Saturday, June 20, 2009
UPDATE!
So after posting, I went on to check the weather report for DC today... we weren't expecting this rain, so Amy and I were curious to see what was in store for today. WELL... we were surprised to find out that we have a "Severe Storm Watch" for our area today... complete with hail, damaging winds and rains, and possible tornadoes?? Wow... my first Mid-Atlantic storm... this could get interesting.... looks like our tour might have to be rescheduled! Dang. Keep an eye on the news today.... I'll keep you updated!
another week down, 7 to go...
It's Saturday morning, and I am currently relaxing in Washington DC! Amy (my roommate) needed to come down for the weekend to watch her brother's dog while he and his wife were out of town, so we thought it would be a fun escape from Baltimore. Not that I don't love Balmer (as locals call it) but it is nice to have a change of scene for a couple days. And aside from that -- I've never been to DC before! So we are planning to go out and tour the monuments today (hopefully this rain will die down... arghh) and then head out to Georgetown later this afternoon. I am SO excited! Expect some pictures to be posted later this weekend or next.
This week was a bit hectic with all our scheduled assignments and tests, and it's only going to get worse from here on out. We had our first exam in P&A this past Wednesday, and everyone was a bit of a wreck studying for it because we didn't know what to expect. It's an interesting process - you take the exam, hand it in, and then go over the answers right after so you know what your grade is. And of course it's a bit anxiety-provoking... and with all the "Type A" students in the class, you hear people rattling off their scores or arguing with each other about the validity of some of the answers. I'd almost rather not be there for that part... I felt that I prepared adequately for the exam, and it really didn't help to hear everyone complaining and stressing afterwards. But all I am concerned about is what I know and, more importantly, how much I understand it, so I am trying to tune out the rest of the class who feel that getting straight-A's is the top priority. The most important part of being in school is preparing for the patient interview, assessment, and treatment. I am studying in order to better serve my patients -- it doesn't matter what GPA I get as long as I am confident in using the information I am learning.
Up until this week, we had been focusing on nursing prinicples and the fundamentals of patient interviews, but now we are starting to learn more basic skills that we will use in our physical assessments. In P&A and HA, we started to learn about the respiratory assessment, including listening to breath sounds. I had been pretty familiar with all the skills we have been practicing so far (vital signs) because of my experience as a CNA, but this is new territory for me. Our school is well-equipped for teaching, though, and I am SO grateful for that. Our lab instructors are very patient with us and want us to understand this material, and on top of that, we have simulators that are some of the most helpful tools as we are getting our bearings. I know with more exposure and experience that this will all become more natural, but initially it's been such a benefit to have simulators. Basically, we have this high-tech robot that simulates everything for us to observe and listen to. Sim Man, as we call him, can breathe, with chest movement and breath sounds (in addition to many other life-like actions) so we can listen to what normal and abnormal breathing sounds like in order to help us recognize it in our patients. I can't tell you how much this has helped me! We are so lucky to have him - not many schools are so fortunate. Next week is cardiac, and I am looking forward to learning the normal and abnormal rhythms. Side note - we learned this week that patients that go into asystole (flat line) CANNOT be shocked with paddles, as we see on TV so often! I found that interesting... there needs to be some sort of electrical current running through the heart, no matter how irregular, because the shock will send it back into a regular rhythm. It cannot "jump start" a dead heart. Interesting, huh? I'm looking forward to the day that I can watch Grey's Anatomy and analyze there medical jargon and techniques... :)
I think that's all I really have for you today... my mind is a bit exhausted, and now I have to look ahead to the 2 exams, quiz, and paper that are due this coming week! Now it's off to explore DC!
This week was a bit hectic with all our scheduled assignments and tests, and it's only going to get worse from here on out. We had our first exam in P&A this past Wednesday, and everyone was a bit of a wreck studying for it because we didn't know what to expect. It's an interesting process - you take the exam, hand it in, and then go over the answers right after so you know what your grade is. And of course it's a bit anxiety-provoking... and with all the "Type A" students in the class, you hear people rattling off their scores or arguing with each other about the validity of some of the answers. I'd almost rather not be there for that part... I felt that I prepared adequately for the exam, and it really didn't help to hear everyone complaining and stressing afterwards. But all I am concerned about is what I know and, more importantly, how much I understand it, so I am trying to tune out the rest of the class who feel that getting straight-A's is the top priority. The most important part of being in school is preparing for the patient interview, assessment, and treatment. I am studying in order to better serve my patients -- it doesn't matter what GPA I get as long as I am confident in using the information I am learning.
Up until this week, we had been focusing on nursing prinicples and the fundamentals of patient interviews, but now we are starting to learn more basic skills that we will use in our physical assessments. In P&A and HA, we started to learn about the respiratory assessment, including listening to breath sounds. I had been pretty familiar with all the skills we have been practicing so far (vital signs) because of my experience as a CNA, but this is new territory for me. Our school is well-equipped for teaching, though, and I am SO grateful for that. Our lab instructors are very patient with us and want us to understand this material, and on top of that, we have simulators that are some of the most helpful tools as we are getting our bearings. I know with more exposure and experience that this will all become more natural, but initially it's been such a benefit to have simulators. Basically, we have this high-tech robot that simulates everything for us to observe and listen to. Sim Man, as we call him, can breathe, with chest movement and breath sounds (in addition to many other life-like actions) so we can listen to what normal and abnormal breathing sounds like in order to help us recognize it in our patients. I can't tell you how much this has helped me! We are so lucky to have him - not many schools are so fortunate. Next week is cardiac, and I am looking forward to learning the normal and abnormal rhythms. Side note - we learned this week that patients that go into asystole (flat line) CANNOT be shocked with paddles, as we see on TV so often! I found that interesting... there needs to be some sort of electrical current running through the heart, no matter how irregular, because the shock will send it back into a regular rhythm. It cannot "jump start" a dead heart. Interesting, huh? I'm looking forward to the day that I can watch Grey's Anatomy and analyze there medical jargon and techniques... :)
I think that's all I really have for you today... my mind is a bit exhausted, and now I have to look ahead to the 2 exams, quiz, and paper that are due this coming week! Now it's off to explore DC!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
an insider's look...
Another week down... it is all starting to blur together! But I am loving it. The information is so pertinent to my future as a nurse, so I am trying to soak it all up. I actually love what it is that I'm studying, so I find myself actually WANTING to study! It's amazing. haha. So... I'll let you in on the life of a nursing student...
Mondays and Wednesdays are my longest days of classes. I am getting into a good routine during the week - I wake up and get to school by 6:30 so that I can study and collect my thoughts. I love all my professors (another first) but they expect us to be awake and on top of the material by the time class starts, so I like to be mentally prepared before I walk into class at 8. My first 3-hr class on Monday is Foundations of Nursing, and it correlates with our clinicals - our first quiz was this past week, and it was on communication and interviewing. It seems like this would be based on common sense, and for the most part it is, but there are certain techniques that we are instructed to use and then certain phrases and methods that we are told to avoid. We base a lot of our assessments off nonverbal information that the patient provides, in addition to the subjective information that they are sharing with us. I'm a little nervous about putting this into practice, but that is what the clinicals and labs are for. After FON, I head into Principles & Applications of Nursing Practice for the next 3 hours. This class is more focused on patient care - this past week we focused on mobility, hygiene and comfort. We learned how to assist patients that are more immobile, and then how to care for patients that are might be confined to beds and chairs, and who might not be able to care for themselves (ie, making an occupied bed, giving bed baths and massages). Our P&A lab follows our lecture (for another 3 hours) and we practice what we have just learned. The lab part is what I do appreciate - it's great to walk out of class and make a physical connection to what we have just learned about. JHUSON is wonderful, also, because our lab groups are small - only 5 of us to one faculty - so we have more opportunity to practice and receive direct feedback on what we are doing right or wrong. That's how I learn best, so I really appreciate this exposure. After all is said and done, I leave campus on Mondays around 6pm... it's exhausting, but I have to go home and start reviewing the information that we have gone over that day.
Tuesdays are my clinical days at Good Samaritan Hospital. There are 7 of us with our clinical instructor, and we have been assigned to a rehab unit. This past week, Amy (my roommate) and I worked together and were paired with a wonderful older woman. I can't go into much detail about her situation (per HIPAA rules) but we had the opportunity to talk with her and follow her to her PT and OT appointments, and kept her company for the morning. I really enjoyed spending time with her and listening to some of her life stories (our goal for the day was to get a condensed patient/family history). It was a fun experience, and I'm excited to go back next Tuesday. Clinicals end around 1, so Tuesday is now my designated nap day! haha. I came home so wiped out this past week that I passed out for a few hours, and it felt AMAZING. Then it was up to study some more! Of course.
Wednesdays are similar to Mondays, but our first class is Nursing Trends and Issues. The focus of this class is to study the history of nursing and the evolution of the profession and how it impacts the health care system today. I actually do love this class, and I feel a special connection with all the faces of the nurses and students that have walked the halls of JHUSON and the Johns Hopkins Hospital. There is so much history here - JHH was one of the first to incorporate a nursing school into the hospital setting, back in 1876. And now, this school ranks 4th with the #1 hospital in the country. How lucky am I to be studying in such a prestigious environment? I feel honored. And I hope to live up to the precedent that the nurses who have come before me have set. We also learn about the importance of nurses and our role in the health care system today, and this past week we were informed of the reality of the status of health care in our country and how that affects us. A bit of a reality-check, but I appreciated the information. After Trends, I have P&A lecture and lab again, and am done by 6.
Thursdays we only have Health Assessment lecture and lab, but it's still a long day... class starts later, but I like having the morning hours to study, so I'm still there by 6:30am. Our professor for HA is from Boston, and she is hilarious. I love her lectures. This class is pretty straightforward - we learn how to perform focused health assessments on the various body systems. This week we learned skin, hair, & nails and musculoskeletal. Basically, our job as a nurse is to record our observations and list all the subjective information that the patient shares with us, and then take necessary action to accommodate the patient's needs. I'm really enjoying HA, because it is such a crucial part to the nurse's job. The abnormalities that we are studying are quite interesting as well... I do get a bit anxious about being able to recognize it in real-life situations though. I know we aren't diagnosing patients, but we are expected to be able to recognize such things as ringworm, in order to better care for the patient before the doctor sees them. So that is my challenge... being more comfortable knowing how to apply the knowledge that I have.
Fridays are a bit more relaxed... we have another HA lab in the morning, and then a 3 hour lecture after -- thankfully we have an interesting professor, because by that time I am so burnt out from the week that my brain wants to shut down and go into weekend mode by noon (which is when class starts)... so she tries to keep us engaged until we are free. The class is Issues in Aging, and we are learning how to better care for older adults, and things to be mindful of as our patients get older. One of the big issues that we are preparing for is the Baby Boomers getting to senior-status and having more and more health complications. It is going to be busy for us in the coming years... and, interestingly, the generation below us is also going to require more and more health care because of the obesity crisis. So basically... we are going to have our hands full. It's going to be interesting... the nursing shortage is going to greatly increase in the coming years. I guess it's a comfort to know that I will always have a job! I just hope that I will still have time to be able to provide high-quality care!
After these long weeks, it's nice to wind down and try to go out and explore Baltimore. Last night, Amy and I went with 6 other girls from our program that live in our neighborhood to a restaurant that serves Afghan cuisine -- it was delicious! We had a great time sitting and chatting for a couple hours about life and school... I am really starting to feel a "home" here. And today is a new day, and I need to get going with it! I have to enjoy my last day as a 24-year old... I will officially be in my mid-20s tomorrow... quarter century old... really?? haha. Until next time, take care all!
Mondays and Wednesdays are my longest days of classes. I am getting into a good routine during the week - I wake up and get to school by 6:30 so that I can study and collect my thoughts. I love all my professors (another first) but they expect us to be awake and on top of the material by the time class starts, so I like to be mentally prepared before I walk into class at 8. My first 3-hr class on Monday is Foundations of Nursing, and it correlates with our clinicals - our first quiz was this past week, and it was on communication and interviewing. It seems like this would be based on common sense, and for the most part it is, but there are certain techniques that we are instructed to use and then certain phrases and methods that we are told to avoid. We base a lot of our assessments off nonverbal information that the patient provides, in addition to the subjective information that they are sharing with us. I'm a little nervous about putting this into practice, but that is what the clinicals and labs are for. After FON, I head into Principles & Applications of Nursing Practice for the next 3 hours. This class is more focused on patient care - this past week we focused on mobility, hygiene and comfort. We learned how to assist patients that are more immobile, and then how to care for patients that are might be confined to beds and chairs, and who might not be able to care for themselves (ie, making an occupied bed, giving bed baths and massages). Our P&A lab follows our lecture (for another 3 hours) and we practice what we have just learned. The lab part is what I do appreciate - it's great to walk out of class and make a physical connection to what we have just learned about. JHUSON is wonderful, also, because our lab groups are small - only 5 of us to one faculty - so we have more opportunity to practice and receive direct feedback on what we are doing right or wrong. That's how I learn best, so I really appreciate this exposure. After all is said and done, I leave campus on Mondays around 6pm... it's exhausting, but I have to go home and start reviewing the information that we have gone over that day.
Tuesdays are my clinical days at Good Samaritan Hospital. There are 7 of us with our clinical instructor, and we have been assigned to a rehab unit. This past week, Amy (my roommate) and I worked together and were paired with a wonderful older woman. I can't go into much detail about her situation (per HIPAA rules) but we had the opportunity to talk with her and follow her to her PT and OT appointments, and kept her company for the morning. I really enjoyed spending time with her and listening to some of her life stories (our goal for the day was to get a condensed patient/family history). It was a fun experience, and I'm excited to go back next Tuesday. Clinicals end around 1, so Tuesday is now my designated nap day! haha. I came home so wiped out this past week that I passed out for a few hours, and it felt AMAZING. Then it was up to study some more! Of course.
Wednesdays are similar to Mondays, but our first class is Nursing Trends and Issues. The focus of this class is to study the history of nursing and the evolution of the profession and how it impacts the health care system today. I actually do love this class, and I feel a special connection with all the faces of the nurses and students that have walked the halls of JHUSON and the Johns Hopkins Hospital. There is so much history here - JHH was one of the first to incorporate a nursing school into the hospital setting, back in 1876. And now, this school ranks 4th with the #1 hospital in the country. How lucky am I to be studying in such a prestigious environment? I feel honored. And I hope to live up to the precedent that the nurses who have come before me have set. We also learn about the importance of nurses and our role in the health care system today, and this past week we were informed of the reality of the status of health care in our country and how that affects us. A bit of a reality-check, but I appreciated the information. After Trends, I have P&A lecture and lab again, and am done by 6.
Thursdays we only have Health Assessment lecture and lab, but it's still a long day... class starts later, but I like having the morning hours to study, so I'm still there by 6:30am. Our professor for HA is from Boston, and she is hilarious. I love her lectures. This class is pretty straightforward - we learn how to perform focused health assessments on the various body systems. This week we learned skin, hair, & nails and musculoskeletal. Basically, our job as a nurse is to record our observations and list all the subjective information that the patient shares with us, and then take necessary action to accommodate the patient's needs. I'm really enjoying HA, because it is such a crucial part to the nurse's job. The abnormalities that we are studying are quite interesting as well... I do get a bit anxious about being able to recognize it in real-life situations though. I know we aren't diagnosing patients, but we are expected to be able to recognize such things as ringworm, in order to better care for the patient before the doctor sees them. So that is my challenge... being more comfortable knowing how to apply the knowledge that I have.
Fridays are a bit more relaxed... we have another HA lab in the morning, and then a 3 hour lecture after -- thankfully we have an interesting professor, because by that time I am so burnt out from the week that my brain wants to shut down and go into weekend mode by noon (which is when class starts)... so she tries to keep us engaged until we are free. The class is Issues in Aging, and we are learning how to better care for older adults, and things to be mindful of as our patients get older. One of the big issues that we are preparing for is the Baby Boomers getting to senior-status and having more and more health complications. It is going to be busy for us in the coming years... and, interestingly, the generation below us is also going to require more and more health care because of the obesity crisis. So basically... we are going to have our hands full. It's going to be interesting... the nursing shortage is going to greatly increase in the coming years. I guess it's a comfort to know that I will always have a job! I just hope that I will still have time to be able to provide high-quality care!
After these long weeks, it's nice to wind down and try to go out and explore Baltimore. Last night, Amy and I went with 6 other girls from our program that live in our neighborhood to a restaurant that serves Afghan cuisine -- it was delicious! We had a great time sitting and chatting for a couple hours about life and school... I am really starting to feel a "home" here. And today is a new day, and I need to get going with it! I have to enjoy my last day as a 24-year old... I will officially be in my mid-20s tomorrow... quarter century old... really?? haha. Until next time, take care all!
Friday, June 5, 2009
life in charm city
It's Friday afternoon, and I'm relaxing in my aparment after a LONG first week of school. It feels like I finally have a chance to breathe! I was on the shuttle riding home today from school, and finally had a moment to look out the window to the now-familiar streets of East Baltimore... BALTIMORE!? I live in Baltimore?? I really have to keep reminding myself of that... it hasn't sunk in yet! Once I have a chance to get out and see more of the city, then I think it will become more of a reality... but if the upcoming weeks are anything like this last one, then I won't be seeing much until this semester is over....
SO! I really want to fill ya'll in on the happenings here in Baltimore. I'll try to keep it (relatively) brief though. I arrived on the east coast 2 weeks ago, and was so lucky to have my mom join me for the journey! There was a little delay with flights... my poor mom got stuck in Denver overnight due to a thunderstorm, but she finally arrived in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. We planned a trip up to New York City for the weekend, so it was cut a bit short, but we made the drive up the coast through New Jersey and arrived early Saturday evening to our gorgeous little hotel in downtown NYC. Side note -- I HIGHLY recommed the Gild Hall Hotel for anyone thinking of traveling to New York! We were upgraded to the suite, and it was a spectacular room. Here are a couple photos to give you an idea:
Yeah. Wow. So, after dropping off our bags, my mom and I took a walk down Wall Street (note the NYSE in the previous photo) and then over to Ground Zero. I had seen it on previous trips to NYC, but each time I walk by there I pay my respects and take a moment to remember those lives lost on that day 8 years ago. We then hailed a taxi up to Greenwich Village and SoHo and walked around before settling into a little eatery serving delicious salads. By that time, it was quite late, so we returned to our incredible room. Sunday morning we explored the Subway system, taking a ride up to Times Square and then over to Fifth Avenue. My mom had never been to New York, so I wanted to show her my favorite parts of the city. It was fun to share this with her, as it is one of my favorite places in the world! Then it was off to church at the temple building on the Upper West Side, which was a fun experience. The Manhattan Temple is a unique and very special building, and quite a bright light in the middle of the city. After church, we took a stroll through Central Park and then it was time for us to make our way to dinner before making the drive back to Baltimore. All in all, a fun and memorable trip through NYC with my mom. I feel so fortunate that she was able and willing to share that experience with me :)
Last week was kind of a blur... My mom and I arrived in Baltimore Sunday night, and spent the next couple days getting me settled into my new apartment. I live in the Mount Vernon area of Baltimore, near Inner Harbor... I don't want to bore you with details, but this is the historic area of Baltimore and Inner Harbor is the "touristy" area of the city. It's a quaint little neighborhood, and I love it here! Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week were spent at my new home -- the Anne Pinkard School of Nursing Building on The Johns Hopkins Medical Center campus. It's a beautiful building... and I'm going to know it quite well, as I spend 75% of my waking hours there. I was introduced to my fellow students and faculty, and we learned about what we are to expect for our next 13.5 months here in Baltimore.... lots and lots and lots of classes and clinicals and studying! But I am excited and eager to begin the necessary preparation to become a nurse!
Last weekend, before the craziness that would start on Monday, my roommate Amy and I went to Annapolis to explore the city and the Naval Academy. It was exactly what I had imagined -- an idyllic little snapshot of early colonial America. We enjoyed walking the cobble streets, eating frozen yogurt (Pinkberry-esque) and just marveling at the historic buildings. The Naval Academy was quite a sight as well - we toured the grounds, and walked past a wedding party outside the chapel, with the guys dressed to the nines in their full naval officer attire. After exploring the town, we made our way to the local mall and movie theater to see UP (the new Pixar movie) and loved it!! It was such a cute, funny movie with such a simple, sweet message.
Here are some snapshots of Annapolis:
Then Monday arrived... what a whirlwind this week has been. Seriously. We have classes from 8-5 or 6 everyday, either lecture or lab, and then my one day of clinical I have been assigned to the spinal cord injury unit of a nearby hospital. The faculty here at JHU is wonderful, so warm and welcoming and eager to teach us all that they know. It makes going to class for 10 hours a lot easier when you are listening to someone enthusiastic about the material! I will get into more detail about my classes in the upcoming weeks, but these are the classes that I'm taking:
- Principles and Applications of Nursing (with an additional lab)
- Foundations of Nursing (including clinical)
- Health Assessment (with an additional lab)
- Trends and Issues in Nursing
- Issues in Aging
It's quite the course load... and all in 10 weeks! Needless to say, I am going to be quite overwhelmed with reading and studying and homework throughout this semester. But we are constantly reminded that it is manageable... and that we can have a life of our own. Actually, they encourage us to maintain balance in our lives, and I'm glad that they do.... because I think that I would go a bit crazy with stress and anxiety if I didn't! I actually took a hot yoga class on Tuesday night... and it was a great workout and release, but I was not used to that level of heat so I almost passed out! I'll be more prepared with water next time... haha. But now it is the weekend, and I finally have a moment to process the information that has been thrown at me these past 5 days... so once things get a bit more settled, I'll let you in on the classes and my experiences as a nursing student! Hopefully I'll be able to live up to the reputation that I'll exude when I wear my new white coat... :)
SO! I really want to fill ya'll in on the happenings here in Baltimore. I'll try to keep it (relatively) brief though. I arrived on the east coast 2 weeks ago, and was so lucky to have my mom join me for the journey! There was a little delay with flights... my poor mom got stuck in Denver overnight due to a thunderstorm, but she finally arrived in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. We planned a trip up to New York City for the weekend, so it was cut a bit short, but we made the drive up the coast through New Jersey and arrived early Saturday evening to our gorgeous little hotel in downtown NYC. Side note -- I HIGHLY recommed the Gild Hall Hotel for anyone thinking of traveling to New York! We were upgraded to the suite, and it was a spectacular room. Here are a couple photos to give you an idea:
Yeah. Wow. So, after dropping off our bags, my mom and I took a walk down Wall Street (note the NYSE in the previous photo) and then over to Ground Zero. I had seen it on previous trips to NYC, but each time I walk by there I pay my respects and take a moment to remember those lives lost on that day 8 years ago. We then hailed a taxi up to Greenwich Village and SoHo and walked around before settling into a little eatery serving delicious salads. By that time, it was quite late, so we returned to our incredible room. Sunday morning we explored the Subway system, taking a ride up to Times Square and then over to Fifth Avenue. My mom had never been to New York, so I wanted to show her my favorite parts of the city. It was fun to share this with her, as it is one of my favorite places in the world! Then it was off to church at the temple building on the Upper West Side, which was a fun experience. The Manhattan Temple is a unique and very special building, and quite a bright light in the middle of the city. After church, we took a stroll through Central Park and then it was time for us to make our way to dinner before making the drive back to Baltimore. All in all, a fun and memorable trip through NYC with my mom. I feel so fortunate that she was able and willing to share that experience with me :)
Last week was kind of a blur... My mom and I arrived in Baltimore Sunday night, and spent the next couple days getting me settled into my new apartment. I live in the Mount Vernon area of Baltimore, near Inner Harbor... I don't want to bore you with details, but this is the historic area of Baltimore and Inner Harbor is the "touristy" area of the city. It's a quaint little neighborhood, and I love it here! Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week were spent at my new home -- the Anne Pinkard School of Nursing Building on The Johns Hopkins Medical Center campus. It's a beautiful building... and I'm going to know it quite well, as I spend 75% of my waking hours there. I was introduced to my fellow students and faculty, and we learned about what we are to expect for our next 13.5 months here in Baltimore.... lots and lots and lots of classes and clinicals and studying! But I am excited and eager to begin the necessary preparation to become a nurse!
Last weekend, before the craziness that would start on Monday, my roommate Amy and I went to Annapolis to explore the city and the Naval Academy. It was exactly what I had imagined -- an idyllic little snapshot of early colonial America. We enjoyed walking the cobble streets, eating frozen yogurt (Pinkberry-esque) and just marveling at the historic buildings. The Naval Academy was quite a sight as well - we toured the grounds, and walked past a wedding party outside the chapel, with the guys dressed to the nines in their full naval officer attire. After exploring the town, we made our way to the local mall and movie theater to see UP (the new Pixar movie) and loved it!! It was such a cute, funny movie with such a simple, sweet message.
Here are some snapshots of Annapolis:
Then Monday arrived... what a whirlwind this week has been. Seriously. We have classes from 8-5 or 6 everyday, either lecture or lab, and then my one day of clinical I have been assigned to the spinal cord injury unit of a nearby hospital. The faculty here at JHU is wonderful, so warm and welcoming and eager to teach us all that they know. It makes going to class for 10 hours a lot easier when you are listening to someone enthusiastic about the material! I will get into more detail about my classes in the upcoming weeks, but these are the classes that I'm taking:
- Principles and Applications of Nursing (with an additional lab)
- Foundations of Nursing (including clinical)
- Health Assessment (with an additional lab)
- Trends and Issues in Nursing
- Issues in Aging
It's quite the course load... and all in 10 weeks! Needless to say, I am going to be quite overwhelmed with reading and studying and homework throughout this semester. But we are constantly reminded that it is manageable... and that we can have a life of our own. Actually, they encourage us to maintain balance in our lives, and I'm glad that they do.... because I think that I would go a bit crazy with stress and anxiety if I didn't! I actually took a hot yoga class on Tuesday night... and it was a great workout and release, but I was not used to that level of heat so I almost passed out! I'll be more prepared with water next time... haha. But now it is the weekend, and I finally have a moment to process the information that has been thrown at me these past 5 days... so once things get a bit more settled, I'll let you in on the classes and my experiences as a nursing student! Hopefully I'll be able to live up to the reputation that I'll exude when I wear my new white coat... :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
