Laniev

I'm taking ethics this semester and wondered what everyone else took/will take for their requirement. This class is a tough one (my prof is a bit of an egomaniac) but I thought it would help me brush up on my logic skills for those wonderful nursing exams...time will tell!

I get like this every semester...second guessing myself. I want to become a nurse more every day (I currently work in a Wound Care Clinic and I can't wait to get that "RN" so I can REALLY work in wound care!) but I am psyching myself out with the prereqs! I'm taking one class at a time because I have to work full time (my boss is awesome and gives me time off during the day to go to class) and the light at the end of the tunnel seems so far away sometimes. Sigh...Classes start Wednesday and I can't wait/am sick to my stomach! Anyone else with the jitters?

I work in a small rural hospital in the Physical Therapy department. We are a tight knit facility where everyone knows everyone (which turned out to be lucky for me!) and we had a really big deal exercise that involved most of the hospital. Early Thursday morning an announcement came over the loud speaker that we were having a D500 (disaster) exercise and to follow the protocol. My job as Rehab Assistant was to take a head count of bodies in the department and those I could call in and report to the incident command. I did that (a little late...we had to read the manual to make sure we were doing it right :imbar ) and just happened to be in the right place at the right time, I guess. My director of operations had me "put on a vest" and "go play". Here I am...glorified receptionist...now the "Director of Ancillary Services" for a disaster drill! I spent the next 4 hours coordinating Lab, Radiology, Pharmacy and Respiratory Therapy! I was in charge of getting the information about the contaminant (Methyl Bromide), relaying that info to the incident command, putting staff on alert, lending a hand whenever one was needed...It was amazing! We had National Guard Blackhawk Helicopters landing on our helipad, "patients" being decontaminated outside of the ED, airway compromised "patients" waiting for a vent to be transported from 45 miles away....I can't explain what a rush it was. During the debriefing I stressed that in a real disaster a clinician needed to be in my position but I thanked them for the opportunity to be a part of the exercise. It fueled my fire to become a nurse in ways I could never have imagined--incredible! If you ever get the chance to be a part of anything like that, JUMP at the chance!! I'm still spinning!

I'm taking Intro to Ethics as my humanities elective. I've gotten some great feedback on this class and I'm really excited! Part of me wants to rush all of this and just get my pre-reqs done in 1 year but I'm stretching it out so I can still work full time. Only 4 more classes to go!