Julia's Blog

Tales of a night shift worker

2011-07-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

During my orientation at Children's I was working day shift. Having been working nights for over a year, I had no idea how lovely my body would feel back in the normal light of day. No more nausea, crankiness gone, sleeping a normal amount of hours each week . . . it was lovely! That being said, I am now back to night shift. Just three days in and all the memories of a night shift worker are back. I mean it's healthy to stay up for almost 24 hours straight every other week right?

Slow Going

2011-06-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

The good news is, Steve and I are in NO hurry to sell our home. The bad news . . . our home has not yet sold. Apparently the housing market is down (insert sarcasm here) and we have had very little interest in our condo. So far, we have had 4 open houses and the total number of visitors who were not neighbors is ZERO. The house has only been shown a few times outside of that but as Steve said . . . it only takes one buyer.

We are still keeping with the plan and will keep it on the market until the end of August so keep your fingers crossed.

Having a puppy . . . similar to a baby?

2011-06-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have decided that having a puppy is somewhat similar (or good practice at least) to having children on a much smaller scale.

So here are my comparisons:

In the early stages there is the random night time wake-ups
My husband and I now talk about pooping and peeing as one of our main topics of conversation
Rearranging schedules in order to take care of the dog
Taking the puppy for play dates and trying to find my puppy "friends" to play with
Unsolicited advice from strangers on how to raise my puppy

These are just some of the things I have noticed since having a puppy . . . oh how things changed since Nellie came along.

Here is an updated pic of Nellie at 14 weeks.

Tales of Home Sales

2011-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Steve and I have decided to put our condo on the market and see what happens. It was officially listed yesterday but getting it ready was SO much work! We did an intense spring cleaning, including the garage. We painted, we cleaned the carpet, we cleaned out EVERY closet. Check out our listing and cross your fingers for a fast sale.

http://www.redfin.com/WA/Issaquah/23700-SE-Issaquah-Fall-City-Rd-98029/unit-2-4/home/55367

Nellie . . . Growing up

2011-05-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Steve and I decided it would be a fun adventure to adopt a puppy. After a LOT of research we decided on a chocolate labrador which are surprisingly difficult to find. I finally found a litter of pups from a lovely family in Enumclaw who had bred there family dog. We made the trek out to Enumclaw and picked out Nellie when she was 5 weeks old. It was love at first sight for me and then Nellie picked Steve as well so the decision was easy. We got Nellie at 7 weeks old and approx 10lbs. She is now 12 weeks old and 23 lbs. What a change. She is much more like a small dog then a puppy. We love her to death and continue the training daily. Enjoy the pics of her growing so far!

Holy Cow!

2011-05-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

My friends have inspired me and so I am going to do a brief overview of the last NINE months! Yes, I have been a bad blogger but I am getting back in the game!

Steve and I continue to be happily married and I can hardly believe it is almost nine months from our wedding day. We have celebrated birthday's, Christmas and all the holidays in between. Our biggest news is our job situations! Steve is now working at Starbucks Corporate offices in supply chain management. I left my job at Overlake Hospital and have just started working in the pediatric ICU at Seattle Children's. So far we are both truly enjoying our new jobs although its always a challenge to start something new! We both look forward to all the new possibilities these opportunities present.

Steve and I traveled up to Whistler and down to Las Vegas. The biggest change so far is our new puppy. We adopted a chocolate labrador at 7 weeks and she is now 12 weeks old. I never realized that raising a puppy was so much work but she is doing so well and I am amazed at how much she has changed. (More on Nellie in another post.)

More updates to come!

Honeymoon Pictures

2010-11-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

I am on a roll for catching up on my blog. Here is a slideshow of photos from our honeymoon. What a fabulous time, wish we could go back tomorrow! Enjoy!

Professional Wedding Photos

2010-11-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, as promised, here are a few professional wedding photos. I stuck them in a brief, unexciting slideshow but enjoy!

Delicious New Recipe!

2010-10-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

I had roasted some red and yellow peppers for the first time and wanted to find a recipe that used them so I found the recipe below. I adapted it a bit to serve just Steve and I, those changes are in parentheses but the real recipe is there. Enjoy! I couldn't find fresh chipotles so I got a can of chipotles in adobo sauce and used about three peppers. Steve can't stop talking about it! It was pretty delicious.

Blazin' Short Rib Tacos with Roasted Peppers

Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.
Cook Time: 2 hr
Serves: 4 servings (Adapted version, 2 servings)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6-ounce) boneless short ribs (1.5lbs of short rib before bone removed)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 onion, sliced (small onion)
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 chipotles, minced (Chipotle in adobo, three peppers)
1/2 cup hot salsa (1/3 cup medium salsa)
1 quart beef stock (1 container 24 oz beef stock)
1 jar fire roasted whole red peppers, drained and patted dry (used own roasted red/yellow peppers)
1 jar fire roasted whole yellow peppers, drained and patted dry
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Flour tortillas
1 lime cut in wedges, for garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add short ribs to pan, 1 at a time, and sear on all sides until nicely browned. Remove them from the pan to a platter.
In the same Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add the onions. Cook until the onions are well caramelized, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and mix well. Stir in the chipotles, salsa, stock and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then add the short ribs and cover. Put the pot in the oven and braise the ribs until the meat is fork tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Remove the ribs from the oven and shred the meat with 2 forks. Slice the peppers into thin strips and put them in a bowl along with the cilantro. Warm the tortillas in the oven. Assemble the fajitas with the desired amount of short rib meat and top with peppers.

Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Wedding Festivities

2010-09-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

I finally thought it was time to post some pics from the wedding. Steve and I had the best time we could imagine and can hardly believe all the fun and fun stories that resulted from the wedding! Thank you to all of our family and friends for making our wedding so special. I could post millions of pictures but I think these will give a broad representation of the fun from rehearsal dinner through the wedding. All of these are pictures that we got from our lovely friends and family (thank you all). I will post professional pics soon. Enjoy!

Pedicures prior to the rehearsal

Rehearsal/ Rehearsal Dinner

Bonfire after the rehearsal dinner

Getting Ready

Boys getting ready

The ceremony

What a wonderful disaster my flower girls were. Couldn't have been cuter or more real!

Walking down with my dad

My beautiful bridesmaids

The handsome groomsmen

Russ singing!

First Kiss!

Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey

The Reception

First Dance

Honeymoon pics and professional photos will be up soon!

Summer Hikes

2010-08-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Steve and have made an effort to dust off our hiking skills and build our quad muscles. We first headed up to Tiger Mountain and did the West Tiger #3 hike which was about 6 miles round trip and VERY high. It was a tough hike with no reveal at the end so we were a bit disappointed.

Next we headed up to Whistler where the weather was a bit disappointing since it rained the majority of the weekend BUT we were able to get out for a beautiful hike! We hiked to Garabaldi Lake. It was a fabulous hike and beautiful! I definitely recommend it. It was 18+km round trip, maybe a little long for our liking but the views were phenomenal. Enjoy the pictures!

Ballard Locks

2010-07-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Steve and I thought it would be fun to explore some of the sites in Seattle that one or both of us has never been, we started this off with a trip to the Ballard Locks (I had never been). Steve gave me a lesson on how it all worked and we watched it put into action as many boats passed through on a very sunny day. Then we walked over to the fish ladder and encouraged the salmons to make their journey into the lake from Puget Sound. Enjoy pictures below!

Very Busy June!

2010-06-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well it has been WAY too long since I have posted so I will tell you ALL about the entire month of June from start to finish (there are only a few days left)! Enjoy the pictures!

The month started out with the Race for the Cure with my mother, sister, aunt, cousin, etc. We had a fabulous time celebrating the memory of my dear nana.

Steve graduated! After two+ long years of studying he is finally done with his masters degree. He is now an official graduate from Seattle University with his MBA! Congrats!

Shortly after that my mom and I headed south to Portland to spend time with dear friends and enjoy some fun wine tasting in Oregon!

Finally, I was excited to celebrate my bachelorette party! My fabulous sister planned a fun filled two days. It started out with a private dance class taught by my sister (I am still sore). We then went our separate ways to prepare for the night which started with champagne tasting at The Tasting Room at Pike Place Market. We then went for a fantastic dinner at Pintxo, a new tapas restaurant in Belltown. After that we traveled to 88 Keys where we were treated to some fine piano playing. Finally we topped off the night with some dancing and a few more drinks before heading home! Sunday was spent with my family and future family at Ummelina Spa. Overall a fabulous start to all the wedding festivities to come!

Lily's First Birthday

2010-05-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Steve and I drove up to Lynden for Lily's first birthday! We got to spend time with all the nieces and the whole fam. We also got to play a little golf at Homestead (my brother is once again the pro) which was tons of fun! Below are some pictures from the party.

Great Weekend!

2010-05-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was a blast . . . the weather was fantastic and I actually had Saturday and Sunday off of work. Saturday was a day full of baseball. Steve and I headed over to UW for the Husky Baseball alumni event and enjoyed watching the game and drinking a beer. It was great to meet some of the guys Steve played ball with. After that game we headed to SODO and went to the Mariners game with Steve's family, a Christmas gift from Lisa (thanks Lisa!!). It was a gorgeous night.

Sunday was Mother's Day and we spent the day with family. The morning was spent with my mom and dad at my sisters house for brunch. Brian's parents were also visiting from Texas so we enjoyed their company as well. We had a lovely meal and fabulous walk in the sun. The afternoon was spent with Steve's family for a Mexican fiesta. It was so great to celebrate all the fabulous mothers in our life!

Below is a picture of Steve and some of his baseball buddies.

Engagement Photos

2010-04-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the month, Steve and I headed to Gas Works Park for our engagement photos with our wedding photographer, Phil Rose. Enjoy!

Rattlesnake Ledge Hike

2010-04-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Steve and I had the chance to enjoy a nice hike at Rattlesnake Mountain last Thursday. It was 1.9 miles up and 1.9 back down. Tough one on the legs but it was beautiful. Enjoy the pictures below!

Back to Days

2010-03-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

So after four weeks on night shift I am back to days AND on my own. What I learned about night shift (since I will be going back in a month or so) is that it is a WEIRD schedule. Fortunately Steve is super flexible with his schedule right now so that worked out okay but it is weird to stay up all night, it is especially odd to eat a meal in the middle of the night and it is impossible to adjust yourself appropriately on the days off.

Anyway, I am back to day shift for a couple of months and I am on my own. My first day went well so I am looking forward to the challenges to come!

Omelet for Two by Barefoot Contessa

2010-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

¼ Pound Good thick-cut bacon
1 T unsalted butter
1 Cup Medium-Diced Yukon Gold Potato
½ Cup Chopped Yellow Onion
1 T Minced Jalapeno Pepper
5 Extra Large Eggs
2 T Milk or Cream
1 t Kosher Salt
½ t Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Cup Chopped Scallions, white and green parts
4 Ounces Extra-sharp Cheddar, diced plus grated cheese for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bacon crosswise in 1-inch pieces. Cook the bacon in an 8-inch ovenproof sauté pan over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan. Add the butter to the pan, then add the potato and yellow onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. Add the jalapeno pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the scallions and diced Cheddar. When the potato is cooked, add the bacon to the pan and pour over the egg mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center. Sprinkle a handful of grated Cheddar and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan.

2 Weeks Under My Belt

2010-02-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

I just finished my first two weeks on night shift and am now on my six days off! Night shift is interesting, it is a bit slower paced but still very busy. I have discovered that the first night is the hardest in terms of sleep. I can't sleep late the morning of work, wake up at 10am at the latest and then basically stay up for 24 hours. Kind of stinks but makes the second day of sleep easier. I haven been able to fall asleep easily when I get home in the morning but wake up 4 or 5 times.

During the night, the hardest thing to do is eat. I do NOT feel like eating a full meal at 1am when I take my "lunch" but it seems to be working out okay.

Well I survived and I realize I definitely can survive on night shift so that is good!

Suggestions Please

2010-02-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

So on the days leading up to night shift (which is 6:45pm to 7:15am), I have been trying to stay up later and later . . . much past my 10pm bedtime which I was used to. Anyway, I am running into a small problem, what to do past 10pm. I don't like watching TV all that much and there are only so many things you can look up on the computer. Any ideas would be most helpful!!

A New Year

2010-02-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it is already the middle of February but so far this year has been great! Lots of wedding planning, things are really coming together. The biggest change right now for me is that I am going to night shift! It is a bit crazy and it will be very interesting to see how my body adjusts. I have been attempting to stay up later and sleep in as long as I can to help. My first night is Thursday night. I will keep you posted on how it goes!!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-03T17:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a LONG time since my last post. We are getting ready for the holidays and enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving with the Ramsey's.

I have now been working for 8 weeks. I really enjoy working at Overlake and I have seen and done a TON in that amount of time. I am really starting to feel more comfortable with the fact that I am ACTUALLY a RN. I still love to sign my name with those initials after it.

Wedding planning is going extremely well and efficiently. Most things are taken care of at this point and so we just get to have fun and look into the little details when we have time. I also ordered my dress so I am very excited about that!

Both Steve and I are busy with work and looking forward to Christmas which is just around the corner. In the spirit of the holiday we put up our tree in early November . . . enjoy! Merry Christmas!!

Hawaii

2009-09-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

I finally uploaded the rest of our Hawaii pictures! We had SO much fun at Turtle Bay. It was a wonderful trip. Mostly we just sat by the pool or the beach, relaxed and snorkeled, it was a perfect trip. Enjoy a few pictures from the trip!

Sunset by the pool

Engaged!

Enjoying a Matsumoto Shave Ice
Lounging in a hammock by the beach

Morning breakfasts on the lanai

Sunset on the beach

Last day at Turtle Bay

Engaged!!

2009-09-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am SO happy! Steve proposed to me last night and of course I said YES!! We were out on the beach at Turtle Bay watching the sunset and just hanging out. I turned around and he was down on his knee and asked me to marry him! I was so shocked and surprised. Steve had been working really hard to throw me off the scent so I was 100% certain he would not be proposing anytime soon. Fortunately I was wrong. We are both so excited and cannot wait to see what comes next. Enjoy the pictures.

WOOHOOO!!!

2009-09-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

It's even more official! I now have a job offer which I am so excited about. It is in the Critical Care department at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, WA. It begins October 5th and I will finally be a practicing nurse! This is fantastic news and just in time for the Hawaii vacation! What a wonderful way to get to celebrate and relax before I start this rigorous program.

Pictures from Hawaii will soon follow!!

It's Official

2009-08-24T19:41:00.001-07:00

I am now an RN! I took the NCLEX last Thursday and Saturday morning found out I passed! I am official!

Whistler!

2009-08-09T19:51:00.001-07:00

Steve and I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Whistler! We started the weekend with a stop at my mom and dad's for a delicious meal and some family time. Friday morning we headed up to Whistler and did a 5 mile hike at Brandywine Falls to the Cal-Cheak Suspension bridge. It was beautiful. Saturday we hung out around the village and then did some golfing at Nicklaus North. It was Steve's first time playing in Whistler and my first time in a LONG time playing 18 holes. Both were successful! What a beautiful course. Enjoy the photos!

Overlooking the waterfall

On the trail

The suspension bridge

Enjoying a Kilkenny in the village

Golfing at Nicklaus North

Walla Walla Wine Trip

2009-08-04T17:20:00.001-07:00

This last weekend my whole family drove over to Walla Walla for a fun filled weekend of wine tasting and hanging out. My parents rented a fabulous house, we had tons of good food and even better wine! Enjoy the pictures! (I had so many I turned it into a slideshow, please ignore the random song but it was better than nothing).

Graduation Party!

2009-08-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

I am finally a Hopkins graduate! I wasn't able to physically attend my graduation but I was able to watch it AND the celebrate plenty! My celebration started off with dinner at El Gaucho with Steve which was phenomenal. Then my parents threw me a graduation party at the Frontier Room in Seattle (thanks mom and dad!). It was SO much fun and the amount of meat consumed was mildly ridiculous. I am SO happy to be done with school and am studying away for the NCLEX which I will take towards the end of the month. Thanks to everyone for all the support all throughout nursing school!!

Dinner at El Gaucho

My new nursing hat and cake!

Steve and I celebrating at Frontier Room.

The whole crew at the Frontier Room.

Not everyone got the memo about the picture though.

Whidbey Island

2009-07-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

Steve and I had a chance to go up to Whidbey Island this weekend with friends. The weather was fabulous and the crab abundant. Enjoy the pics!

Ferry Ride Over

Playing on the beach

Out to get the crab

The loot

Last Days in Baltimore

2009-07-19T19:56:00.001-07:00

This is VERY belated but I thought I would FINALLY post pictures of my last days in Baltimore and my pinning ceremony.

Public Health mandatory tour of Mt. Vernon.

My favorite church in Baltimore.

Last night in Baltimore with some of my favorite gals.

Pinning ceremony and me with the highly overpriced Ace of Cakes cake.

Seattle and Loving It!

2009-07-08T17:42:00.001-07:00

So I was told it had been a VERY long time since I have posted so here goes. I am BACK in Seattle and it is wonderful! The last 4.5 weeks have been spent at Seattle Children's in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) doing my senior practicum. I am about 150 hours in and my last day will be July 23rd with graduation on the 24th! Hard to believe it is almost here.

I have enjoyed seeing family and friends and cannot wait to be done with school! Still looking for a job so if you hear of ANY RN positions let me know!

That's all for now! I will try and post more often, it has been a whirlwind since being back!

Lily Robin Patenaude is here!

2009-05-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

My newest niece is here! She was born Friday, May 15 weighing 7lbs 7oz and 19 inches long!

Also, I headed down to DC this weekend for lunch with a couple of ladies from college. We went to a fabulous restaurant called Le Pain. I highly recommend it. Three more weeks until home!

Back to Seattle

2009-05-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

I just found out Monday that I will definitely be able to do my nursing practicum in Seattle! I will start the second week of June and will be in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) at Seattle Children's. I am super excited for that and even more excited to be moving BACK in just over 3 weeks! WOOHOO!!!

Word of the Day

2009-04-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

In the past week and a half of classes the following word has been said so many times. I kind of like it.

Egregious: Conspicuously bad or offensive. Glaring error. Gross ineptitude.

Final Semester!!

2009-04-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would post the classes I will be taking for my final semester in nursing school. I have the following:

Public Health Nursing
Transitions into Professional Practice
Special Topics in Nursing: Acute Care of Children

I will have these three courses with a clinical in Public Health Nursing for 7 weeks. After that I will have a 7 week practicum . . . location TBD . . . and then I am DONE!

My clinical this last semester will be at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Clinic working with patients with ALS. I believe we do some work in the clinic and also home visits although I am not exactly sure how that works!

More later!

8 More Weeks of Class!

2009-04-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished classes for the week and only have finals left for this semester and then I start my final 7 weeks of classes before transitions/practicum!! Still no update on whether I get to do my practicum in Seattle so keep those fingers crossed.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2009-04-04T15:46:00.001-07:00

A couple of the girls from my program and I drove down to DC today to walk around and see the Cherry Blossoms. It was SO crowded but beautiful! Enjoy the pictures below.

Vegas!!

2009-03-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

I had a fun, yet very quick trip to Vegas this past weekend. I met Steve, Jeff and Steph and we had tons of fun. My weekend consisted of flying, a little gambling, pool time and hanging out. Below are some pictures.

Spring Break

2009-03-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

I got back from Washington state on Sunday and I can hardly believe it is Thursday already! Spring break was wonderful but it made me miss home even more. Fortunately I can see the light at the end of the tunnel so that makes it better. Here is what my spring break consisted of:

Family Dinner
Jen's Baby Shower (a success although I seemed to have used the wrong setting on the camera so I have no pictures to show for it)
Went to second grade
Babysat Rian (picture below in the cute hat I had made her)
Met Lucy and Madeline (Kelli and Ethan's baby girls who are just adorable and very sweet)
Went to Whistler (Went snowboarding and didn't injure myself in any way! Pictures are below.)
Back to Seattle
Back to Baltimore

It was so much fun and I get to head to Vegas tomorrow so I will post pictures when I get back!

Pet Peeve

2009-03-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

When people spell 'stomach' with an e, as in, 'stomache.' That is all.

Quick Update

2009-03-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post! I am now in my 3rd week of my pediatrics rotation, although I have only had two days of clinical so far and I love it already!! I get to go home to Seattle/Lynden on Saturday for a week off and some Whistler fun! Also, Moya flew in from Boise the other day for some work down in DC so Eleni drove up and we went to dinner. As always it was great to see friends (below is a picture)! That is just a super quick update but I will write more after spring break!

Compliments get you everywhere . . .

2009-02-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

Today was my very last day of Med-Surg clinical. It was absolutely, hands down, my favorite clinical so far. I loved the floor I was on, my classmates were fantastic, my clinical instructor was phenomenal and the nurses were great!

So as I mentioned in my last post, my patient yesterday had no eye. This person was so wonderful and inspiring. They had had a tumor in the orbit of their skull, it was removed but then they had to go through 7 more years of repairs/surgeries until this newest surgery that was done. Like I mentioned previously, it was a fantastic experience and I got to do all sorts of fun nursing duties. Well, at the end of each day I always say how nice it was to meet my patient and good luck with everything. Today my patient told me that likewise it was great to meet me and that they appreciated all that I did for them over the last two days. As I was leaving the room, the patient calls me back in, looked me in the eye and said "Julia, you are really good at what you do." That is definitely one of the best compliments I have received. What a wonderful way to end my Med-Surg Clinical! Thank you patient.

LOTS of Updates!

2009-02-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

So it has been a while and I have many updates. First, here are some pictures from when Steve visited. He got here last Friday, we went to Iggie's for pizza and then to my favorite bar, Brewers Art for a beer. Saturday we went out to dinner at La Scala where we shared a delicious grilled caesar salad (so good) and a delicious pasta dish with shrimp in a red sauce. It was a very happy Valentine's.

Sunday we ventured to Boordy Vineyards for their monthly theme of wine and fondue. The fondue was tasty but we realized that Maryland wine holds nothing on Washington! It was lots of fun but we didn't even buy a bottle!

Monday, I dropped Steve off at the airport and it was back to school for me! As I mentioned in my previous post, I am now done with my Med-Surg (Adult Health) class and get to start Pediatrics on Monday! I just got my clinical assignment and I will be in the Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation at Mt. Washington. It will definitely be a good experience and help get me prepared for my real career in pediatrics!

This week I am still in Med-Surg for clinical and my patient was very interesting today . . . my patient had no eye. It was a very odd experience but very interesting. I got to do flap checks, change a wound dressing, discontinue an IV, suction a trach patient and admin a bunch of meds. As always, I had a great clinical day and tomorrow is my last day!

Tomorrow is Friday and then on to the weekend! Just 22 more days until Spring Break and another trip to Seattle.

Yikes!

2009-02-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

I just finished my application for my RN license in the state of Washington as well as my NCLEX application. I am a little early on all that but better early than late! Anyway, it is a bit freaky that it is all becoming so real. I can't wait to graduate but I am a bit nervous for the NCLEX!!

Anyway, I also finished my Med-Surg class today so I am happy to report that I get to start my pediatrics rotation next week! I will have more to report after this weeks clinical and I find out my new location for peds.

More to come soon . . .

2 More Weeks

2009-02-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

I just finished week 5 with just two more weeks for my adult health class. Also Steve comes a week from today so I am REALLY looking forward to that!

My week went well, had another exam (I feel like I have one every week), got a bit of work done and had a great week at clinical.

This week brought a very wonderful patient! The patient was the sweetest and I got to do some more suctioning and do quite a few meds. I had her on Thursday and Friday. I picked up a second patient today and got him situated and discharged. Also, just before I left today I got to change a dressing on my classmates patient's skin graft site. It was pretty neat, quite bloody and it hurt the patient a lot (for which I feel bad). They were a trooper and we got it changed! It took a whole hour but it was definitely a very cool experience and great practice!

Oh and my funny story of the week is that I went into my patient's room, getting him ready for discharge and asked him how comfortable he felt doing drain care at home (one of his surgical sites had a drain). He looked at me, smiled and said "Oh I feel great about it, considering the doctors just came in and pulled it out!" I couldn't help but laugh . . . oops!

Misc. Update

2009-01-31T13:58:00.000-08:00

I just completed week 4 of school which means that I am more than halfway done with my adult health rotation, just 3 weeks left!

This week was slightly uneventful. I had another test which went well. School this week was interrupted by a random snow/ice storm that left us with a day off on Wednesday. It seemed nice at the time until we received word that the lecture would instead be posted for our listening pleasure and yes, it would be on the quiz this weekend.

Clinical this week was a good one. My patient had had a partial glossectomy (part of the tongue removed) related to cancer of the tongue (don't smoke). Mostly all I did on Thursday and Friday was push heavy narcotics that before we weren't even allowed to look at. I pushed fentanyl and dilaudid in excessive amounts. I am now an expert in pushing medications IV.

OR Day

2009-01-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

With my excitement over Obama and the inauguration I forgot to post about my OR day. I was able to spend last Friday in the general OR at Hopkins. It was such a neat opportunity! I saw a liver resection where they removed a gallbladder and 3 sections of liver from a person. It is crazy how adaptable our bodies can be after such a procedure. Did you know you can give away 70% of your liver to a friend and it will grow back?

Anyway, the OR is definitely something I might consider down the line in my nursing career but I am still too excited about interacting with patients to jump right to the OR.

A few facts you may not know based on what TV has shown you:

They leave the lights on in the OR.
There are more than just doctors in there.
They do indeed play music, the type depends on surgeon preference. We had a nice mix.
Cauterizing smells like wood burning.

That's pretty much it for now! I am in my third week of school already with my first test of the semester tomorrow. I also just found out Steve is coming to visit in three weeks so that really made my day!!

Obama!!

2009-01-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

My friend Julia and I braved the elements today and headed out to hear Barack Obama speak in Baltimore. I debated whether to go but in the end I decided that this was a part of history I did not want to miss out on (despite the below freezing temperatures). Below are a few pictures of us getting progressively colder and more bundled as the hours passed.

We arrived to wait at about 10:30, were ushered through security at 1pm and were in position for more waiting by 1:30. It was a beautiful day though and they did their best to provide entertainment for us while waiting until Obama's arrival at 4:15pm!

While we waited various forms of entertainment were made available. We worked out with some trainer that once met Ray Lewis who encouraged us to exercise and eat our vegetables. Fortunately the calisthenics worked and actually returned blood flow to my toes.

Next this fantastic gospel choir came . . . I made a short video. Please excuse my shaky hands on all my videos. I did my best with my camera.

Finally was the time, we could hear the motorcade arrive. It was really amazing to see Obama speak. He has such a powerful presence. Below are my pictures and a few short videos of various parts of his speech. I can't wait to see the inauguration!

One Week Down!

2009-01-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

My first week of school was good. My adult health class is very interesting . . . not so sure about the other two at this point. I have a TON more time on my hands this semester so I think I am going to have my friend Nellie teach me to knit!

My clinical was great! My instructor is fabulous and I think she will really challenge me and also help me to be very independent in my nursing decisions and really help me to think through the things that I am doing.

I think I said already but I am on a surgical oncology floor. I think I might love it but all the stories are a bit sad so that may be kind of tough. The majority of patients are post-op of GI, plastics and otolaryngology. There is a lot of head and neck cancer which means lots of tracheostomies.

My patient this week had had a temporal resection with a flap related to a squamos cell cancer. This essentially is when they remove the majority of one's ear and then take a flap of skin from elsewhere (this patient's thigh) and suture it over the surgery site. The patient was in such good spirits and his family was amazing I really enjoyed working with that patient. I got to do all the discharge stuff (LOTS of paperwork), morning assessments, patient teaching and even remove my first IV. I can tell that this clinical will fly by and I will get to practice a lot of skills!

Next week I get to start giving ALL meds which will be great! Last semester we could really only give a few things. Now we can do everything including any IV infusions, narcotics, insulin, heparin and even blood if its needed. I can't wait!

That is pretty much it for now. I started a countdown to graduation and it is currently at 195 days (including holidays, breaks and weekends). Now on to studying!

Back to School

2009-01-05T15:00:00.001-08:00

After a three week hiatus I am back in school. I started class again today and it looks like it will be an interesting quarter.

My classes this time are:

Nursing for Adult Physical Health (1st 7 weeks)
Nursing for Child Health (2nd 7 weeks)
The Research Process in Nursing (All 14 weeks)
Information Technology in Nursing (All 14 weeks)

My two clinical courses are the adult physical health and child health. I will be starting in the Surgical Oncology unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I am super excited although I can't really say I know 100% what that means. I will also get to do an OR day which I am REALLY looking forward to!!

My winter break went by WAY too quickly but I got to do a lot AND I only have about 7 months left until the big graduation day.

I got three weeks off, spent time in Lynden with my family and time in Seattle with Steve and friends. Below are some pictures from my trip! Enjoy!

The trip started out with Tea with the Ladies at the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle. (I am the one hiding in the back).

After that I headed up to Lynden for a week with the parents and LOTS of snow!

After heading back to Seattle, Steve took me to my first Seahawks game . . . and Holmgren's last. We also enjoyed the snow and the bonfire in Kirkland with Steve's family.

Christmas Eve was spent at the Ramsey's and Christmas Day in Lynden. It was even more fun than usual with everyone visiting and little Rian running around! The time with family was invaluable.

Steve and I also enjoyed the snow at my parents house and created our very own, very large snowman.

New Year's Eve dinner, compliments of Chef Stephen . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday Fun in Balmer

2008-12-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

The past week has brought lots of fun things that have made me VERY excited for the holidays. First was the lighting of the George Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon. There were fireworks, music, vendors and lots of people. Unfortunately it seems that not all the lights actually turned on but it was quite exciting nonetheless.

Then last night as a study break (and my first adventure outside that day) Maren, Jessica and I went to see some Christmas lights on a famous street in Hampden.

Now I am really ready to get home for Christmas!!

Check it off the List

2008-12-05T16:13:00.001-08:00

I am now DONE with my psych clinical! Woohoo! It was definitely a lot more interesting than I thought and a great learning experience but I am VERY happy to be DONE!!

Kind of Strange

2008-12-03T12:38:00.001-08:00

I officially applied for graduation today. I am not even halfway done with school yet! How funny and exciting! Can't wait for July 24, 2009!!!

50% Nurse

2008-12-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

I am just one day of classes, two days of clinical and three finals away from being halfway done with my program and on to three weeks of vacation!

I just got back from Thanksgiving in Seattle where I had a lovely break and the chance to see lost of family and Steve! I flew for a very long time but it was worth it.

My flight home was uneventful and I had a chance to do some reading. Not for school mind you . . . I am currently (and somewhat embarrassed to admit) addicted to the Twilight Saga. I am now two books in and cannot wait to get home and read the last two.

Once I got home I spent some time in Seattle, hung out with Steve's family, then it was on to my parents house. It was great to see everyone!

My trip back was not quite as uneventful . . . being the nice person that I am, I gave up my seat to a married couple with an itty bitty baby and got stuck in the middle seat. My flight was a bit bumpy but we landed so I can't complain too much. It took me two hours to get home from the airport and the shuttle driver pulled over on the side of the highway to relieve himself but eventually I did make it back!

Here are some pictures! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I can hardly believe . . .

2008-11-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

That it is almost Thanksgiving! At the beginning of the semester it felt like forever but now that it is almost over it seems that time has flown by. I am looking forward to heading back to Seattle on Tuesday . . . I am just one paper away!

Happy Holidays!

Aww Poop . . .

2008-11-06T15:36:00.002-08:00

I thought when I had my rotation in Psych Mental Health I would have a break from bodily fluids and the sort but alas it isn't so. Apparently all fields of nursing have an equal opportunity for exposure to poop. Yes I know that feces is a more polite term but to me it will always be poo. Apparently I look like just the gal to assign the older adult with bowel incontinence. Now don't get me wrong my patient was a sweetheart, I enjoyed my TWO days of working with him and I learned a ton but alas I was once again reminded that adult feces are not my forte. Fortunately the patient had lovingly supplied air freshener so I could mask the odor quite nicely with the smell of flowers but not before gagging just a little bit. Give me blood, wounds, needles, even vomit and NO problem but throw in some poop or even worse a colostomy (patient from the summer) and I crumble just a little bit. They have told us throughout nursing school that every nurse has SOMETHING they have trouble with and it was confirmed once again for me that adult poop is mine . . . I guess that is why I see pediatrics in my future.

I am sorry for the very graphic nature of this post but if I can't share it here my friends then where exactly CAN I share it. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Steve's Visit

2008-11-04T11:49:00.001-08:00

I was SO happy to get to see Steve this past weekend. Here is what we did on his visit to Baltimore . . . it was jam packed!

Friday Steve got to Baltimore at about 5 and after I picked him up we headed to Iggie's, my favorite pizza place in Baltimore. Afterward we went to a Halloween party at a friend's house. I was a rabbit and Steve was a pumpkin.

Saturday morning we drove to Gettysburg and did the two hour auto tour around the battlefields. It was a very interesting experience and I definitely recommend it! Fall is definitely here and the trees were gorgeous! Below are pictures. That evening, after getting back to Baltimore, we went to Little Italy for dinner and ate at Sabatino's. It was delicious but if you go be sure to share or expect leftovers for at least two meals!

Sunday we went to Max's in Fells Point. They have about 15 TV's and delicious pulled pork nachos. Steve watched football and I studied for my pharmacology test.

Steve left Monday morning but I am happy to report that I am heading home in just three weeks for Thanksgiving and then just two weeks after that for my Christmas break!! Classes are going well, I had test three of four in pharmacology today and a psychology test tomorrow . . . wish me luck!

Thought for the Day

2008-10-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

The problem with having a studio is that after you make dinner the whole place smells. It permeates everything! One dinner of teriyaki chicken cooked on a grill pan and the whole place smells for days. I even opened the window to let in the gale force winds that Baltimore is currently blowing but all I ended up with was a stinky windy apartment. Now I suppose that there are worse smells than cooked chicken but still . . .

From Babies to Psych

2008-10-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

I finished my labor and delivery rotation today and next week I am moving on to psychiatric nursing. I will be working at a hospital in an inpatient unit where they have a wide range of disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, etc). I can't wait for my first post after that! I have heard from the group that did psych the first part of the semester that basically I will be solidifying my ability to ask questions!

Anyway, a final update on how my labor and delivery rotation finished up. I did finally get to see a vaginal delivery! It was an amazing experience but honestly not all that different looking than the videos! My patient received an epidural so even my doula skills were not that useful since she couldn't feel anything. I put in her catheter so more experience there. My patient was particularly lucky because she only pushed for about 15 minutes and had no complications at all! It was a baby girl, 6lbs 1oz and she was adorable. I again got to do eyes and thighs on the baby and vitals every 30 minutes.

I am happy to be another step closer to graduating! I can't believe that half the semester is already done and it is getting close to Thanksgiving! Thank goodness time seems to fly by!

It's A Boy!

2008-10-09T13:24:00.001-07:00

I had my first baby today! It was a repeat cesarean section. The baby boy was born a healthy 8 pounds. It was a fantastic experience and I loved the OR experience. Here is a bit about my day:

7:30 introduce myself to the patient and her husband and hope she likes me enough to do her foley.
7:45 put in my first foley! It was an interesting experience but it went pretty well. It is a little tougher than you might think but my patient didn't complain and she had no anesthesia so it couldn't have been too bad.
8:00 into the OR and out of the way.
8:05 watch the spinal placed . . . very cool.
8:15 again out of the way as much as possible with the best view possible and they start to cut. I am always AMAZED by the human body and to be able to see the inner workings makes it even better!
8:30 baby out and over to the pediatricians. I have about five minutes from this point to try and remember everything I am supposed to do and put on my gloves.
8:35 do "eyes and thighs" which is the babies very first shot (sorry) and the eye ointment in both eyes. I also did respirations, heart rate and the official foot prints
8:40 swaddle the baby and hand to dad so that the mom can see her little bundle of joy!
8:50 doctors finish closing and we move into recovery
9:00-10:30 stay in recovery, hang out with the family and take babies vitals every 30 minutes.
10:30 mom headed to postpartum and I am DONE!

It was such an amazing experience. I am hoping for a vaginal birth tomorrow!

Two Different Shoes

2008-10-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

No, that is not the name of a song . . . I actually wore two different shoes today. I got to class and looked down at my foot and thought, hm, I didn't mean to wear that shoe. This caused me to look at my other foot and sure enough I had on one shiny black shoe and one not shiny blue shoe. Fortunately at least they were the same brand. OOPS!

Another Week Done

2008-10-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

So I finished another week! Starting on week 6 this week and getting really close to the halfway point for this semester. I am definitely not used to semesters. This 14 week thing seems awfully long!

My Friday was good. Still no babies BUT I did get to be a part of the labor process. The woman I was working with on Friday went from 2cm to 6cm while I was there but the end of the day came to quickly and there was no baby while I was there. It was great practice for birth companions though!

The Cake concert I went to Thursday night was lots of fun. Below is a picture.

Anyway, my weekend was spent studying, a Friday run to get sundaes and a little bit of shopping. It is back to class tomorrow with a big Pharm test on Wednesday!

The Placentas Go in There . . .

2008-10-02T14:36:00.001-07:00

Last week I did orientation to the labor and delivery (L&D) department for the start of my L&D rotation. The tour went like this . . . these are the L&D suites, this is the OR, here is the staff restroom, here is the nutrition room, supplies . . . oh and the placentas go in here. For some reason I haven't been able to get that comment out of my head!

Anyway, today was my first day of L&D and it was quite uneventful. My instructor assigned patients starting with the first of the alphabet and since my last name starts with an "S" I didn't get a patient today. It was a pretty boring day of sitting around but I did get the chance to see a spinal and a tubal ligation (tubes tied) which was pretty interesting.

I have never seen a spinal and it was pretty crazy. You definitely hear a "POP" as it gets inserted into the right place and there was definitely cerebral spinal fluid dripping out for a second after it was placed BUT the lady felt NOTHING from the armpits down so I guess it did the job.

Tomorrow is day two of L&D and me and the other girl who didn't see a birth today have been promised a woman who is fairly well dilated . . . should be a good Friday! Oh and I am off to a Cake concert this evening so I get to have a bit of fun as well!

Just Like a Blind Date

2008-09-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

I went on my first prenatal visit today to meet one of the mothers that I am a prospective birth companion for. It was just like a blind date . . . fortunately she is quite pregnant so when I was looking for them in the coffee shop she stuck out like a sore thumb.

Overall I think the meeting went well. Generally for birth companions there are supposed to be two of us that attend the birth but it looks like she would prefer just one. We will see how it goes!

Delicious Recipe

2008-09-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have been a cooking maniac today. First, I made and froze homemade chili (YUM) and then for dinner I made this spicy pasta sauce from a recipe my mom sent. The sauce was delicious so I thought I would share!

Bon Appetit!

Spicy Tomato Sauce

3 T. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
2 T. drained capers, rinsed
salt to taste
generous pinch of red pepper flakes
28 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed

In a large skillet heat the oil over a medium high flame. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the olives, capers, salt, and red pepper flakes. Saute for one minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary.

(This is delicious with penne or rigatoni)

Ideas Welcome . . .

2008-09-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have fewer classes this semester and more time on my hands which means more free time for me. So I am sitting in my apartment trying my darndest not to study too much today but I am running out of things to do. I had dinner, my apartment is clean, I have no laundry, I have caught up with friends via e-mail, I have stalked my share of people on both myspace and facebook and that is about all I can think of.

Your ideas are welcome for how I can fill my time.

Fall?

2008-09-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

I heard that fall technically started but I am still not sure I believe it. It has been increasingly cooler here in Baltimore but the sun is still shining and it still gets into the 70's. I hope the leaves start to turn colors soon, I am ready!

I just finished week 4 of classes and can't believe I am more than halfway done with my OB class. I just had my midterm and in just 3 short weeks I will be done and on to psych! I finished my birth companion class and have a couple of mothers signed up to work with which is really exciting. I get to switch from postpartum to labor and Delivery on Friday. Hopefully I will have an exciting story and get to see my first birth!

I also got the chance to go see Tara and Lisa in DC last weekend. It was a bunch of fun and really great to see some old friends.

Cross your fingers for a good story on Friday!

Yikes!!

2008-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

I have been assigned a mother for my birth companions course. She is due on September 26th . . . kind of scary but exciting at the same time!!!

Fall Semester is Underway

2008-09-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

I just completed week two of my fall semester so I thought I better update on what has been going on in Baltimore. I have fewer classes this semester so a bit more non-class time on my hands, however, now my free time has been taken up with memorizing various drugs, studying pathophysiology and things about childbearing.

My classes this semester are a bit harder than last but very interesting. It is really fun to see all the information come together. I love my clinical rotation so far this semester. I am working in the postpartum department and working with new mom's. I have learned how to do a full postpartum assessment, given my first medications and even my first shot! This clinical is a lot more hands on which I really enjoy! I am starting to feel like a real nurse!

I have two more weeks of postpartum and then I will do labor and deliver for a few weeks before switching clinicals and moving on to psych. I am really looking forward to seeing some babies being born! The rotation this time is just SO happy, I leave every day feeling energized since there are so many happy people around.

I have started my doula training and I have a long seminar this weekend. I should be working with my first mom in the next couple of weeks. If you are interested in reading more about Doulas you can visit http://www.dona.org/. I am just so impressed with everything I have learned about being a Doula and what a fantastic thing it is to do.

Anyway, that is about it from me! The weather here is not so good which will make it easier to stay in and study. I have my first exam of the semester next week so its time to crack down and study.

More to come later . . .

I'm Back!!

2008-08-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

After a three week, wonderful break in Seattle . . . I am back. I got back to Baltimore on Wednesday and I will be starting classes on Tuesday, right after Labor Day.

When I was home it was fabulous to see everyone! Below are some photos from my trip! I will be back again in December, I can't wait to see you all again.

Also, I started blogging on my schools website, feel free to check it out.
http://www.son.jhmi.edu/blogs/

Whidbey Island

BBQ at Steve's

Wedding

Samish Island

One Semester Down . . .

2008-08-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

. . . three to go! I finished up finals yesterday and after a long day of celebration, I am getting ready to head back to Seattle in a few hours.

The first semester was a whirlwind with more information thrown at me than I ever thought possible. It was a fantastic experience. I am excited for the three week break and then its back to the races! There will be a bit of studying over break considering they assigned about 20 chapters of reading in my next semester classes but I am excited to see friends and family.

I am really looking forward to next semester . . . I will get to spend two days in the hospital rather than the one that we had this semester which will be great experience!

Falls

2008-08-06T05:40:00.001-07:00

In studying for my aging final today, I came across the definition for falls and for some reason I really enjoy it.

Falls: An event which results in a person unintentionally coming to rest on the ground or another lower level.

I Can Hardly Believe It

2008-08-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

It is kind of crazy but my first semester of classes (minus finals) is done! I finished my last classes today, have my finals next week and then will be heading back to Seattle for a much needed break!

A Note to Nurses

2008-07-31T15:38:00.001-07:00

PLEASE turn your patients. I saw a stage four pressure ulcer on the sacrum of an older adult today, it was crazy AND totally preventable with the proper care. Turn patients at least every two hours and you can prevent skin breakdown! Do it!!

If you have never seen one, google it and take a look. They are pretty gnarly.

Doula!!

2008-07-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am going to be a doula! Below is a definition.

Doula: A non-medical assistant in childbirth. A doula is not the father but is usually a woman who is experienced in childbirth. The role of the doula is to provide the mother with physical and emotional assistance before, during, or after childbirth. Also known as a birth assistant, birth companion, childbirth assistant, or labor support professional.

I can't wait!!

Words of the Day

2008-07-26T19:07:00.001-07:00

Pruritic: Itchy

Trichotillomania: The compulsion to tear or pluck out the hair on one's head and face and often to ingest it.

The second one may not be all that useful in every day conversation but I just really like saying it.

Pictures!

2008-07-21T18:07:00.001-07:00

My Mom sent me pictures and I finally have time to upload them! These are a sampling of pictures from my parent's and Steve's visit around the 4th of July with commentary.

Fells Point the first night everyone arrived.

Breakfast at Jimmy's on the 4th of July

Fort McHenry (please note my dad looking into the front of the cannon)

Watching the fireworks . . . one of the best shows I have seen.

Crab Feast!

Trip to Annapolis

Dinner before Steve left at La Scala . . . I highly recommend it!

My parents played paparazzi while I was leaving school. Yes I am wearing jeans and a sweater and yes it was 90 degrees outside . . . the AC works at school.

Dinner at Pazzo before my parents left . . . I also recommend this restaurant!

Mom and me on the water.

It was fabulous to see Steve and my parents. Come and visit!!

3 More Weeks . . .

2008-07-19T11:23:00.001-07:00

. . . and I will be 1/4 of a nurse! Kind of hard to believe but my first semester of nursing school is wrapping up. I have two more weeks of class and then finals and then I get a three week break.

While my parents were here my mom took some pictures of my school so I thought I would post them since this is where I spend 99% of my time in Baltimore. Enjoy!

Misc. Pictures

2008-07-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

I finally uploaded all sorts of pictures from my camera and here they are (with commentary):

Post-Clinical trip to Trader Joe's, uniforms and all.

Tara and Eleni came to visit and have brunch!

Mom, Dad and Steve in town for the 4th of July weekend.

Caught in a rainstorm without an umbrella.

I will have MANY more pictures from when my parents and Steve were here once I get them from my Mom. Enjoy these for now!

Classes!!

2008-07-09T16:22:00.001-07:00

I registered for Fall Semester on Tuesday! Here is what I will be taking:

- Nursing the Childbearing Family (7 Weeks)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (7 Weeks)
- Pathophysiology (Whole Semester)
- Pharmacology (Whole Semester)

The first two are my clinical courses and switch halfway through the semester. I am trying to get into the Birthing Companions course as well so I can be a registered Doula. Keep your fingers crossed!

Procrastination, truly the best medicine

2008-07-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am FINALLY finishing up a very intense week. Lets review things that were due within 7 days:

- Dosage Calcuation Online Exam

- IPOC (ie, long ridiculous plan of care)

- Online Quiz about the Abdomen

- Medicine Administration Sign-Offs

- Issues in Aging Exam

- Take Home Midterm

- Writing assignment on Cardiovascular/Peripheral Vascular systems

- P&A Exam

- Issues in Aging Paper

Okay, I think that's it but you get the point! Actually the P&A exam is tomorrow and thus my procrastination! I am definitely looking forward to my Mom and Dad and Steve coming on Thursday! I can't wait for a small break.

Just a brief update, aside from all of the above (which I am almost done with) I did have a chance to have a bit of fun! Ry, a girl in my program, had her birthday part last Saturday which I attended. Below are a couple pictures. She lives in a converted church that was made into condos. It is quite possibly the coolest house I have been in. I didn't get pictures of the house this time but I will work on that for a future post.

Thought for the Day

2008-06-28T05:09:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up, poured myself some cheerios and sat down to some morning reading. Now most people, while eating their cereal, read the paper or watch the news. This morning I was focused on elimination (feces and urine). Oh how my life has changed.

Hopkins

2008-06-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

A six part series on Hopkins starts tomorrow at 9pm. Should be interesting!!

Shots!

2008-06-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

We have been working on shots this week and last and I finally got to try on a real person . . . ME! I gave myself a shot of saline into my belly. It was great!

4 Weeks!

2008-06-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just realized that, as of yesterday, I have been in Baltimore for 4 weeks! My how time flies. Steve and my mom and dad will be here in less than 2 weeks for a visit which will be wonderful! I can't wait!!

Week Three . . . DRE

2008-06-18T16:53:00.001-07:00

It's Wednesday today, halfway through another week, which, as usual seems to be flying by! I never thought that school and studying could take up so much time but alas!! I had my very first Johns Hopkins exam this morning . . . the start of many. Pretty much from now until the end of the semester, I have an exam or large project due every week.

Right now I am learning pretty much all of the basics. We practiced subcutaneous (SQ) injections, blood glucose testing, reconstituting medicines and administering PO (by mouth) medicines. In addition, in our other lab, we are learning basic system exams. I am now trained in the respiration exam, cardiac and peripheral vascular exams. I am basically famous because of my heart murmur.

Tomorrow we have our second clinical and we will be required to assist with AM Care which includes: Vitals, Assisting (based on patient's level of need) with baths and changing bed linens. We also are working on acquainting ourselves with a patient's chart.

Anyway . . . that's the basic update for this week. I am finding it truly astonishing the amount of information I have already learned! Each week is definitely exciting and new!

(And if you were wondering about the title of this post . . . I was told in class that I would do at least a dozen of these exams throughout my career in nursing, I challenge you to google it . . . something to look forward to.)

Words of the Day

2008-06-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hemoptysis: Spitting up blood or blood-tinged sputum.

Pneumothorax: A collection of air or gas in the chest or pleural space that causes part or all of a lung to collapse.

2nd Week Down . . . 7 more to go

2008-06-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

They told us when we started this program that the first two weeks were like the slow part of a roller coaster and then after that we just take off flying . . . from looking forward at my schedule I think they might be right.

Bring on the exams!

Clinical!

2008-06-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

My first day of clinical was a success. I had a bit of apprehension when we first got there but today was pretty low key. Today we were paired up in two's but generally we will be on our own. We accompanied our patient to PT/OT which is where we spent most of our time but we did take the patient back to their room and got to practice/take Vital Signs (VS).

Overall I would say that it was a good experience and I can definitely tell that clinical is the way to gain the majority of the knowledge and to really put into practice what they are telling us.

Next week I will have a new patient and am supposed to work on VS, Respiratory sounds, AM activities and anything else I learn from now until then! Can't wait!!

First Week and Clinical Info

2008-06-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

I survived my first week! I realized I now only have 8 more weeks of class and then one week of finals and the first semester is over! Yikes!!

The first week was fantastic! There is a TON of reading, for which I have decided to train myself in speed reading when I go home for break. The classes are long and the amount of important information I receive is ridiculous! I have about a 35 hour week which includes a lot of lecture, a lot of lab, and 6 hours of clinical.

This week we didn't have real clinical, it turns out they want us to know a little bit of information before putting us in with real patients but I did get my assignment. I will spend the next 8 weeks in a rehab facility for spinal cord injuries/neuro with some medical overflow. As I understand it, patients could be of all ages with a vast number of reasons for visit. I will be working on vital signs and complete health histories my first week! Just to spark your imagination, here are two beautiful pictures of my uniform!! I wore my stethoscope for effect. Please pay special attention to the tapered pants and the over-sized lab jacket. If that isn't fashion, I don't know what is.

Anyway, this first week was a bit of an adjustment but I feel a lot more settled in Baltimore and I am getting into a rhythm for studying so that is good.

This weekend will be spent READING mostly, this morning I read about safety at home, in the hospital and in general and I also read self care and hygiene. Thrilling. Back to studying!

HOT!!!

2008-06-06T03:53:00.000-07:00

I just looked at the weather forecast this morning for Baltimore . . .

87 Today
96 Tomorrow
98 Sunday
100 Monday

I am going to melt!!!

Word of the Day

2008-06-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Diaphoresis - excessive sweating commonly associated with shock and other medical emergency conditions.

Diaphoretic - the state of perspiring profusely, or something that has the power to cause increased perspiration.

First Day of School

2008-06-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

It is a tradition in my family that on the first day of school you have your picture taken. Here's mine!

My first day of class went really well and I am excited for the first week so that I can get a taste of all of my classes and a better feel for everything.

Class Schedule

2008-05-30T12:38:00.001-07:00

I received my final class schedule today. I am taking about 35 hours of class a week. My courses are as follows:

Foundations of Nursing
Health Assessment
Nursing Trends & Issues
Principles & Applications of Nursing Interventions
Issues in Aging

My clinical rotations this time will most likely be in a rehabilitation facility. This semester I will spend 5 hours a week in clinical. After this semester, I will spend about 16 hours a week and then my final semester I will spend 36 hours a week in the clinical setting. I can't wait!!

Holy Books

2008-05-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the Johns Hopkins Bookstore and after many $$'s I am now the proud owner of 9 new books, 3 course packs and a couple supplies!

I am not even joking when I say that I almost needed a weightlifting belt to carry them all . . . cross your fingers they will be used over the year!

My New Pad

2008-05-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

Finally, pictures of my apartment! I live in the Standard Oil Building located in Mt. Vernon in Baltimore.

My apartment is a studio with more than enough space! I have three closets, a kitchen, a bathroom and laundry in my building. The best part is that my utilities (including AC) are included!!

Also, I love the Mt. Vernon area. It is very historical and has lots of fun shops, restaurants and bars. Below is a picture of the very first Washington Monument (before the one in DC) which is pretty much the center of Mt. Vernon and where my shuttle home from school drops me off in the afternoon.

I will be posting more information on what I learned at orientation soon . . . stay tuned.

I Have Arrived!!

2008-05-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

I now live on the East Coast (for 13 months anyway) . . . and let me tell you, compared to Seattle, it is HOT. It's hot and it is not even THAT hot for the East Coast, at least not yet anyway. Here is an update of my adventures in moving.

Day One - Ikea
Steve and I arrived Friday morning after taking a red eye on Thursday evening. We travelled aboard AirTran which is quite possibly the most cramped I have ever been. We did arrive safely, however so I can't complain too much. We got our baggage (4 checked bags, 2 carry-ons and a purse) and got our rental car. We drove to my brand new apartment, picked up my keys and headed on out to Ikea and Target.

After spending more money in one day than I have ever spent, we headed home to build (gotta love Ikea)! I unpacked and Steve built, I built and Steve built more but after just about 4 hours we had everything set up! Then we headed down to the Inner Harbor for some dinner.

Day Two - Walking
Saturday was spent walking and exploring. First we visited the local Safeway, which it turns out is pretty much the same but all the labels are different. Dropped off the groceries, headed over to Costco, dropped off another load and decided to explore. We walked . . . down to the nursing school, over to the Inner Harbor, over to Fells Point, back to the Inner Harbor and then back to my apartment. We mapquested and realized we walked about 7 miles. It was A LOT of walking but it really helped me get my bearings.

Day Three - DC (and more walking)
Sunday, Steve and I drove down to Washington DC for monuments and a baseball game. We purchased our SPF 50 and began exploring. We saw the Washington Monument, WWII, Vietnam, Lincoln, the White House and again walked about 5 miles. It was also a biker convention and we had to try and navigate the streets to find our way to Nationals Park. We stayed at the Nationals game until about the 6th inning but both agreed that we were overheated and headed back to Baltimore. We did find out the Nationals won. Nationals 7, Brewers 6.

Sunday evening we laid low. Steve's flight left Monday (today) at 3am so we baked a pizza (my kitchen supplied have not yet arrived) and watched Lost.

Day 4 - Today
Today I am just laying low, maybe exploring a bit more and crossing my fingers that my car comes tomorrow. Wednesday through Friday of this week is Orientation so I will add updates when I have more information!

Oh and pictures of my new apartment are to come!

Getting Excited

2008-05-02T07:56:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's almost time!! I only have 5 days of work left in the office, then a trip to New York and then finally a whirlwind trip of visiting people and saying goodbye.

Everything is coming together! I signed my lease yesterday and confirmed my new address.

I am SO excited!!