the center of attention as the entire class sung Happy Birthday to him! (This picture is posted with David’s permission)

 As far as the one week break from studying…it went way too fast! I had a blast enjoying the last days of summer, sleeping in, hiking, visiting Royal Gorge (for the first time even though I am a CO native), working on some more wedding planning, and resting my brain as I “vegged” out watching more T.V. than I have in months!

At the bottom of “The Incline” in Manitou Springs. It was a tough yet natural version of the Stairmaster!

The Royal Gorge Bridge

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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.

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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!

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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.

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