!!!

At times, nursing makes me just want to scream. Like when we are learning about caring for patients with a chronic disease or illness. We are taught to inform, give pamphlets, provide information, encourage, yada yada yada. According to our instructors, this is the magical way to cure all sickness/provide optimal care/ensure quality care. I cannot get over how ridiculous this is. Seeing how chronic disease has - as continues to - impact my family, I cringe at how us students are being taught that pamphlets and group information sessions are instant remedies for life's tragedies, band-aids for health problems. SERIOUSLY? Try giving my sister a pamphlet to read when you've just told her she needs to stick herself with needles and pens multiple times a day, every day, for the rest of her freakin' life. Mention the stomach bruising, too, that'll be fun. You try reading about the side effects of high blood sugar 30 years down the road when you are 15 and all you want to do is just be a kid.

My nursing class illustrated caring for patient with chronic diseases/illness seem as a walk in the park. According to my instructor, with the use of pamphlets and corny videos, all patients in our care will be perfect. Always smiling. No bad days. No resentment. No denial.

News flash: it sucks. All the time. There is a lot of frustration. Anger and tears. Most of the time, the condition is irreversible. Which is means forever. And not only does it impact that individual, but their family too - siblings, parents, everyone.

None of those things were mentioned in class. I am pissed without even having a disease - imagine how livid Brooklyn would be if she was in that class? Man oh man. Caring for people with chronic diseases is tough, especially when it's life-long. But to make it seem like a breeze when in reality, it's so much different? I am beyond frustrated.

D.

off the wagon.

So, I have fallen off the 'blog-a-day' bandwagon. I was getting frustrated with sitting at my computer, staring a blank screen, trying to make my day sound interesting when I all I wanted to do was go to bed. But that is OK - I wrote lots, so I am happy with that!

The end is so near for this semester: I wrote my final midterms this week (7 in total!) and handed in two papers. PHEW, I have never been happier to see Friday! I am taking this weekend off from schoolwork, which doesn't happen to often. BUT, I guess that is the plus side of having an absolutely nutty week.

Just a quick post for today - but I haven't forgotten about blogging!

D.

outdoor run: success!

This morning I successfully ran my pre-mapped route downtown! It was snowing very very lightly, but not enough to coat the path. Still, the first mile was freezing. FREEZING! Who ever said runners should dress for 20 degrees warmer than it is certainly does NOT live in Alberta. I wore a lot of layers, but my legs were different shades of red when I returned, due to my running pants being only calf-long and ankle socks not covering much. BRRRR. But the sight running over the bridge in the AM was unbeatable: the sun had just fully risen, so I had a lovely view of the downtown core at its finest. I found a few other trail options too, so I am looking forward to exploring those in a week or so.

Happy Monday!

D.

new running route.

Although I wasn't able to run in the 10k race this morning, I still went for a jog when I got back to residence. I trundled along my usual route, down to the bride, but went a different route back home. Turns out, a block or two can make a huge difference. Suddenly I was running behind office buildings, past dumpsters, a few make-shifts homes, and a couple of odd characters. Sketcho place for me to run alone. Thankfully, it was only 430 and still light out. Now I know which way not to run home!

I was able to map out a 5k run route when I got back, with the help of Google Maps and a running website. I'm excited to try it out tomorrow: it's over the 109th bridge and back again. I'm hoping for no snow tonight - the icy patches were just treacherous this afternoon. An additional skiff of snow on top would not be good.

But for now, I'm off to fill in one more hour of pharm studying... antidysrhythmics and antianginal drugs. What fun!!

Cheers,

D.

spring!

All the clothing stores have spring clothes in! While wandering the mall yesterday, I was surprised to see that every single store had spring stuff out. Capris, gladiator sandals, shorts, tank tops... HELLO, this is Alberta!! If it snowed again, no one would bat an eye. We are still wearing boots and winter coats while the rest of the country is happily enjoying sunshine. Yup, that's Alberta.

The bedroom reno has officially begun: the room is now glowing in all its pink glory as everything has been removed/thrown out from it. We just have to wash the walls, put on a coat of paint or two, and viola! The room will be bearable once again.

But otherwise, I'm just getting through studying, studying, and more studying... two more midterms then I'm FINITO. At least 'till finals start. So fingers crossed for two good exams!

D.

blessed.

Tonight I met up with some girls from the young adults group I've been going to. And it's so refreshing to go out, eat dinner, and just talk with like-minded friends. I haven't known them for very long, but we have certainly hit it off - during the bible study and while hanging out. I felt very blessed tonight... especially because I have met and connected with people I otherwise may have never talked to.

D.

St. Patty's Day

I did not realize St. Patrick's Day was such a huge event until I started university. For the past two weeks, I have seen countless advertisements for green beer - which I still haven't tried! - and various parties at local pubs. I think it may be the biggest 'drinking' day of the year - I rode the elevator with two very drunk guys at 33o this afternoon. I don't think people drink that early even for New Years!!

Last year, when I was living with the other roommates, one had a bunch of her friends crash at our place after drinking at the campus bar. I agreed to let her friends over on the condition that they would NOT puke/make a mess, but just pass out on the couch (classy, I know). But 'lo and behold, a friend of hers had one too many and proceeded to vomit ALLLLLL over the floor in front of our shared bathroom-sink area. Twice. Although I am a nursing student and supposed to love blood & guts and caring for the sick, I did NOT clean up her drunk-puke in my apartment, but instead made my roommate scrub the floor until it shined. I was straight-up mad. Oh dear... I am not very good at being a typical 'college student'!

But PTL for a change of scenery this year - a long weekend at home and already in my pajamas.

Cheers!

D.

redoing the bedroom!

This weekend my momma and I are going to tackle the dreaded 'pink' room and transform it into my future bedroom. If you haven't seen the room, it looks like someone poured Pepto Bismol down the walls. It's that pink. (Hm, I wonder whose room it was before... ) It's also become the Junk Room over the years - the place where anything without a place ends up. Game systems, photo albums, broken bean bag chairs, craft supplies, Christmas decorations, tools, old clothes... you name it, it's in there. Although we won't finish this weekend, I am stoked for the project. My current room at home faces the street, and unfortunately the neighbors are a bunch of weekend-hooligans. As you can imagine, I get royally ticked-off. So with a peaceful weekend of sleep as my incentive, and ridding the room of junk as my moms incentive, we are ready to go! Fingers crossed that we'll get a good jump on it. Maybe I'll take before/after pictures? I think that'd be cool!

Cheers,

D.

class this morning.

Just before our Patho lecture finished this morning, our professor allowed a student to make an announcement before we were dismissed. She was advertising Islam Awareness week on campus, and was encouraging us to check out their - the Islam Student's Association - booth in the main building. She had a poster too, one that I had previously seen hung in and around Residence elevators. There is a guest lecturer too, a professor in Islam studies from the U of A. I guess on Thursday, the last day, he is speaking/leading a discussion for anyone who is interested.

What's odd is that last year she was 'normal' - as in she wore street clothes to school, like the typical jeans and t-shirt thing. But when fall came around, she was in a hijaab and wearing long, floor-length dresses. And she isn't even ethnically 'Muslim' - I am darker than her! I know not everyone who appears Middle Eastern is Muslim, but if she was, her change in appearance wouldn't have seemed so odd.

Anyways, there she was, advertising her 'Who is God?' lecture/session/booth. My mind was racing a million miles per minute, but I'm at a loss of what to think of this. Just last night at bible study we were ask how we reflect and glorify Jesus during the week - I have never stood in front of a class and advertised my 'religion'. Was her speech even OK? Should we be allowed to advertise 'religion' in a class completely unrelated? And as a Christian, how do I respond? What should I think? I have also read a lot about women in the Muslim religion, and I am biased to think that they are often oppressed and not regarded as equals. There is a lot of debate about the teachings of the Quran in regards to abuse too. BUT - there are always exceptions, right? I am not a practicing Muslim, so how can I really know?

I don't mind at all that she's Muslim - just the boldness of her and her Association caught me by surprise. Perhaps this is just secular school at its finest. I mean, I'm not offended - I just don't agree with her views. GAH - I have so many thoughts, yet feel so clueless.

D.

a no-homework weekend.

As great as it is at home, I get zero homework done. On one had, I love it - forced distraction time! I relax, unwind, and momentarily forget about studying. On the other... I'm usually feeling anxious to get hit the books by mid-Sunday afternoon. I know - I can barely handle one day of rest!! The 35+ drugs I need to know for next weeks midterms are beginning to haunt me. PTL I'm on my own during the week! But the good new is: the end is so close. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... Then summer starts! Well, summer for college students, at least.

I have decided to stay on with the oldie-goldies and spend my working hours there. I'm planning on doing lots of library runs, reading dates with my roomy and going to lots of the events downtown. I wasn't well organized, so unfortunately I missed out on a lot of stuff last summer, like the Jazz Festival and the Fringe. But, I've got it all marked down this time, so I'm looking forward to enjoying those events.

I'm a total winter-lover, but I must admit: I am ready for spring. The cold is getting a tad annoying. I'm a little peeved off because I was planning to run a 10k next Sunday, which I may be forced to postpone due to the icy runny trails. This is frustrating because I put some commitment into actually getting my butt to the gym before class, and passing on the extra pieces of pizza. But we'll see: there may be hope. I plan to head down to the trails tomorrow and check it out. Fingers crossed for clear paths in a week!

D.

it's still friday!

Ok, I didn't skip on blogging today - it's still Friday! Well, technically it's Saturday BUT I haven't slept yet, so I'm calling it Friday. And it's not my fault! I got caught up in ER with my Momma and before I knew it, 3 hours had passed... George Clooney shouldn't be such a babe. Sheesh.

It's great to be home. Although it's just for the weekend, I was really in need of an escape. I'm looking forward to just relaxing, beating off this cold I feel coming on, and recharging for the last stretch of the semester. My first final exam is exactly one month away - can you believe it? I feel like school is passing by way too fast.

But for now, I am just exhausted and in need of some solid zzz's. I'll post more tomorrow. Have a goodnight!

D.

New study habit:

ER + homework + cozy Mexican blanket = study time!!

I'm starting from the beginning, all the way back with Season 1. There should be no shortage of episodes, seeing how there are 15 seasons. SHEESH! It'll keep me busy for the rest of the semester, and probably all of third year too. But at least it's relevant... sorta.

D.

books.

I love reading. I wish I could do it for a living. Just sitting in my reading chair, book in one hand, coffee in the other... Sounds like the life!

It's so hard to fit in leisure reading during school, but I'm trying! I've finished three books this semester, so that's not bad - especially with one being 700 pages! Right now I'm reading God Sleeps in Rwanda. It's a true story about the author growing up in the terrible times of Rwanda, and his recollection of the massive Tutsi/Hutu massacres. Although I had heard of the genocide in the 90's, I did not know why it happened, who was affected, or that it had been going on for years prior. But through this book, which offers a simple overview of Rwanda's turbulent history, my eyes have really been opened. The atrocities that happened - and that may still be occurring - are unbelievable. I'm barely 1/2 way through, but so far I've been looking forward to it every evening.

However, in no time I'll have the days of summer to fill with books and library trips. Although I'm a bit of a grumbler about the sunny days, I do like the extra reading time. I've already started a list of books I want to read over the holidays - preferably books to read and buy - adding to my collection. Yes, I am that much of a book nerd. :)

Cheers!

D.

Professors.

I truly believe that professors can make or break a class.

This morning was had a sub for our regular Health Assessment lab instructor. (FYI - Health Assessment is where we learn to perform physicals on the various body systems. So it's hands on, practical, and full of information.) Our regular instructor is chronically unprepared. No handouts, no lesson plan, zilch. She'll just start to talk about the system, highlight what to look for, give a brief run-down of assessment techniques, and VIOLA! We are expected to be masters. It's even more frustration when she relates everything to her experience as a NICU nurse, an area of nursing not a single one of us understands. She'll go on about complex procedures, use medical terms like common slang, and rattle off medications beyond our second-year scope of knowledge. We can barely get through memorizing the 12 cranial nerves - how are we supposed to have an understanding about even remotely close to hers? The most frustrating thing is the lack of guidance our class receives in terms of doing the hands-on examinations. Last time I checked, it's a tad uncomfortable for newbie nurses to ask a stranger to remove their clothes and then proceed to feel them up. So we are basically thrown in the waters of 'awkward situations' and expected to float.

ANYWAYS. Our substitute was amazing - first, she brought in Timbits. Food is always a great way to start off a class. Then she provided handouts: one that described what we were expected to do, one that outlined techniques were aren't expected to know, and a third step-by-step reference/guideline page for performing abdominal assessments, followed by a complete demo. HORRAY!! Suddenly, Health Assessment became that much more enjoyable.

Way down the road, I'd like to teach. I think it would be a superb opportunity, a great position for when I'm older and have a family. I will remember these times, and I will use them as examples of how and how not to encourage learning.

Happy Tuesday!

D.

Cardio & your heart.

I found this article to be interesting since I've started to run regularly:

Getting to the heart of cardio fitness matters via. Edmonton Journal

Long story short: physically active people have a 50% lower incidence rate of cardiovascular disease than those who aren't. Higher fitness = lower mortality.

HA, easy to like now. Not so easy to like when the alarm goes off every morning. And so much for my run in two weeks... the average high is -20. LOVELY! Good old Alberta, the only place where March can be the coldest month of the entire year!

D.

baking apple crisp.

Mmm, mmm, good!

I hope there are leftovers for the week.

the future of nursing.

I had never heard of Nurse Practitioners until this year of school. From what I believe, it's a graduate Masters/NP course that can be applied for after a few years of work experience. It sounds like quite the growing trend! An article I read in Canadian Living, of all places, was an interview with a NP from Ontario. It went on to say that NP's handle 80 to 85% of patients on their own, without needing to see the patient's doctor. They are like the 'in-between' link from patients to doctors - NP's are person-centered, while Dr's could be labelled as more so health/illness-centered. NP's have the ability to prescribe most medications, as well as schedule tests and other previously known 'physician-only' tasks. Ontario and BC are really jumping on the NP train, and have put millions of dollars towards either integrating NP-operated clinics into practice or boost ingthe numbers of NP's within their province. NP's have a unique and independent leadership role within the health care system. It's really neat to see how the profession of nursing is evolving and gaining more recognition as a 'professional' career. It will be interesting to see how Canadian nursing has changed from now to the time I graduate!

D.

TGIF

Thank goodness it's Friday! Since I have no classes, I managed to be uber productive today: I ran this morning, cleaned the apartment, and studied all afternoon... but now it's time to relax!

Tonight's plans are not too flashy, but good regardless: finish the dreaded Mental Health essay, then roommate-date time: chowing down chips and watching chick-flicks! A great way to wind down from a crazy week.

Have a good weekend!

D.

lab time, again.

Alright, I have 45 minutes left to get a post out - I can't believe I almost forgot! And it's only Day 3! Oh dear...

I must say, catheters are not for the faint of heart. As I can only imagine, they cannot be a pleasant experience, for the giver or recipient. The 'art' of catheterization is what we learned in lab this morning. I'm pretty sure, for future labs, that I will be scheduling them later in the day - 8 am is too early to be learning about such things! But, I have a little issue with the realism of the mannequins. I thought that perhaps, with such an intimate and invasive procedure, that our dummies would be slightly more realistic. Cause last time I checked, nothing down there is remotely close to plastic...

But things are winding down - or gearing up? We have 5/6-ish weeks left, and about 75% of the nursing building has come down with the post-midterms/pre-finals cold. Everyone is just hacking and sniffing away - it's straight up nasty. I've made it this far with no issues: fingers crossed I can stay healthy until the end!

Cheers,

D.

what's up in health care

Here's a shocking article my folks cut out for me from the Edmonton Journal, just a few weeks ago. A glimpse into the future of the health care setting, my work place:

"It can take six nurses -12 experienced hands grappling with great masses of flesh - to turn some of the alarmingly growing number of obese patients in Canada's intensive care units.

There are men and women with so much abdominal fat that they can't lie flat on their backs and still breathe.

They spill over the sides of a normal hospital bed and require extra-wide bariatric beds that can support up to 1,000 pounds. Some of them are so large it can be difficult for nurses to find their patients' veins to insert intravenous lines.

They may weigh 400 pounds, 500 pounds or more..."

Obese patients take toll on health care (link) via. Edmonton Journal, February 19th, 2011

FYI: Bariatrics is a branch of medicine dealing with the cause, treatment, and prevention of obesity.

march madness.

The point of having a blog is to write about your life... the comings and goings, plans, and surprises of life. And seeing how my life is rather colorful, I should have no end of blogging material!

So this is my challenge, to myself: to blog once a day. I'm giving myself 4 'freebie' days, for the times when I don't bring my laptop home or just forget to write. Hopefully, by the time the 31st rolls around, I'll have at least 27 posts under the March tab. EEEP! Good luck to me!

D.