Just a quick note to say hey...just finished 3rd week of 3rd semester and so far so good. I don't want to jinx myself, but I am nowhere NEAR as stressed or freaked out as last semester at this time. Basically this semester I have only TWO classes (more or less). I have OB and Peds...technically each of those have a skills class associated with it but we don't meet every week so I tend to not even count it. Peds skills does have a community health component to it, so yes...I am still driving to the ghetto to provide nursey stuff to under-served populations. This is something my school is very into...and I think I end up with some kind of certification in community health nursing as well...honestly, I don't even know. I'll see what my diploma says when I get it. Ha!
I started this semester in Peds rotation...kinda glad to get it over with for a couple of reasons. 1) clinical preps are such a pain in the neck...only four more to do! 2) kids don't take a deep breath whenever you ask them to, they don't hold still for their BP or temp, and they generally wiggle pretty much all the time. They are, however, much more cheerful than adults (for the most part), so that's a nice change of pace. The downside is that you can't have a meaningful conversation with them, and we all know how chatty I am.
This past week I was in pediatric oncology and next week I get to do two clinical days (joy joy)...both are basically observation days and the first day I'll go to an endocrinology clinic in the morning, and urgent care in the afternoon...on Wednesday I go to the NICU in the morning and the PICU in the afternoon. The bonus to this week is no clinical preps and I won't be in charge of anyone...can kind of take a mental break which is perfect timing since I have a Peds exam on Friday. Gah.
After this first Peds exam, the semester gets into its normal routine and I am hoping really hard that I'll be able to take one day off a week. I spoke to a 4th semester student the other day who said she was able to take the entire weekend off....can you imagine???? That would be absolutely INSANE!!! Just thinking about it makes me all giddy and squishy inside.
Off to study kiddie-sized respiratory disorders with a schmummy glass of Jeff Runquist wine. In the den. With my feet up. Chillaxin. To see the irony of this statement, refer back to some of my first semester posts to see what a head case I was:-) Not sure if this new attitude will last...but I'm embracing it for as long as I can.
