NSD #2

I have unfortunately been too busy to keep up on my Nursing School Diary (NSD). But fortunately, all my studying has paid off and I am doing really well in all my classes. Just thought I'd post a few of the things I've learned and am now "qualified" to do :)

-Shots! (given a couple at the hospital...sad that it's "fun" to me...but it kind of still is) I'm sure it'll get old soon but for now it's easy but somewhat significant.

-NG (nasogastric) tubes! Need to be fed through your nose? I can now help you out! Don't promise it will be very comfortable, but I can do it :) I can suck gastric juices from your stomach too...
-And today...catheters! The word just makes most people cringe. Don't worry, I practiced plenty on "snap in" male and female parts... I can successfully maintain a sterile field and insert catheter, inflate balloon, and watch the pee flow out :) Yes, I'm aware that a real person will be much harder than my mannequin man...but be alarmed at our nearest teaching hospital...there are people like me out there, just waiting for our first victims!

More random stuff... I have made over 400 flashcards already this semester (and know everything on all of them), am still working 24 hours a week, most of my shifts at 5 or 6 in the morning (yes, I struggle to stay awake some mornings), in a very nerdy way am enjoying learning all about pathopharmacology and it is making me like my job more and more everyday as I can now interpret labs, diagnose conditions from symptoms, and often prescribe meds, all before the doctor dictates it, and 1 more day til my first spring break ever!!!

PS- Test #1 was "I'd rather have chlamydia than emphysema"...Test #2, herpes beat out uncontrolled/poorly controlled diabetes... now that's just gross.