I was just reading through some of the posts at Change of Shift over at emergiblog, and THIS POST just about knocked me over! Whether you're in the medical field or not, you'll still be amazed at it! Seriously, check it out.

I have come to a decision.

It is not possible to do school work after a full day at clinical. It is not right. We shouldn't be expected to do it.

I can't wait to be working for real so that when I am done my shift, I am done working.

Ok... now to go try to get something done before I fall asleep at my computer.

Oh... I need to not listen to other people's conversations....

I admit it. I am a people watcher. I also admit that I eavesdrop... well... kind of. I don't go out of my way to listen in on peoples conversations. However, if they are talking loud enough that I just happen to hear what they are saying... well, then I listen. Seriously, sometimes it is hard not to.

Sometimes it can be quite entertaining, down right funny really. Especially when you only hear a small part of what is being said... then you can use your imagination.

However, as I waited for a taxi home from the grocery store tonight I wished that I never started listening to this particular conversation.

It all started with these two young women (I would guess early 20's) waiting for a cab after going to the liquor store. Each had their grocery bag containing a box of coolers. They were discussing some random things, and I wasn't paying too much attention until I heard this particular sentance...

"It is probably good that I don't have a car because I would drunk drive"

It was like a train wreck... I didn't want to listen... but I couldn't stop myself.

This particular young woman continued to boast that she has driven drunk many times in the past. Often because her friends are more drunk than she is, so she offers to drive. Yeah... that makes sense. She has hit a cement parking divider in her friends car while driving drunk, and her response to her friend was "Your car is crap anyways".

For most of this conversation I was simply bewildered. Doesn't she know how stupid she is being when she does that? Doesn't she know that she can get in trouble/hurt/die?

Then came the kicker.... (you might want to restrain yourself now... I did)

"I don't care.... If I kill someone I'll just go to jail"

AAAK! Did I hear that right? I honestly did not think that there were still people out there that selfish and uncaring that they would risk the lives of people they didn't even know! Seriously!

Some people who know me might know that I am pretty anal when it comes to people drinking and driving. I have known people who have been hurt and killed because of such stupidity, and I have seen the aftermath of drunk driving accidents. I have no tolerance for people like that.

God help her if I ever have her as a patient after one of her nights out....

2 weeks done... 6 more to go. And they will be busy!

This week flew by. Clinical on Monday and Tuesday went alright. I could have picked up another patient on Tuesday, but decided not to (or maybe I chickened out...) From what I understand, a lot of this clinical is meant for us to know more about this particular population--which is patients with cardiovascular disease. Although neither of my patients this week had any cardiovascular history... Oh well. My instructor didn't seem to mind. So 4 more shifts to go, and hopefully the patients I pick on Sunday afternoon for Monday's shift will still be there when I get to the hospital on Monday.

Today we got quite the dumping of snow. Things in town are pretty much all shut down tonight. I was supposed to work, but with weather the store is closing early. I can't complain too much. Although it would have been nice to have a snow day on a day where I actually had stuff going on that could be canceled....

Random amusing thought for today.... as I was walking to pick up my police check downtown I noticed that although the roads and sidewalks were absolute crap, the city felt it was important to get a plow to clear the snow just on the sidewalk in front of city hall. I guess that shows what their priorities are.

And because we all need a complement every once in a while... automatic flatterer

So I start a new clinical tomorrow.

It will be short. Only 6 shifts. Not bad. It will fly by.

I am nervous to start on a new floor that I have never been to. With new nurses, doctors and patients. That isn't unusual for me. What doesn't help it however, is the attitude I have gotten from other students about the floor I am going to. It has been... less than positive. Actually, it is pretty discouraging. I like to go into clinical with the attitude that you get what you put into it... but it is hard to be enthusiastic about it when those who have been there before you just complain about it.

The other issue I am having regarding tomorrow's clinical is that we haven't been oriented to the unit yet. And the best part is that we won't be. We have been encouraged to grab the two girls in our group who have actually been on this floor before and get them to show us around. Which works a bit. I did get a short tour of the floor from one of the other students, but I really don't know how things work on the unit. I know where the med room is, the bathrooms, the break room... but for the more nitty-gritty stuff I am in the dark. I have to wonder how safe and ethical it is not to orient us to the floor. I know that working nurses (especially those in the float pool) cannot work on a floor until they have been properly oriented to it. I wonder what others think of this. Tossing a group of students on to the floor to figure things out on their own...

Down the home stretch...

The holidays are over and classes have begun again.

Welcome to chaos.

That is the best way I can think to sum up a lot of this nursing program. Semi-organized chaos. I'm not complaining, however it gets frustrating when you do not know where you are to go on Monday for class until the Thursday before. With a lot of the program here, you find out what is going on at the last minute, or close to it. I know that a lot of that has to do with staffing issues and finding nurses willing to be instructors (in class and clinical). Really though, that is too bad. It is disappointing that the university has such an issue with staffing, and it makes me wonder the reason behind it. I do know that there is a lot of drama that goes on behind the scenes in the nursing building. Once in a while we get a sneak peek at it, but I am sure that is just the tip of the ice burg. This is supported by my theory about too much friggin' estrogen in the building, and the need to have a healthy balance between men and women. But that is another story/rant for another day. I could also get into how our nursing faculty don't seem to support or encourage the few male students we have in our program... but that is a complete other rant for another day. ;)

Anyways.... eight weeks left to go. Then preceptorship, then we are done. Seems like a long way away, but not at the same time. I know that these next two months will be busy, so they will fly by faster than the fall did. For the next 4 weeks, I have clinical in the hospital two days a week and two days of classes a week (on a floor that everyone seems to hate... so I wonder how those 6 shifts will be... but I find with any clinical, it is what you make of it...). For February, I have a community placement at the community health clinic downtown which I am looking forward to. It should be a nice change from the classroom and the hosptial.

I guess I don't have much else to write about. I thought that I should post something to mark the start of the term. It sounded like a lot of my classmates had interesting holidays... people came back married, engaged, pregnant, and one girl is now a mom (her little one waited until after our exams were finished to make his appearance). Craziness...