Happy New Year!!

First, let me say Happy New Year to you! May 2011 be filled with peace, love and joy!

Ok...I know I've been SOOO bad! I can't believe I haven't posted since September! Bad, bad, BAD nursing student!! Lol! I can't even remember all that happened last semester but that's because it's been uneventful. LOL! After OB, I had my Psych rotation. I had a great clinical instructor that was really good at what she did.

There really is a thin line between sanity and insanity! I learned so much about depression, OCD, phobia, panic disorder, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and many other psychiatric diseases. We may joke about them but they are serious mental illnesses that not only affect the patient but also their families. It was so sad to see how mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren...were all affected by their loved ones disease. And medication helps, but doesn't cure them. In church, a lot of times we say we are grateful that we woke up in our right mind...just don't know how grateful we need to be!

Peds was rather boring. LOL. Maybe it was because my clinical group couldn't do ANYTHING..no medications or anything. Just vital signs and lots and lots of paperwork. BO-RING. And the clinical instructor wasn't the best. Kids are cute and everything..but, I think I'll leave them to other people. LOL.

We did get a chance to spend time in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and the Pediatric ER. THOSE days were fun..maybe because I work in the ER now as a tech (did I tell you? Yes, your girl has been promoted from wiping butts on the cardiac floor to drawing blood in the ER! lol! I LOVE working in the ER as a patient care tech. I get to see a lot and the nurses show me a lot. I don't know about working in the ER as a nurse - I don't know if I like the treat 'em-and-street 'em philosophy of the ER..I like following up with a patient -- see how they progress but we'll see). I liked the fast-paced of the ER and the intensity of the PICU. Man, if you have children in your life, whether yours or just those around you..be grateful for their health. What may seem like a little headache can be something so very more serious. Trust me..I've seen it.

Well, it's the first of the year -- graduation is in a little over 5 months!! Can you believe it?!?! My, time has flown BY! This semester is going to be a hard one -- back to med/surg..mainly the ICU. I'm looking to apply for nurse internships -- which are transition programs for graduate nurses -- help us go from student nurse to registered nurse. Things are vastly different between school and the real world. So, I'm applying to various ones. AND I'm looking to move to Texas. YES, TEXAS! Opportunities are a little bit better down there than up where I live (even though I would hope that I had a good chance at the hospital I work out..hopefully!). I'm just ready to leave Jersey and be on my way!

So, my new year's resolution (among other personal ones) is to complete school and land a great nurse internship in Texas! Guess those really aren't "resolutions" but I do promise to write more consistently! I'm sure I'll have lots to vent about! :)