MRed94

I certainly will tell her. I tell her when I see her doing something special, and I ask a lot of "why did you do it that way" questions. She is so patient. :)

I started my next to last rotation about 3 weeks ago, and ended up in Hospice for my Home Health rotation. I am the only one in the class who wanted to go to Hospice. I am also the only LPN in the class, and most likely the only one who has experienced a patient death. The nurse who is mentoring me is so totally awesome I can't believe it. She has the most gentle bedside manner I have ever seen in a nurse. She is also no-nonsense, and up front with all the information with the families and the patients, and to watch her in action is a great privilege. Her ability to switch gears in mid stream is fantastic, and she is basically unflappable. I am learning so much, and she has been so patient with my stupid and redundant questions. I'd like to do this kind of nursing eventually, after I have some other experience under my belt. Anybody else having a great or horrid rotation?

I loved my coloring books. I am very much a visual learner, and that really cemented the facts for me. I used a lot of flash cards, the Hole's anatomy site, and various diagrams and sayings and etc to memorize all the info. I also used taped lectures. What ever works for you. M

It's all dimensional analysis. You use the fractions. It's not that hard. Check out the sites, they help a lot. M

My ma makes all my uniforms, tops, pants, jackets. It's nice to have them only cost about 15 dollars for the 3 pieces. And I get to have the special occasions ones. Plus, none of mine look like anybody else's!

Graduated in 88. My poor cap resides very smashed in a box in another box of mementos. Our cap was white, with a narrow light blue and white stripe for the LPN, and black stripes for the RN. I think we just bought our caps that way in the bookstore, and BEWARE if a single hair escaped that hat!!! I only wore it in school, I never had to wear it in a job. Poor cap. M

OH! Had an AWESOME experience in a new facility I started at tonight. EVERYONE welcomed me, THANKED me for coming, and wanted to know when I was coming back to help them out!!!!!! My jaw is STILL on the floor. Beautiful place, beautiful staff, just plain great! Tomorrow I get to go back to the facility from H**L for 3 days, and then back to the awesome place for a month! I can tolerate the old place for 3 more days. Nicest thing is that the new place is 15 minutes from the house instead of an hour. WOW! Life is good. M

Grrrrrrrrrrr. Got there last night (after driving an HOUR), and found out that I had been cancelled.....NOBODY told ME. I couldn't get a hold of my scheduler, so I have no idea if she knew or not. Did get a chance to talk to the DON in this facility and asked her what was going on. As of Weds, I wasn't cancelled. She said she didn't know that it was happening. DUH. I don't believe that. I don't think my scheduler is doing her job for me, so I am looking into another agency in town. I can't exist on 8 hour weeks. Especially when I am booked for 32. This is getting old. We don't have that many nurses available here, there are more than enough openings, but the most I've seen out here for wages is about $14.00 an hour, and I can't work 40 hours a week, due to school. This is getting old. M

We are supposed to answer the phone as thus: "Good morning (what ever time of day it is), G_____ Elder Care, Home of the best care ever, M______C______, This is so and so, how might I help you this beautiful day???????? I kid you not. Most people are lucky if they get , "Yo, what?" out of us. BLECHHHHHHHHHHHH.. M

I find that when I am with a resident, I am the most gentle and compassionate that I can be, and when I get to the linen room is when I start screaming. I have managed to train myself over the years to keep it in until I am out of range and can let it out. Sometimes I go in there and cry until I feel better, and other times I find just taking a short break for a cigarette and a soda help a lot..... It's hard, but I manage most of the time. I just remember that this is someone's loved one, and that they trust me to take care of them. It's never easy, but most of the time it is bearable. M

With this, our teacher gave us a tic tac toe board, and had us use it always to determine what kind of problem it was, and then to determine if it is fully, partially, or not compensated. Let me see if I can get it to work. Acid Neutral Base under 7.35 7.45 over 7.45 Plug the rest of the numbers into the format, and then you can decide what kind of problem it is. To determine what the compensation level is, use 7.41 as the absolute middle of the normals, and put the pH level in the column as acid or base. This shows compensation, where ever the pH is, lined up with the blood gas part that is off. Normals: pH 7.35-7.45 PO2 80-100 PCO2 35-45 (respiratory component) HCO3 22--26 (metabolic component) BE -2 to +2 O2 Sat >95 poo. I can't get the things to stay spaced the way they should. And don't know how to make a table. phooey. Hope this helps anyhow.

With this, our teacher gave us a tic tac toe board, and had us use it always to determine what kind of problem it was, and then to determine if it is fully, partially, or not compensated. Let me see if I can get it to work. Acid Neutral Base under 7.35 7.45 over 7.45 Plug the rest of the numbers into the format, and then you can decide what kind of problem it is. To determine what the compensation level is, use 7.41 as the absolute middle of the normals, and put the pH level in the column as acid or base. This shows compensation, where ever the pH is, lined up with the blood gas part that is off. Normals: pH 7.35-7.45 PO2 80-100 PCO2 35-45 (respiratory component) HCO3 22--26 (metabolic component) BE -2 to +2 O2 Sat >95 poo. I can't get the things to stay spaced the way they should. And don't know how to make a table. phooey. Hope this helps anyhow.

It is all through what we are learning in our ADN classes, but is there more for a guide, not necessarily to be the most important part of the learning. I am finding it is barely there in the background, but still needs to be spewed back at the instructors for the duration. :)

It is all through what we are learning in our ADN classes, but is there more for a guide, not necessarily to be the most important part of the learning. I am finding it is barely there in the background, but still needs to be spewed back at the instructors for the duration. :)

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