Time to start "blogging"

So I decided that maybe one of the best ways to get things off my mind besides calling my girlfriends or mom is to maybe type it out? Who knows! Maybe its useless...oh well. Today was quite busy (when isn't it?). I woke up after 4 hours of sleep to my pest of an alarm after pressing snooze 4 or 5 times and contemplating calling in "sick" but I dragged myself out of bed thinking I have to be at the hospital at 6, when it really is 6:30. I didn't have time to shower ( i did the night before) and I tended to my sunburn and prompty put on my uniform and headed out of the house. I was so dizzy driving to the hospital, I can hardly remember it. I got there and couldn't find a classmate or my instructor, then I started to panic when I couldn't find anyone. My cell doesn't work at the hospital, so I went to the pay phone to attempt to call my instructor to see if maybe we were supposed to be somewhere else. Then my professor walks through the door and I was pleaing to her and apologizing, convincing her I was on time and she thought I was crazy to say the least. I was there before I was supposed to. She laughed at me for a good while, then we went to the floor. I don't know if it is luck or destiny, but I am always assigned patients who are the most critical or the bunch on the floor and my day started off....well you can only imagine. My patient was only 63 but was deteriorating quickly. Every organ system was failing and he was scheduled for dialysis for 4 hours today. This is the first time I have had a patient with absolutely zero urinary output, when he was given over 3000 ml of fluids throughout the last 24 hours. His glasgow coma scale was an 8, which is "ok" for the ICU. He responded to painful stimuli by grimacing and rolling his eyes in the back of his head. I just say sorry most of the shift when I have to poke him or do anything to him. His family was present throughout most of the day, which is a pleasant surprise. They were amazing. Even though my patient couldn't communicate with me due to his altered LOC and ET intubation, his family was able to express to me their feelings, worries, and hopes. I felt like a professional during many times of the shift, when they were asking me questions and then later hearing them in the hallways mentioning what I said to them. I felt trusted and reliable. Sometimes I feel like I have NO IDEA what the heck is going on, but I try to give the family anything I can. Nursing isn't just about taking care of your assigned patient, you take care of EVERYONE. They needed answers, I tried.

A really cool RN Chris came and grabbed me today and let me DC his patient's Intra-jugular central venous line and that was cool. I love procedures, but holding an 18g needle next to a woman's neck was SCUURRRYYY!!! Especially pulling the IV out of her neck from her heart, it felt exhilirating. He let me then draw some blood and perform some tests to send to the laboratory, then he let me do a sterile procedure of suctioning the woman who was not intubated. I have only performed this on a simulation dummy in the lab, so I was nervous. I'm starting to become more confident in my skills and able to control my shakiness under pressure. I felt so bad though inserting the tube through the woman's nose to her lungs, because you could tell it was so uncomfortable. I was able to do a successful "suction" (woohoo!) and not kill the poor woman. The respiratory therapist told me I did a great job, and that made me smile.

The day ended well and I feel like I'm becoming much more at ease in critical environments. After post conference I got some food, drove home, and still find myself after such a long day unable to sit down. I didn't pee for 12 hours today either. Its so wierd how that works. It definately is NOT healthy. hahaha. I just checked out my sunburn tonight and I am so glad I smothered myself with so much aloe and lotion last night because it looks 40% better. Still a little painful, good thing I advised everyone today to not touch me. Anywho, tomorrow should be fun because I get to play School Nurse and go to many different schools in Riverside with another RN. It will be another long day, but I love kids so I am looking forward to it.

Alright, well I am going to tend to my studies...goodnight! xoxo