Practicum week 1

This was my first week of practicum. I did three nights in a row and it was hard.

Night #1: Thursday night. The first night I was in the NICU, but I was tired all night. It was hard to be there because we had 3 progressive babies, and after the initial weighing, vitals, and bathing, the rest of the care just revolved around feeding them & documentation. This made for a painfully slow night. Not to mention I had to go to school after the shift to take a 125 question exam. Yikes. Good thing I'm a fast test taker.

Night #2: Friday night. I was with the transition nurse. The transition nurse goes to labor & delivery every time a baby is born; does a full head to toe assessment, vitals, accu check if indicated, initial bath, assistance with initial breastfeeding, and vitamin k shot. All of this constitutes the baby's admission, and transitioning the mother & baby to the mother baby floor. We had four babies that night. The first one was delivered around 10/11p, then three in a row from 1-5a. We were busy to the max and I loved it because I didn't get super super tired until around 5a. It was a good night.

Night #3: Saturday night. I was in Mother Baby. Sadly, I didn't get the RN that had any moms or babies we transitioned the night before, but it was still a good night. 2 antepartums, 1 c/section, 2 vag deliveries, 2 babies. I was able to follow along with the nurse and do the focused assessment at the beginning of the shift, checking the uterus, checking for DVTs, etc. For the two antepartum patients, I got to use the doppler machine to check for fetal heart tones. I loved this because I had never done it before and it was fun to listen to the baby's heart. One of the babies was breastfeeding, but the other was on formula, so I got to feed that one every 3 hours. This night was just fine and I didn't crash the whole night. Success!! Not to mention daylight savings working in my favor and allowing me an hour sooner to go home :D

I am learning a lot and loving life!

Alcohol Prep Pad

It's 2:05am and I am trying my hardest to make it to 3am before I go to bed. Tomorrow, or rather, tonight will be my first shift of my practicum in Mother Baby. I am very excited, but very tired at the moment.

Yesterday, Morgan and I were studying, when he decided he wanted to use my stethescope to listen to my jaw?? Yeah, that may sound weird, but we suspect I have TMJD and my jaw clicks. Anyway, I told him to use an alcohol swab to clean it first. Once he found an alcohol swab in my bag, he tore it open. All of the sudden I hear... "Are you kidding? People really use these? Honey, did you get these from the NICU?" Oh my goodness. I couldn't help but laugh, and really loud. I am so use to these alcohol swabs that I have never really considered the size... They are actually really small, not ideal for many things.

Shark Valley

The other week, Morgan and I went to Shark Valley! This was my first time going. The park has a 15 mile loop (7 miles to the tower, then 8 miles to continue to the start). We went to the tower, then came back the same way = 14 mile bike ride. It was great. We got to see alligators of all sizes from little baby gators 1 foot long to giant gators... longer than me. I didn't get to ride an alligator like I had hoped. Ok just kidding, but most of them were so lazy looking I was tempted because they looked like statues. After our bike ride, we went across the street to the Miccosukee restaurant and got the sampler that had frog lets and breaded gator. yum! I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't think it was amazing, it didn't make it to my top meal list, but it was good.

Ode to Jacob

Alright so this post is my ode to Jacob. Jacob's in South Korea on his mission. This video was shot in December of 2007?? Ok I'm guessing there, at Christmas time when I was visiting from BYU. Jacob and I planned to stay up late and make a movie. We waited for people to go to bed and then met up downstairs to film. We started off wanting to make a spy/action type of movie. This worked in our favor because after the beginning where we filmed our other brother, Sam (as the dragon), our Dad must've heard us so this movie is pretty much a documentary of us running around and hiding. I laugh really hard everytime I watch it. I enjoy it so much because I was there (of course) and brings back the memories of everything going on you don't see on film. So I apologize in advance for those who do not get the humor... well you don't have to watch it.

So to follow along with the video....

Day 6 = we were hiding from our Dad in the garage. We got inside the big family van so he wouldn't find us.

Day 7 = after our Dad left the garage, he locked the door into the garage... so we were stuck in the garage & seriously locked out of our own house. So luckily there were coats in the garage we could use. After going down the driveway a couple of times, our Dad came out to find us & told us to come inside. Ok... maybe we aren't the best spies.

We went to go film the dragon again (aka sam) and he got really mad at us for waking him up. So we told him he could be in the movie with us... so that is why he is magically in the movie toward the end & we made friends with him :D ha ha

Last scene - climbing out the window - I totally miss that about our house in Vancouver - the chimney makes these big stairs and is the fire escape. Super fun to climb in & out!!

THE END!

Code Blue in the ER TODAY

Today was not my first Code Blue, but my first real assist. I've been in a couple Code Blue's and Rapid Responses & actually took the blood sugar for one. Today the man came in with his AICD defibrillating about 3 times every minute. Crazy. I had never seen someone's pacemaker/defibrillator kick in before. He was in v tach. He coded and we began CPR. Although I almost got to do chest compressions, and that's what I was really hoping for, I was happy to give breaths through the bag valve mask (ambu bag). After intubation and beginning amiodarone, he was stable.

I got to go around with the paramedic for a little while too and do IVs and lab draws. Got all of them on my first try. I love feeling competent.

I love the ER!