things I have learned in clinical: week 1

This week was the first full week of clinical for nursing school. I am so glad it's over, but I still have 10 more clinical days with my current instructor and I can't wait for the second rotation. Come on October! Anywhoo, there are quite a few things that I have learned this week. Here goes:

- Touro Infirmary is a little ghetto. Their rooms are nice once you get on the unit, but otherwise it looks like you've travelled back in time to 1972 once you enter the building.

- A simple question like "how are you today?" can turn into a 10 minute rant on how Congress is fucking up Obama's potential second term. I also think that's why his blood pressure was a little high when we took it afterwards.

- When I get out of nursing school, I'm going to be really skinny once I start working. How the hell do they find the time to eat??? I had a 15 minute break and that wasn't even enough time...

- My unit has the most awesome charge nurse. Hanging piggybacks with her was much more fun than with a clinical instructor who says don't do that every 5 seconds, although I wasn't doing a damn thing wrong...

- If these nurses keep bringing in chocolate that their kids are selling, I'm going to gain another 5-10 pounds. Not good.

- LSU nursing has better scrubs than we do. I mean, can we get something that does NOT have an elastic waistband and while we're at it, can we get tops that DON'T zip up??? What is this? 1972??? Are we keeping in theme with the hospital???

- I definitely want to work with kids. I am very much over adults. While this week my partner and I lucked out in the adult diaper changing department, I have a feeling that our luck may run out fast, as in next week. I would much rather change a baby's shitty diaper.

- In some aspects, working in a hospital reminds me of my current job. Getting towels, razors, sheets, and getting yelled at by cross-dressing relatives is a lot like what I do. (FYI I wasn't the one getting yelled at, but the charge nurse put someone in their place...) However, there is a big difference in pay.

- I DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT need someone up my ass telling me how to check someones blood glucose. I know how to use the machine. A two y/o could use the machine.

- There are not enough hours in the day for me to look up meds AND do research on what is wrong with my patient before the first day of care on Tuesdays. I work overnight and I do have to sleep. So excuse me when I barely have a clue as to what's going on. The patient is still alive, right?

- Lastly, I have learned that I need to take better care of myself. Seeing the elderly shit their pants and not being able to do anything on your own is a frightening prospect. While I am sure it will happen to the best of us, I'd like to delay it for as long as possible.

Join me again next week. I may have learned something else by then...