Snowee

You know, these sorts of posts are the reason I lurk around this forum...it is SO HEARTWARMING to see someone trying to help this teen, and then to see how "prmenrs" and "oldnewnurse" and "purplemania" replied so helpfully...just so nice to see this...don't know why, but after a really bad day, seeing this Human Kindness really chokes me up...I didn't get to follow my dream of nursing, but it is a joy to see those who did be so Generous of their Knowledge and Skills, and such good Advice, too!

Gosh, I hate to think what my classmates are thinking about my footwear. I have never been able to wear anything BUT clogs. I have them custom-made because of a gait problem related to a congenital defect (hey, I was born crooked!). I know that every so often, someone "tattles" on my clogs. Already I've had to explain one zillion times why I don't have closed-heel shoes. I keep my clogs sparkling clean, I can't say the same about some of the once-white athletic shoes some people wear, with all kinds of nasty stuff in the stitching or "things" caught in those new "coil" shoes!!! But I don't go "tell" on these folks. I'm too busy trying to LEARN to be a GOOD NURSE.

Don't doubt yourself. Your motivation was one of love for your kitty, not anything else. Since I rescue cats, I have had lots of situations calling for me to "play God" with the kitties' lives. It's never easy, but based on dozens and dozens of experiences, I never pull out all the stops anymore for anything other than trauma cases. I had it work out only once, but for all the other kitties, it just made them miserable. Better that your companion died before suffering instead of like so many poor kitties, sticky with medicines, with tubes in them, scared and totally sick feeling. As to not having anything to "give" while being heartbroken, I think that you should allow yourself to feel sad...

Strangely enough, I can't stand my high-end Lippman!!! I can hear BETTER with a little cheapie...also wish I hadn't gotten the bell, because it just adds to the difficulty. Don't feel bad you can't get an expensive 'scope, maybe the one you choose will turn out to be a good match for your sister's style of listening...I did NOT have good luck listening with the Littman you mentioned with the "arrowhead" that goes under the bp cuff...but everyone seems to hear differently!!!

Now, let me get some clarification: You can be FIRED for GAGGING? I mean gagging that's just occasional gagging and doesn't interfere with doing your job...???!!!

Check with your student ombudsman to see if your state or your institution has a way for you to opt out of the dissection. Several states have laws now that if someone has moral/religious/etc reasons for not dissecting, they cannot be forced to do so, cannot be penalized, and must be provided with an alternative method. Please, let's not all go into the pros and cons of legislating this here; perhaps another thread? This poster needs help about her/his specific situation at the moment. LPNtoRN, I rescue cats. To date, I have rescued 131. I have each one neutered or spayed, then place them in a home. The absolute bonker ones or the really ugly ones (lol) I keep! I have 3 keepers at the moment. So, being a cat maniac, and knowing that many of these cats for lab use are obtained illegally (does anyone recall the big hullabaloo in Maryland 12 years' back, when one supplier was found to be grabbing cats literally from porches?), I say to you, BE CALM, DO THE DISSECTIONS, PRAY. You probably MUST do it. I HOPE you will be at a table with 3 or so others, and perhaps one of them can do the actually cutting and so forth, and you can just look. Not great, but steel yourself and just go forward. Few colleges can afford one cat per student. Don't want to push my view on you, but it helped me to stand there and visualize Jesus standing with me, arm around me, petting the cat. Good luck.