Seriously, my circadian rhythm is all messed up. I suppose that's what I get for staying up until 4:15 Sunday night/Monday morning to write a paper. Oh, and a cold. I got a head cold, too. (Apparently twenty-seven is officially too old for that sort of nonsense.)
Have I learned my lesson? In theory, yes. In practice? ...we'll see.
I'm ready for this semester to be over. I have a test tomorrow, work over the weekend, and another test on Monday - and then I leave for California for the NSNA convention. I'm pretty excited about it, mostly because it's a change from the same ol'. And the weather promises to be much more agreeable than the 40 degree rainy days we're having around here.
I'm considering another camera upgrade. I love my Powershot SD500, but the limited zoom is starting to get me down. When I bought it, I desperately wanted a super compact camera that I could wedge in the back pocket of even the tightest jeans, and the SD500 certainly fit the bill. But after shooting with it for about a year and a half, I really began to miss the creative liberties available with a longer focal length lens (which in the point and shoot world means more zoom). I've been looking around, and I think a good compromise is the Canon Powershot A710 IS. It has a 6x optical zoom, but is still fairly compact. I hate to spend too much money, because one of the purchases I intend to make upon graduating (and procuring a real job) is a Nikon digital SLR. However, that's out of reach at the moment, and mostly I need myself a zoomier point and shoot to get me by for another year.
This week, upon walking into our chapter meeting for MSNA (Montana Student Nurses Association), I was immediately bombarded with, "Mandi, want to run for chapter president for next year?" Since no one else was keen on taking the position, I (slightly grudgingly) agreed. I already hold a position on the MSNA state board, but I figured, eh, why not? I'm actually pretty excited about it now, though. All the other newly elected local officers are friends from my class, so I think we'll have a great time. Back when I was a music major, I was the president of our local chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, so I've got a little experience that might come in handy.
Okay, time to give sleep another go. Wish me luck!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Monday, April 02, 2007
Ick.
I'm at an all-time procrastinating low: I have a paper due tomorrow morning, and it's after 1am now. Am I just finishing it up? No, no... scarcely halfway done. I think I've been avoiding writing this one because it's an unpleasant topic. For my psychosocial nursing class we had to interview someone who has suffered a loss, and write a paper analyzing their grieving process using one of the grief framework theories we covered in class. Cheery stuff. I interviewed my aunt about my uncle's death, without thinking through the fact that I, too suffered a loss from that event. It's been emotionally draining trying to write it. So instead, I've been aimlessly surfing the internet, wasting colossal amounts of time. Fortunately, I only have classes tomorrow from 8-12, so I fully intend to come back home and have a nap in the afternoon.
We're supposed to get an inch of snow tonight, and the forecast is calling for snow showers tomorrow too. WTF? It's April.
Have you ever bitten the inside of your cheek, and then because it's all swollen and sore you keep accidentally rebiting it every day or so, and it just never gets to heal? Yep, that sucks.
Another assignment I finished this weekend was a series of postings in an online discussion forum for my community health nursing class. We read the book Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, and had to address different issues the book touches on. It was good fun - I got to let loose about the vile, evil empire that is Walmart. (If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. It's an easy read, but with some really good commentary on the working poor in America.)
Okay, enough diddle-dallying. I'm off to finish this thing, and maybe I can still score at least a few hours of sleep before pharmacotheraputics. 8am classes suck, but at least there's still parking available on campus.
We're supposed to get an inch of snow tonight, and the forecast is calling for snow showers tomorrow too. WTF? It's April.
Have you ever bitten the inside of your cheek, and then because it's all swollen and sore you keep accidentally rebiting it every day or so, and it just never gets to heal? Yep, that sucks.
Another assignment I finished this weekend was a series of postings in an online discussion forum for my community health nursing class. We read the book Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, and had to address different issues the book touches on. It was good fun - I got to let loose about the vile, evil empire that is Walmart. (If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. It's an easy read, but with some really good commentary on the working poor in America.)
Okay, enough diddle-dallying. I'm off to finish this thing, and maybe I can still score at least a few hours of sleep before pharmacotheraputics. 8am classes suck, but at least there's still parking available on campus.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Where the hell did March go?
I cannot believe how fast this semester is blowing by. I've been so busy I almost haven't noticed that I have been too busy for much of a social life. But my rewards are coming - week after next I'll be in Anaheim for the NSNA convention (hooray for some warmer weather), and five weeks after that I'll be driving across the country, on the start of a great extended vacation. Once I return to Missoula, I fully intend to mimic last summer as much as possible - work part time, go for a run every morning, and divide the remaining time up between the pool, the river, and downtown. At (nearly) 28 years old, I have no right to be living this way. But I figure, hey, no babies, no husband - may as well enjoy myself... I'm hoping to earn an out of state externship for next summer, so this may be my last chance to be a complete bum.
I work every Friday night. It's kind of a bummer, because by the time I get off work at 9:00, I'm seriously ready to just go home and veg out (which is precisely what I'm doing now). Luis is gone for the night, so it's very peaceful in the apartment. (Goodball decided yesterday he should go to Spokane today for a one-night spring break trip. I'm not sure what the fun is of going all by yourself, but he's silly like that. I think he just wanted to get away for a bit.) I think I'll go draw up a bubble bath and read a book.
Goodnight!
I work every Friday night. It's kind of a bummer, because by the time I get off work at 9:00, I'm seriously ready to just go home and veg out (which is precisely what I'm doing now). Luis is gone for the night, so it's very peaceful in the apartment. (Goodball decided yesterday he should go to Spokane today for a one-night spring break trip. I'm not sure what the fun is of going all by yourself, but he's silly like that. I think he just wanted to get away for a bit.) I think I'll go draw up a bubble bath and read a book.
Goodnight!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
What nurses do, part 1.
If you ask a person who has been in the hospital what his nurse did while he was there, you could get any of a wide variety of answers. Many people will tell you that the nurse took their blood pressure a few times, gave them some medicine, and they'll probably tell you whether or not their nurse was "nice". The truth is that nurses do all kinds of things, and that good nurses equal healthy patients. Studies show that a higher ratio of RN's working at a facility leads to a decreased mortality rate of patients (see this JAMA abstract for details of one study).
This post marks the beginning of a series of undetermined length (pretty much until I get tired of doing it) about what your nurses are doing for you.
Lesson 1: Ins and outs.
This is a phrase heard frequently in the hospital setting, although it's usually shortened down to just "I's and O's". A great deal about the overall health of a patient can be obtained from knowing what they're putting in and what they're putting out. We want to know how much they're eating and drinking, and what the body excretes in exchange. If you can expel it in some way, chances are that your nurse will have a good look at it, measure it, and will document it somewhere. Sounds a little gross maybe, but it's good information about what is going on within the body. For example, you can tell a lot about someone's health by having a good look at their urine. What is the color, the clarity, the smell, the volume? You can get information about hydration status, possible infection, kidney function, diabetic state - all sorts of things, before ever running a single test.
Nurses specialize in excretions. If you have an opening and something is coming out of it, that's something we take care of. I carefully measured 950 ml's of vomit the other day so I could get it written down on a patient's chart. (In actuality, the CNA's and aides on the team do handle a great deal of the routine activity of patients, including restroom assistance and the like, but as a nursing student we do it all. And rest assured, your nurse does plenty of it as well.)
It's not glamorous, but it's an important part of a nurse's job. And people are healthier because of it.
This post marks the beginning of a series of undetermined length (pretty much until I get tired of doing it) about what your nurses are doing for you.
Lesson 1: Ins and outs.
This is a phrase heard frequently in the hospital setting, although it's usually shortened down to just "I's and O's". A great deal about the overall health of a patient can be obtained from knowing what they're putting in and what they're putting out. We want to know how much they're eating and drinking, and what the body excretes in exchange. If you can expel it in some way, chances are that your nurse will have a good look at it, measure it, and will document it somewhere. Sounds a little gross maybe, but it's good information about what is going on within the body. For example, you can tell a lot about someone's health by having a good look at their urine. What is the color, the clarity, the smell, the volume? You can get information about hydration status, possible infection, kidney function, diabetic state - all sorts of things, before ever running a single test.
Nurses specialize in excretions. If you have an opening and something is coming out of it, that's something we take care of. I carefully measured 950 ml's of vomit the other day so I could get it written down on a patient's chart. (In actuality, the CNA's and aides on the team do handle a great deal of the routine activity of patients, including restroom assistance and the like, but as a nursing student we do it all. And rest assured, your nurse does plenty of it as well.)
It's not glamorous, but it's an important part of a nurse's job. And people are healthier because of it.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Quick note.
Spring break came and went in a blink. I didn't do much - and it was nice. I'm sad that I didn't post anything the whole week. I have a lot of things I'd like to write about, but it'll have to wait until school isn't demanding so much of my time.
Yesterday began a long stretch of craziness in my schedule. I'm back in clinical rotations for the next two weeks, which is time consuming and comes with scores of paperwork to turn in afterward. I've also got a case study and a paper due next Monday, and I work all weekend. Ick. Tomorrow I'll present a short health talk at a local facility for disabled persons. I'm looking forward to it - my partner Dan and I put together some fun things to use as teaching aids. I haven't spent much time working with the mentally disabled population, and figuring out how to tailor our talk to the specific learning needs of the group was a unique challenge. Many of them can't read well, or have very limited attention spans, so we were told to use pictures and objects and games to do our teaching. It'll be fun, I think. I hope they think so too.
In May, Luis and I are going to Spain for two weeks! I'm very excited. We're going with his father Rafael and his wife, and we'll be staying with some of Luis' family part of the time. Luis speaks Spanish fairly well, so he's been listening to a podcast called Notes in Spanish to get used to hearing it spoken again. I, on the other hand, understand a handful of words and phrases but don't really speak Spanish at all. Unfortunately I don't have time during school to try and learn, but I do want to be able to at least greet and thank people, and perhaps make some simple conversation. I've started listening to a podcast called Coffee Break Spanish which is beginning Spanish in very small bits. It's especially fun, because the hosts of Coffee Break Spanish are Scottish, so even the English is cool to listen to. These programs both teach mainland Spanish, and it's pretty different from the Mexican Spanish spoken here in the states.
Well, I have to start getting ready to head back to the hospital. Woo!
Yesterday began a long stretch of craziness in my schedule. I'm back in clinical rotations for the next two weeks, which is time consuming and comes with scores of paperwork to turn in afterward. I've also got a case study and a paper due next Monday, and I work all weekend. Ick. Tomorrow I'll present a short health talk at a local facility for disabled persons. I'm looking forward to it - my partner Dan and I put together some fun things to use as teaching aids. I haven't spent much time working with the mentally disabled population, and figuring out how to tailor our talk to the specific learning needs of the group was a unique challenge. Many of them can't read well, or have very limited attention spans, so we were told to use pictures and objects and games to do our teaching. It'll be fun, I think. I hope they think so too.
In May, Luis and I are going to Spain for two weeks! I'm very excited. We're going with his father Rafael and his wife, and we'll be staying with some of Luis' family part of the time. Luis speaks Spanish fairly well, so he's been listening to a podcast called Notes in Spanish to get used to hearing it spoken again. I, on the other hand, understand a handful of words and phrases but don't really speak Spanish at all. Unfortunately I don't have time during school to try and learn, but I do want to be able to at least greet and thank people, and perhaps make some simple conversation. I've started listening to a podcast called Coffee Break Spanish which is beginning Spanish in very small bits. It's especially fun, because the hosts of Coffee Break Spanish are Scottish, so even the English is cool to listen to. These programs both teach mainland Spanish, and it's pretty different from the Mexican Spanish spoken here in the states.
Well, I have to start getting ready to head back to the hospital. Woo!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Advice to women.
Last summer I read an article titled What I wish I'd known about marriage, by Kristin Armstrong, which ran in the April 2006 edition of Glamour magazine. Afterward, I tore it out and slipped it into my purse to take home, wishing that I could make copies and mail them to all my girl friends (but without the risk of being labeled a bitter, single woman). I happened across an online version of that article today, and thought I'd share it. Ms. Armstrong makes an eloquent and real statement about women and commitment, and the inclination for even the most strong, independent women to give up much of their identities in the name of love. She says,
I like to think that a woman can be in love AND empowered. Marriage - or any relationship, really - requires both commitment and compromise. The trick is not compromising yourself.
"If I were to do things over again, I wouldn't have thrown myself so irrevocably into my new life. I would have guarded the things that made me feel like me — the places, the friends — and above all I would have spoken up about my needs. Instead, I will leave you with a lesson about how a woman can hold on to the bright, hard flame of who she is."
I like to think that a woman can be in love AND empowered. Marriage - or any relationship, really - requires both commitment and compromise. The trick is not compromising yourself.
Friday, March 09, 2007
So many reasons to be happy!
Today officially begins my spring break. I have to work all weekend, but no matter – I still have seven beautiful days sans alarm clock to look forward to.
Spring is most certainly on its’ way, even here in the snow-covered mountains of Montana. It’s been in the 40’s and 50’s the past couple of weeks, and the snow isn’t sticking to the ground here in the valley. It won’t be long now…
With the warmer weather comes the best season of all: shoe season! Now that it’s warm enough to wear heels without freezing my toes off, I’ve started dusting off all my cute shoes. I love shoes.
Now that there’s a release date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, I’ve decided to start at the beginning and reread the whole series. I’ve read all of the books scores of times, but I never tire of them. I’ve often thought that when I’m a kooky, senile old lady, I’ll probably remember Howgarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as though I actually went there. I figure at least I’ll be entertaining to the nursing staff.
We had three big exams this week, and I’m thrilled to report that I got A’s on all three. I generally get A’s on tests, but I don’t usually feel as though I’ve spent enough time studying beforehand. This week I actually felt prepared walking into the classroom. I’m blessed with good test-taking skills, but I’m cursed with the procrastination demon. I’ve been battling the latter, and over the past couple of years I’ve made some real progress.
A bunch of us from my class went out last night for a few drinks. It was nice to get out for a while, and to spend some time with my classmates outside of school. Everyone in our class is really great, and we always have fun.
A month from tomorrow I leave for California to attend the National Student Nurses Association annual convention. I’m representing the Missoula chapter of MSNA in the House of Delegates, so it’ll be lots of meetings and such, but it will be a great learning experience. Plus, I might be able to finagle a few school credits out of the deal. There will be recruiters for hospitals and healthcare organizations from all over the country, and I’m hoping to make the necessary connections to score an externship for next summer.
I work every Friday night. It's kind of a bummer. But at least it gives me time to show my blog some lovin'.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Spring is most certainly on its’ way, even here in the snow-covered mountains of Montana. It’s been in the 40’s and 50’s the past couple of weeks, and the snow isn’t sticking to the ground here in the valley. It won’t be long now…
With the warmer weather comes the best season of all: shoe season! Now that it’s warm enough to wear heels without freezing my toes off, I’ve started dusting off all my cute shoes. I love shoes.
Now that there’s a release date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, I’ve decided to start at the beginning and reread the whole series. I’ve read all of the books scores of times, but I never tire of them. I’ve often thought that when I’m a kooky, senile old lady, I’ll probably remember Howgarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as though I actually went there. I figure at least I’ll be entertaining to the nursing staff.
We had three big exams this week, and I’m thrilled to report that I got A’s on all three. I generally get A’s on tests, but I don’t usually feel as though I’ve spent enough time studying beforehand. This week I actually felt prepared walking into the classroom. I’m blessed with good test-taking skills, but I’m cursed with the procrastination demon. I’ve been battling the latter, and over the past couple of years I’ve made some real progress.
A bunch of us from my class went out last night for a few drinks. It was nice to get out for a while, and to spend some time with my classmates outside of school. Everyone in our class is really great, and we always have fun.
A month from tomorrow I leave for California to attend the National Student Nurses Association annual convention. I’m representing the Missoula chapter of MSNA in the House of Delegates, so it’ll be lots of meetings and such, but it will be a great learning experience. Plus, I might be able to finagle a few school credits out of the deal. There will be recruiters for hospitals and healthcare organizations from all over the country, and I’m hoping to make the necessary connections to score an externship for next summer.
I work every Friday night. It's kind of a bummer. But at least it gives me time to show my blog some lovin'.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Favorite albums.
An unwelcome lapse in circadian rhythm had me lying in bed, sans sleep. After several hours of mental meandering, I began compiling a list of my favorite albums. This seemed like as good a place as any to list them.
These are in no particular order. Some are old memories, some are just great albums. All are albums I can listen to in their entirety.
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming
REM - Automatic for the People
Moby - Everything is Wrong
Live - Throwing Copper
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Blood, Sweat and Tears - Greatest Hits
Portishead - Dummy
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Left of Cool
Sublime - Sublime
Tower of Power - Soul Vaccination
Green Day - American Idiot
Journey - Infinity
They Might Be Giants - Flood
Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
Not much new stuff on there. I'm sad to say that I rarely buy whole albums these days. Technology really has changed the way we listen to music.
I'd love to hear from some of you - tell me some of your favorites?
These are in no particular order. Some are old memories, some are just great albums. All are albums I can listen to in their entirety.
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming
REM - Automatic for the People
Moby - Everything is Wrong
Live - Throwing Copper
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Blood, Sweat and Tears - Greatest Hits
Portishead - Dummy
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Left of Cool
Sublime - Sublime
Tower of Power - Soul Vaccination
Green Day - American Idiot
Journey - Infinity
They Might Be Giants - Flood
Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
Not much new stuff on there. I'm sad to say that I rarely buy whole albums these days. Technology really has changed the way we listen to music.
I'd love to hear from some of you - tell me some of your favorites?
Thursday, March 01, 2007
English question:
Why is it that when we use "I" in writing, it's capitalized, but when we use "you," it's not?
Hm.
Hm.
Yup.
Wish I were sleeping.
Lost was good tonight. No Jack, but lots of our other friends returned.
I might go skiing this weekend. Never been before, it could be fun. It will probably be funny looking. No one ever accused me of being terribly coordinated... I'm guessing it will be an exercise in trying to keep my bum out of the snow.
Three exams next week. Meh.
Tomorrow is Thursday. I swear, it seems as though it's always Thursday. Probably that's because it's always a crazy day. I have class 8-3, and then I work 5-9. Who can take six hours of lecture classes in one day? By my afternoon class, my head has clicked off and I just gaze politely at the professor. She's a really good teacher, but the material is dry, and the afternoon is looooong.
My uncle died a year ago today (February 28th). Someday I'll write a post about him that at least begins to do justice to his gentleness, his kindness. I've got splotchy, smudged, handwritten pages of thoughts about him. But I can't get myself to put it here. Not yet.
I don't often open the trunk of my car, so when I went to toss my bookbag in it the other day I found two canvas folding lawn chairs and several river tubes. It was agonizing to be standing in several inches of fresh snow and forcibly reminded of warm, sunny days on the river. I'm ready for spring.
Suppose I should give the sleeping thing another go. 'Night.
Lost was good tonight. No Jack, but lots of our other friends returned.
I might go skiing this weekend. Never been before, it could be fun. It will probably be funny looking. No one ever accused me of being terribly coordinated... I'm guessing it will be an exercise in trying to keep my bum out of the snow.
Three exams next week. Meh.
Tomorrow is Thursday. I swear, it seems as though it's always Thursday. Probably that's because it's always a crazy day. I have class 8-3, and then I work 5-9. Who can take six hours of lecture classes in one day? By my afternoon class, my head has clicked off and I just gaze politely at the professor. She's a really good teacher, but the material is dry, and the afternoon is looooong.
My uncle died a year ago today (February 28th). Someday I'll write a post about him that at least begins to do justice to his gentleness, his kindness. I've got splotchy, smudged, handwritten pages of thoughts about him. But I can't get myself to put it here. Not yet.
I don't often open the trunk of my car, so when I went to toss my bookbag in it the other day I found two canvas folding lawn chairs and several river tubes. It was agonizing to be standing in several inches of fresh snow and forcibly reminded of warm, sunny days on the river. I'm ready for spring.
Suppose I should give the sleeping thing another go. 'Night.
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