another clinical weekend done

I had my 2nd to last clinical this past weekend! one left, then one more weekend doing presentations at school and then no more weekend classes. We are done with finals early May so it is coming up quickly. I can't believe I am almost done with my first year of nursing school. Only one year to go and I'll be an RN. Wow.

Clinicals went great. Like I've said, I have the hardest/most challenging instructor. She really makes you be on top of things. She checks what you are doing, checks your documentation, talks to the RN you are working with, probably talks with the patients. She asks questions and if you ask her a question she comes back to you with a question and never answers your questions. I have heard her really crack down on some people. She has almost made some people cry. For some reason she doesn't seem to do that to me, yet... I know it may be coming. She seems to be ok with me so far. Anyway, had a great patient, my first younger male. He was a little younger than my husband so it was a different dynamic. It was really interesting because he has a history similar to one of my brothers who has had past medical issues so I felt I really had something to offer him and it really was a good experience. As far as nursing stuff, I got to do another subQ injection in the abdomen. Those really aren't scary for me anymore because the needle is very short/thin and patients never seem to be hurt when I give them. I have yet to do a long/big IM injection though. I also got to pull out a NG tube (nasogastric - from nose to stomach) which can be really uncomfortable for the patient. You have to pull really fast and I think I did ok. It still was kind of traumatic for the patient. But it was good I got to do that.

The rest of the weekend I was either sleeping or up late working on paperwork. I have one weekend of hellish sleeping left. I always stay up late Fri night doing my paperwork and then I can't sleep because I am too nervous or excited or scared my alarm won't go off. For some reason I'm able to sleep much better Sat night. I am still making up for lost sleep. I have a test next monday so I will be busy studying for that. I also have 2 presentations to start and finish up in the next couple weeks.

My husband is out of town again Mon-Thur. The kids and I went to a big play area/indoor playground yesterday with a couple of my childhood friends and their kids. The loved it. I had a babysitter come last night since I had school. My parents will take the kids tomorrow while I have class. Both kids are on spring break and of course it is rainy and cold. I haven't seen the sun for about a week. How depressing. Today we are making some easter eggs and I have been hiding things around the house and they have been secret agents trying to find stuff. Simple but they love it. I also organized all of J's hair-do stuff, it was in about 3 different drawers and all mixed up. I have also been slowly going thru stuff for the garage sale I'm going to have with some neighbors in May. I come up with about 1-2 bags a week. I want to get the house cleaned out by summer. I will donate some to the preschool garage sale and church garages sales as well.

Other plans this week are wrestling practice tonight and Thurday, various church services (I think we'll try to go Thur night and Fri afternoon for good friday and of course Easter Sun). This year the kids have really been interested in the holy week. They learn about it at church school, and J's preschool is a christian preschool so they did a really fun storytelling of the week using plastic eggs with symbols inside of them. I think they are starting to understand what easter is really about. Of course, they still love the eggs and candy and the bunny and all that but they know about palm sunday, the last supper, and how Jesus rose again. It is interesting for me to see them learn this, I never was brought up with religion so this is all new for me. My parents never went to church or took us to church or even talked about religion with us. I really have never asked them why. I don't really bring it up, they have never been church going people or been interested in why we go so for some reason it is kind of a topic not talked about. One reason I bring my kids is not only for the religion aspect but for the social part of it. I see the older kids/teens and they seem to have a group of people and activities to do all the time. They go on trips, have bonfires, meet once a week, etc. When I was in junior and senior high I always kind of wished I had that church family some of my friends seemed to have. I think it is a safe place for them to hang out and find friends there. Not that all kids that go to church are good kids but at least most of the activites are supervised and safe. I want my kids to have that place where they belong. Maybe that is the wrong reason so be involved in church but that is one of mine.

My birthday is also on Easter so it will be nice to spend it with my family and have the day off from school and everything else. I will be 33 years old.

I better go get our eggs off the stove and start the coloring process!!! Have a great holiday !