healthybee

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww- absolutely heartbreaking how the mind can turn on its own. I just spent the morning with the toughest case of paranoid schizophrenia that I've ever seen...and when he picked up a pen and started talking about stabbing people with it...well I don't even know what I thought at the time...I guess I just mapped my exit! When I first left the unit after my shift, I thought about how I couldn't even find the compassion to work with this patient. Now that I've had some time to mull it over- I can't believe how sick this poor man is. There wasn't even an ounce of reality in his head...nothing. I guess this is all part of nursing- we get to see all of the horrible things that could happen to our own bodies or the people we love...and then we're left to think and wonder HOW and WHY our bodies turn on us. HOW does this happen? How does someone get to be THIS sick? (I'm not really asking these questions- I'm just thinking aloud-) It's frightening and it's mind numbing and it's heartbreaking. And it's terrifying to work with a patient who very well could turn in an instant and hurt you. This patient happened to be at least twice my size- and ANGRY. He was agitated, aggressive...it was...something. Needless to say I ended up being switched to a different patient. But the impression he has left me with will most likely be with me forever. Thanks for listening!

Oh Sarah, my heart just broke for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Be well:redbeathe

Nice Job!!!

I think you should try to get back in (tell the board that it was the stress talking) and ACE every test from here on out. YOU CAN DO IT. You've come this far- it seems a shame to give up now.

Thank you! I thought that sounded strange!

I read in one of my books that an advantage to taking an oral temp is that it's a reliable route for intubated pt's. Can anyone tell me WHY this is the case? Wouldn't it be easier to take a tympanic temp...and more reliable since the pt is (technically) mouth breathing? Thanks!

We started in Sept. and I started clinicals today (had first pt today, started orientation 2 weeks ago). I'm in an associates program, so it's just two yrs to finish-

Yea...I know I learned a lot today, and I know that technically it was a "good" pt- and I suppose you could even say I'm thankful (?!) for the experience. I think it was all so much, for my first day- I don't know what was more overwhelming...the sights and smells, my first toileting (pt was high risk for falls so I got to stay and clean!), or the realization that I will be exposed to so many different scary things for the rest of my life...or if it was just all of it combined. A part of me felt so badly for the pt because of all of their pain and a part of me wonders...how does one get to be in such rough shape? It's sad and scary and so many many things all in one. And it's scary to think that it could happen to any one of us at any time, depending on the circumstances. But I guess that's why I chose this field- it's almost a karma thing...I know that if I were in the pt's position, I would want the best care possible. And I know that a lot of times, the best care possible sucks, and that's not fair. But yes, it was a great learning experience and thank you for your encouragement...I think it just put me in one of those places today where you really take a second look at life. And I didn't run for the hills, so I must be on the right path!

No worries!! Almost half of my class failed our re-dems on vitals this past week--it's tough, and it's hard with the instructors standing over us...I have a hard time with the apical because of all the gurgling that goes on in there...

I had my first clinical today. I'm on the medsurg unit at our small community hospital. I had no idea what to expect when I showed up for chart study last night..... I ended up with a severely obese pt with pyodermic gangenosum, abdominal yeast infections and a boatload of other complications and diseases. But the above two were the main things that we were focusing on today. So I was worrying last night about bedbath, because I've never given one before and here I am with my first pt ever and these are the things I'm going to have to work with. Well when I came in for pre-conference this morning, I was told the pt probably also had MRSA and is in isolation and that I would have to gown up everytime I had to enter the room. I had a really difficult time with all of this. The yeast infections and gangrene, while not as bad as I was expecting, were things I've just never had to deal with. And can I say that there are places on individuals I have never been until this morning.... I think what bothered me the most was the fact that this was my FIRST PT EVER. It was a lot to grasp- a lot to smell- a lot to see and clean-- and I don't think I've ever felt so vulnerable and "on my own" before. And it's different when you're actually dealing with someone's life. It's a scary thing. And the fact that now I'm dealing with an infectious disease really scared the crap out of me. I felt so unprepared and I didn't know what the precautions were that I needed to take or what I would see when I went into the room. It was hard. Anyways, I managed and got through it all, and I did do a great job- I was able to put aside the "ewww" factor and just do what needed to be done, but dang....why was this my first pt ever???