This week, I learned (7/18).....

[ixchel]

1. All work and no play for seven straight days makes ixchel a mean girl. I think I may owe some apologies when I go back to work.

2. A young person is capable of being hypoxic to anoxic for so long their brain swells before their heart stops. (Particularly when they've had a lifetime of ignored asthma exacerbation so to get used to chronic hypoxia.)

3. Regarding said person, I have many cuss words for the people who could have done more for her.

4. Pools get slimy fast.

5. This person exists: VITAS - Седьмой элемент / The 7th Element - YouTube

6. I love the pet therapy thread! (If you haven't seen it, go to my profile and see threads I've started. I think it's the one I started before this one.)

7. I'm attempting to go off caffeine. I'm an idiot.

8. I want to be an FBI agent. Mulder and Scully just make it look so damn cool.

9. Apparently, a wonderful perk of working for a hospital is a fast-acting employee health department. It's good to know my potential HIV and Hep status quickly after a needle stick.

10. Press Ganey did not ask questions I hoped they would ask on our survey.

11. I'm not okay with the waxing and waning of adequate staffing, especially when they have yet to actually "officially" change the staffing requirements for my unit to what they "officially changed it to" two years ago. NOT COOL. This is actually what led to number 1.

What have you learned this week?

[Dogen]

It's fun, too, to see what adult children will do when their parents are ill. The crazy comes out then, too.

I learned that when in the ED with my mom I'm not very good at assessing the life threatening nature of her injuries. I'm also one of those nurse family members that watches you like a hawk and points out that you put your sterile gloves on wrong and contaminated the sterile field. And I dug through all the drawers and cupboards when no one was around to find what I needed (chux, gauze, warm blankets) rather than calling someone. This wasn't my hospital, but blanket warmers are easy to find, right? So... I'm the kind of ED patient family member people hate.

I figured out that I don't give a flip about the role of nurses in health care policy development, and would rather drive nails with my forehead than read a book on the subject (much love to people involved with local government, though).

I learned that there isn't anything inside the walls of my unit that keeps a patient from burrowing through into another patient's room. So now we have two closed rooms, or one closed room with another room en suite.

[bunnysanford]

I forget some of the exact terminology, but under my brother's supervision, I learned how to run wire, do junction boxes, add receptacles, and change light fixtures in my old, wonky house. Having an electrician for a brother is a great thing. He doesn't charge, and he teaches me how not to set my house on fire. I'm making the most of my time between finishing school and landing a job, I guess.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

I learned that my floor watches out for each other, especially when you have a patient who is confused and trying to get up when they shouldn't. I also learned there will always be that one lazy tech who tries to do nothing all day. That taught me to follow up with the techs, so it's not such a bad lesson.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

I learned that sitting on a turned on electric blanket after applying cellulite cream that contains capsicum and ginger meand that I can turn off my heat in the coldest day in Melbourne in 20 years! Tingly...

[ToyaB]

This week I learned that after you take and pass the NCLEX you have to re-learn how to have a life.

I also learned that putting in applications is tedious!

[Littleguccipiggy]

I love the "This Week I Learned..." posts!

This week I learned that my cat's vet does not know the difference between a nurse who takes care of humans and a vet tech. As nurses, we will medicate, do wound care and bath people...even sick, angry, demented people...we do not have a clue how to take on a psycho cat needing an aggressive flea treatment for the next 14 days...so...after the vet did his magic of shaving a good portion of fluffy, showing how to do the cleansing treatment and ointment application he states, "oh yeah, and he will need to be bathed with this shampoo three times a week".....

When I was a vat tech nurses and MDs were the worst clients.

"So I'm going to teach you how to give Fluffy fluids for her kidney disease."

"Ohh, you don't need to I'm an RN/MD"

"Ok, but its really not the same as with people..."

"Don't worry, I know, kthnxbye"

*walks out the door*

"You don't even want to go over the medication instructions? No? Ok..."

[AspiringNurseMW]

Thank you! I saw something about that Lauren Condra or whatever planner, looked it up and saw it was $50?!?! What if you spill tea on it? Or vodka? It has all the same things my $10 planner has. This is madness.

Yup I found a similar planner with a lot of the bells and whistles that is made specifically for nursing students, runs on a academic calendar as a PDF download for $10. Then wait for a good deal to get it printed, either online or at a store. My friend did it for me for free. And, if something were to happen to it, as it likely will because I am a clutz, I can just realized print it all or just the portions I need.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I learned that absolutely the BEST mental vacation from writing DNP project proposals is an unexpected night off from work combined with (I'm not proud of this) six hours in the recliner watching SYFY Original movies.

I watched Sharktopus vs. Dinocrock, Mechashark, and Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf. Not even kidding. This is all in a run up to my Sharknado viewing party Wednesday night. You are all invited, of course.

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

I learned that absolutely the BEST mental vacation from writing DNP project proposals is an unexpected night off from work combined with (I'm not proud of this) six hours in the recliner watching SYFY Original movies.

I watched Sharktopus vs. Dinocrock, Mechashark, and Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf. Not even kidding. This is all in a run up to my Sharknado viewing party Wednesday night. You are all invited, of course.

You are my hero.

[n.igmatic1]

That I missed my kiddo lots and lots while he was away, and that in 2 years when he graduates high school I am really gonna be a mess.

[WellThatsOod]

Yup I found a similar planner with a lot of the bells and whistles that is made specifically for nursing students, runs on a academic calendar as a PDF download for $10. Then wait for a good deal to get it printed, either online or at a store. My friend did it for me for free. And, if something were to happen to it, as it likely will because I am a clutz, I can just realized print it all or just the portions I need.

Can you tell me of this planner?

I would like to check it out.

Also, sorry for the mini hijack.

[AspiringNurseMW]

Can you tell me of this planner?

I would like to check it out.

Also, sorry for the mini hijack.

Nursing School Planner - Straight A Nursing StudentStraight A Nursing Student