I am home relaxing a bit between classes since my lab isnt until tomorrow and I thought it would be a nice time for a post, even if it will likely prove a brief one (I have to go back sometime).
Not that this counts as a typical day (thank god), but this is an idea of what kind of days we do go through in the school sometimes (like yesterday for instance).
8-10am: Lab - learning to assess neurological disorders by testing distal (far away) parts of the body to ensure whether or not any of the 12 cranial nerves are functioning improperly. Tests include various tappings, flexations, and palpations of the body. Hard to believe we will be doing this kind of thing for real in the not too distant future.
10:15-11:15: PDA training - nifty little things. Has the drug guides etc on them. Plus you can surf the internet. A good way to unravel for 10 minutes in between courses.
12-2:00: Genetics - Learning how to map genetic outcomes using punit squares (started from the easy to do 4-square punits finding out what colors eyes someone was likely to have and advanced quickly into trying to decipher if someone would have a child with an X-linked disorder if their grandmother was a recessive carrier........the classes move quick).
2:30-3:50: Got a reprieve of sorts, the class that was going to take place, Nursing Science, was moved to online. Can deal with it later and use the time to study for the first pharmacology exam.
4-5:00 - First exam. Outcome to be determined tomorrow.
5-6:30 - Pharmocology lecture on the brain...........the ENTIRE brain. Mine was full to the point of spillage when the class was done. Yikes! This is a lot of information to synthesize.
7:00 - home. Yeah!
Allright, time to go back to class. This weekend there is a Genetics test to do, a paper in Nursing Science, a write up case history on another person (my roommate and I are going to do one on each other) and studying for the next Pharmocology exam on tuesday. Keep em crossed for all of us in the program.........it is just starting to ramp up.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
1 down, 51 to go
I just wanted to take a few minutes to let everyone know that the emails havent stopped because I was maimed in some horrible accident nor have I lost all faculty for the English language (although recent testing has placed some doubt in my mind about my proficiency in that arena as well), it has just been a hellacious week 1 that saw me bounding between utter bewilderment and near comprehension. Had I not had the good fortunes of meeting a number of former students prior to starting, I would be far more concerned about things. Since I have had the fortune, I am confident in saying I am not alone.
Day 1: No sense dipping your toes in to test the water when you can put your most sensitive areas to the task all at once right? Well, so goes the philosophy that I must currently subscribe too. The day began with an orientation that introduced pretty much every member of the faculty and staff that either directly or indirectly will be a part of our journey. The students all introduced themselves as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see how diverse the group was. There are approximately 100 in our cohort (potentially slightly more) and in amongst the group there are people from Guam, S. Korea, Thailand, and S. Africa. There are about 10 other men as well. Clearly some in the group have extensive experience and others, such as myself, have virtually none. I did find out that I was fortunate to receive scholarship of any kind as many people got nothing at all in free aid.
After a brief intermission, we had our first 3 hour lecture on something that could have been Pathophysiology or could have been a dissertation on the finer points of macramé presented in Klingon because I understood little to none of it. It was akin to trying to pick up HBO by putting tinfoil on top of your TV set. In the words of Ron Burgundy as he jumped into the bear pit to save Veronica, "I immediately regret this decision." Thankfully I am not weak willed or smart enough to give up that easily.
Day 2: After the torrid pace of day 1, I settled in for the torrid pace of day 2, only drawn out slower and more painfully than this season of American Idol. We arrived at 8am and classes didnt conclude until nearly 7 that evening. In amongst them were some of genuine interest and nothing that is particularly noteworthy to remark upon that I can recall (I most vividly recall thinking of my brain as a shot glass that was teetering at the meniscus line and thinking that it could not be possible to process any more new information). I came home quite defeated and camped out in front of the tv determined not to think about it again until I awoke the next day.
Day 3: Finally some things started to make sense. The lectures started to sound less like expository in some foreign tongue and more like a garbled form of English (like pig latin filtered through a Burger King drive through microphone via a cup attached to a string). The process started to slow down..........some anyway. I finally felt, for the first time since I walked through the door on day one, that I can do this.
Day 4: My first lab, which was pretty nice although way too crowded. It seems a lot like playing make believe with your friends, only at some point they will make me do this to real people. Freaks me out. I cant think of anything else like it that I have done before. This was followed up for a luncheon that helped me feel that everyone was just about as freaked as I was. It is nice not to travel that road alone. Fake it til you make it. This led into 4 hours of testing that, quite frankly made me doubt not only my understanding of the lectures this week, but also of the English language and my ability to comprehend the written word. the testing was a kind of SAT for the nursing profession (although the connection between knowing when to use 'who' rather than 'whom' and learning how to care for a person with tachycardia mystifies me at the moment...........unless maybe someone were to ask you 'Is that the patient whom you are treating?'). The absurdity of giving the testing after you are in the program is not lost on me. Would now be the best time to find out the person setting up drip bags cant calculate how much medication should go in it? The idea is to help build on your weaknesses of course. Beyond the math which i feel very competent in, I hope I dont have too many other glaring ones because I will have enough on my plate trying to cram science into my head.
We finished the day at a review session that left me with the same look on my face that the Scooby Doo gang almost always had right after they unmasked another ghost that turned out to be the caretaker engaged in some elaborate scheme (that of course would have worked if it werent for 'those pesky kids.') After class I spoke with some other students who seemed really enlightened by the session while I felt as if someone sunk my battleship in five guesses. Suffice to say, I put my bookbag on the table when I got home and havent picked it up yet.
One thing that comes with age is the knowledge that this too shall pass. I bandy about terms like 'freaked out' but I truly havent been there as yet because I feel much more comfortable in taking the time to take a deep breath before I dive back in. Life is a marathon not a sprint and while this year may feel very quick, it is a long haul. I will save pulling out my hair until after the first test at least...........coming up this Wednesday.
Additionally to all this I have to give a big blog thank you to my girlfriend Tia who was wonderful and planned a beautiful and relaxing morning/afternoon for us both today. It was the kind of day that reminds me that school may reflect heavily in life, but life is not school.
Day 1: No sense dipping your toes in to test the water when you can put your most sensitive areas to the task all at once right? Well, so goes the philosophy that I must currently subscribe too. The day began with an orientation that introduced pretty much every member of the faculty and staff that either directly or indirectly will be a part of our journey. The students all introduced themselves as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see how diverse the group was. There are approximately 100 in our cohort (potentially slightly more) and in amongst the group there are people from Guam, S. Korea, Thailand, and S. Africa. There are about 10 other men as well. Clearly some in the group have extensive experience and others, such as myself, have virtually none. I did find out that I was fortunate to receive scholarship of any kind as many people got nothing at all in free aid.
After a brief intermission, we had our first 3 hour lecture on something that could have been Pathophysiology or could have been a dissertation on the finer points of macramé presented in Klingon because I understood little to none of it. It was akin to trying to pick up HBO by putting tinfoil on top of your TV set. In the words of Ron Burgundy as he jumped into the bear pit to save Veronica, "I immediately regret this decision." Thankfully I am not weak willed or smart enough to give up that easily.
Day 2: After the torrid pace of day 1, I settled in for the torrid pace of day 2, only drawn out slower and more painfully than this season of American Idol. We arrived at 8am and classes didnt conclude until nearly 7 that evening. In amongst them were some of genuine interest and nothing that is particularly noteworthy to remark upon that I can recall (I most vividly recall thinking of my brain as a shot glass that was teetering at the meniscus line and thinking that it could not be possible to process any more new information). I came home quite defeated and camped out in front of the tv determined not to think about it again until I awoke the next day.
Day 3: Finally some things started to make sense. The lectures started to sound less like expository in some foreign tongue and more like a garbled form of English (like pig latin filtered through a Burger King drive through microphone via a cup attached to a string). The process started to slow down..........some anyway. I finally felt, for the first time since I walked through the door on day one, that I can do this.
Day 4: My first lab, which was pretty nice although way too crowded. It seems a lot like playing make believe with your friends, only at some point they will make me do this to real people. Freaks me out. I cant think of anything else like it that I have done before. This was followed up for a luncheon that helped me feel that everyone was just about as freaked as I was. It is nice not to travel that road alone. Fake it til you make it. This led into 4 hours of testing that, quite frankly made me doubt not only my understanding of the lectures this week, but also of the English language and my ability to comprehend the written word. the testing was a kind of SAT for the nursing profession (although the connection between knowing when to use 'who' rather than 'whom' and learning how to care for a person with tachycardia mystifies me at the moment...........unless maybe someone were to ask you 'Is that the patient whom you are treating?'). The absurdity of giving the testing after you are in the program is not lost on me. Would now be the best time to find out the person setting up drip bags cant calculate how much medication should go in it? The idea is to help build on your weaknesses of course. Beyond the math which i feel very competent in, I hope I dont have too many other glaring ones because I will have enough on my plate trying to cram science into my head.
We finished the day at a review session that left me with the same look on my face that the Scooby Doo gang almost always had right after they unmasked another ghost that turned out to be the caretaker engaged in some elaborate scheme (that of course would have worked if it werent for 'those pesky kids.') After class I spoke with some other students who seemed really enlightened by the session while I felt as if someone sunk my battleship in five guesses. Suffice to say, I put my bookbag on the table when I got home and havent picked it up yet.
One thing that comes with age is the knowledge that this too shall pass. I bandy about terms like 'freaked out' but I truly havent been there as yet because I feel much more comfortable in taking the time to take a deep breath before I dive back in. Life is a marathon not a sprint and while this year may feel very quick, it is a long haul. I will save pulling out my hair until after the first test at least...........coming up this Wednesday.
Additionally to all this I have to give a big blog thank you to my girlfriend Tia who was wonderful and planned a beautiful and relaxing morning/afternoon for us both today. It was the kind of day that reminds me that school may reflect heavily in life, but life is not school.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Bunny bummer
So, today is the last day before I officially become a student again. So many thoughts going through my head.........mainly about what to do for dinner at the moment, but there are school thoughts right behind those. I am honestly doing my best to not think about it much at all. Trying to make tomorrow like the moment in the reality shows where they reveal your new home/pimped-out car/clothings/etc. instead of trying to even pretend like I have any concept of what lies ahead. Therefore tomorrow's information session will either astound and interest me or find me regressing and hiding under the bed with my thumb lodged securely in my mouth. I can type one handed (albeit slowly and inaccurately) so you will hear something about it either way.
Sad news today, I found a dead rabbit in the back yard while mowing the lawn. It was really odd. We have all sorts of critters in the back yard including mice, a variety of birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and the aforementioned rabbit. It was just keeled over on its side with no visible sign of its demise. Hopefully it doesnt set an ominous tone for the week.
The time is almost nigh. Cant wait to report some actual nursing school content on here.
Sad news today, I found a dead rabbit in the back yard while mowing the lawn. It was really odd. We have all sorts of critters in the back yard including mice, a variety of birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and the aforementioned rabbit. It was just keeled over on its side with no visible sign of its demise. Hopefully it doesnt set an ominous tone for the week.
The time is almost nigh. Cant wait to report some actual nursing school content on here.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Fortuitous meetings
That whooshing noise you may hear is the sound of my extensive sigh of relief. I was prepared (prepared is probably not an appropriate word........perhaps more accurately I was terrified) for 10 hours a day of studying over the Memorial Day weekend and not much relief beyond it. I anticipated no more fun until the break in between terms when I would presumably black out from exhaustion nearly instantaneously and come to only minutes from the resumption of classes. It would, in my mind, provide the only sleep I might get other than snatches of microsleep stolen on the way to school the days that Krista drove. I envisioned snatches of texts sewn to the inside of my eyelids so I could student even with them firmly shut. I envisioned openly sobbing from stress and toeing the razor-thin line of insanity (that vision remains). However, the discussions with some former students of the program has, at least for the moment, drawn me back from the edge of the precipice.
Krista (the new roomie who is starting the program with me) and her boyfriend Brad and I decided that it might be interesting to see the school we will be spending countless hours and many thousands of dollars at before we start, so we headed in on Friday afternoon. After wandering the halls somewhat at random, we came upon two former students who were incredibly friendly and helpful (and just graduated today). They gave us a tour of the building, dispelled some scary rumors about the program (ie: your life as you know it should only exist in a suspended form for the next 12 months), and even gave us a head's up on some books we would need and some that we would not even open. They also gave us their contact information so we could bother them incessently throughout the program (I intend to).
Yesterday, we met up with another former student, Adam, who had finished up the program a year ago. His advice was very similar but much more detailed. Additionally, he had no medical background, like myself, so it was nice to hear someone come from a perspective of not knowing his way around a syringe or a catheter and, just 12 months later, starting work in an ICU unit. It still seems odd that you can absorb so much in so short a time.
So, what it means is that this program should be manageable, should provide excellent preparation, and seems to provide an overall positive experience. I am extremely relieved although still very nervous. One more day to chill out and then it begins. Keep em crossed for me.
Krista (the new roomie who is starting the program with me) and her boyfriend Brad and I decided that it might be interesting to see the school we will be spending countless hours and many thousands of dollars at before we start, so we headed in on Friday afternoon. After wandering the halls somewhat at random, we came upon two former students who were incredibly friendly and helpful (and just graduated today). They gave us a tour of the building, dispelled some scary rumors about the program (ie: your life as you know it should only exist in a suspended form for the next 12 months), and even gave us a head's up on some books we would need and some that we would not even open. They also gave us their contact information so we could bother them incessently throughout the program (I intend to).
Yesterday, we met up with another former student, Adam, who had finished up the program a year ago. His advice was very similar but much more detailed. Additionally, he had no medical background, like myself, so it was nice to hear someone come from a perspective of not knowing his way around a syringe or a catheter and, just 12 months later, starting work in an ICU unit. It still seems odd that you can absorb so much in so short a time.
So, what it means is that this program should be manageable, should provide excellent preparation, and seems to provide an overall positive experience. I am extremely relieved although still very nervous. One more day to chill out and then it begins. Keep em crossed for me.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Mt. Rushmore
I am having a hard time processing the fact that better than a week has passed since my departure from Portland. Seems like just yesterday I was going out for farewell meals and piling my earthly possessions into my Subaru. Whether or not a fair amount of time has elapsed, I think enough has passed to recollect about the journey.
What I learned about the country via the interstate (I understand the interstate system doesn't present the best that a state has to offer and making judgments solely upon what lies within a few miles of said road isnt fair, but unlike Fox News, I make no pretense about being 'fair and balanced'):
1. The flyover states having some pretty topography and some ugly ass cities. It almost makes you wish you could fly over them lower and more slowly, but it does not make me wish in any way that I could drive through them again. Compared to the natural beauty that surrounds these little oasis of chain restaurants and faux rustic strip plazas stand out more distinctly than 30lbs would on the Olsen twins. It is truly a shame.
2. There are more 'casinos' than people in Montana and South Dakota. Every offramp advertised them and more than that, they were roundly unimpressive in every single way. Some were scarcely more than tin sheds. We peeked at one in a gas station that amounted to 5 one-armed bandits and a stand where, presumably, you would cash out your winnings. Gambling is a hard thing to do I think: wagering your money against losing odds in the hopes you beat them this time. At least I want to feel like i am getting something out of it even if I lose, like a pleasant environ and free drinks. It would take a lot of free drinks to make these locales palatable. When you take away the appearance, all that is left is you in a dark smoky room pumping quarters into a machine that will likely give you back far less than you put in.
3. There is a HUGE difference between a Motel 6 and a Super 8. To further emphasize this difference I would propose a twofold solution: Motel 6 should rename itself "Motel you get what you pay for you cheap bastard" and Super 8, for the sake of comparison since there is nothing inherently super about it except under this circumstance, should call itself 'Super exponentially better than that other numerically named chain.' The '6' that we stayed in reeked of cigarette smoke (in our non-smoking room), had matresses that had passes their golden era prior to the Carter administration, and had a shower that reminded me unfavorably of the ones I shared with 120 dorm mates in college on a Sunday after they hadnt seen a cleaning staff since a few days prior. Additionally, the shower head was clearly installed when our land was peopled with pygmys or some other height challenged people as I had to contort my body into positions I had heretofore not been aware I was capable of in order to remove my shampoo. Adding to the degree of difficulty, the shower itself was only a few feet square and the showerhead, based on the pressure, was evidently installed to fight fires or pressure clean, not wash human bodies. I am still awaiting some kind of weird rash to appear from sleeping there.
4. Rapid city is my new least favorite city. It has all the charm and beauty of a daytime truck stop hooker. If meth was a city, this might well be it. I found a similar city on my southern trip, Carlsbad, and like that city, this one was wrapped around a landmark (in this case a man-made one, Mt. Rushmore). There were more sketchy hotels, casinos, pawn shops, and check cashing places than restaurants and I have already described our lovely Motel 6 experience there. The oddest thing was a reptile park and a few other odd places. Who would travel to Mt. Rushmore and think, "Gee, i wish there were alligators around here?" Evidently someone.
I think that covers the trip..........or most of it. i wont torture anyone with descriptions of the mundane food, copious collections of insects embedded into my car grill, or bizarrer conversations we came up with to pass the hours. The last day was a blur. 1000 miles and nearly 20 hours of driving. I still dont know how we managed it, but somehow we did. Must have been the thought of that Motel 6.
More when school starts. Financial aid has been promised soon.
What I learned about the country via the interstate (I understand the interstate system doesn't present the best that a state has to offer and making judgments solely upon what lies within a few miles of said road isnt fair, but unlike Fox News, I make no pretense about being 'fair and balanced'):
1. The flyover states having some pretty topography and some ugly ass cities. It almost makes you wish you could fly over them lower and more slowly, but it does not make me wish in any way that I could drive through them again. Compared to the natural beauty that surrounds these little oasis of chain restaurants and faux rustic strip plazas stand out more distinctly than 30lbs would on the Olsen twins. It is truly a shame.
2. There are more 'casinos' than people in Montana and South Dakota. Every offramp advertised them and more than that, they were roundly unimpressive in every single way. Some were scarcely more than tin sheds. We peeked at one in a gas station that amounted to 5 one-armed bandits and a stand where, presumably, you would cash out your winnings. Gambling is a hard thing to do I think: wagering your money against losing odds in the hopes you beat them this time. At least I want to feel like i am getting something out of it even if I lose, like a pleasant environ and free drinks. It would take a lot of free drinks to make these locales palatable. When you take away the appearance, all that is left is you in a dark smoky room pumping quarters into a machine that will likely give you back far less than you put in.
3. There is a HUGE difference between a Motel 6 and a Super 8. To further emphasize this difference I would propose a twofold solution: Motel 6 should rename itself "Motel you get what you pay for you cheap bastard" and Super 8, for the sake of comparison since there is nothing inherently super about it except under this circumstance, should call itself 'Super exponentially better than that other numerically named chain.' The '6' that we stayed in reeked of cigarette smoke (in our non-smoking room), had matresses that had passes their golden era prior to the Carter administration, and had a shower that reminded me unfavorably of the ones I shared with 120 dorm mates in college on a Sunday after they hadnt seen a cleaning staff since a few days prior. Additionally, the shower head was clearly installed when our land was peopled with pygmys or some other height challenged people as I had to contort my body into positions I had heretofore not been aware I was capable of in order to remove my shampoo. Adding to the degree of difficulty, the shower itself was only a few feet square and the showerhead, based on the pressure, was evidently installed to fight fires or pressure clean, not wash human bodies. I am still awaiting some kind of weird rash to appear from sleeping there.
4. Rapid city is my new least favorite city. It has all the charm and beauty of a daytime truck stop hooker. If meth was a city, this might well be it. I found a similar city on my southern trip, Carlsbad, and like that city, this one was wrapped around a landmark (in this case a man-made one, Mt. Rushmore). There were more sketchy hotels, casinos, pawn shops, and check cashing places than restaurants and I have already described our lovely Motel 6 experience there. The oddest thing was a reptile park and a few other odd places. Who would travel to Mt. Rushmore and think, "Gee, i wish there were alligators around here?" Evidently someone.
I think that covers the trip..........or most of it. i wont torture anyone with descriptions of the mundane food, copious collections of insects embedded into my car grill, or bizarrer conversations we came up with to pass the hours. The last day was a blur. 1000 miles and nearly 20 hours of driving. I still dont know how we managed it, but somehow we did. Must have been the thought of that Motel 6.
More when school starts. Financial aid has been promised soon.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Video of the "SIMMAN"
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070219/VIDEO/70219043/-1/MULTIMEDIA
Odd to think I will be working with the SIMMAN soon enough.
Odd to think I will be working with the SIMMAN soon enough.
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