Nursing Week 2
We tested off on our first set of skills in the simulation lab yesterday. I did really well on everything and felt very comfortable until blood pressure time which was my last skill of the day. They have us using a two step method, palpation of the brachial artery previous to inflation of the cuff, then we inflate the cuff up until the point that we can no longer palpate the pulse. For the actual measurement we then reinflate the cuff to 30-40 mm Hg above the previous reading. This method is much more accurate because it prevents false reading due to an ausculatory gap. I know how to do it. I can do it very well using my equipment, however, I really struggled with the pressure release valve on the sphygmomanometer that we were using to test. And my intense left handedness caused a great deal of fumbling. Lefty loosey righty tighty only works if you can tell your left from your right... I eventually got it, and it's not that I don't know how to do it, I just need to keep practicing. I also need to make sure that I'm positioning myself properly to accomodate using the opposite hand as everyone else. And to use the release valve with my left, since it requires finesse and not brute strength. (I'm more coordinated with the left, but considerably stronger with the right.) Other than that, everything else went off without a hitch.
I also learned that the reason I feel crappy after using a nicotine lozenge is that it rockets my heart rate up to about 110-120 bpm. I felt bad for my friend Bridget who was attempting to take my apical pulse. It's really hard to count that fast when you're just learning. After about 30 minutes I was back down to my 'normal' 85 bpm.
Today we have our first guided practice for ROM (range of movement). We go to the lab and one fo the instructors will explain, demonstrate, and then guide us through the skill. ROM will be our first recorded demonstration. We use a digital video recorder to record our performing the skill and then submit our Sd card for their review. We'll be doing a lot of future skills this way, which is nice, because you can review your performance of the skill before asking to be graded.
After that it's lecture time. I'm not staying after today, so I should be done in time to finish a couple of errands I've been meaning to get to, but have been too tired to actually go and do.
Thursday afternoon, I'm going to lab to be tested on abnormal vitals using Sim Man (the programmable dummy) and Friday I'm going back to lab to practice skills for next Tuesday and spend some time in the library watching videos.
I got my clinical assignment yesterday. I'm headed to Ephrata hospital for the first clinical rotation. I'm less than thrilled about the drive (30 minutes) but I'm with a good group of people and I really like the clincal director for the facility, so I can't complain too much.
I also learned that the reason I feel crappy after using a nicotine lozenge is that it rockets my heart rate up to about 110-120 bpm. I felt bad for my friend Bridget who was attempting to take my apical pulse. It's really hard to count that fast when you're just learning. After about 30 minutes I was back down to my 'normal' 85 bpm.
Today we have our first guided practice for ROM (range of movement). We go to the lab and one fo the instructors will explain, demonstrate, and then guide us through the skill. ROM will be our first recorded demonstration. We use a digital video recorder to record our performing the skill and then submit our Sd card for their review. We'll be doing a lot of future skills this way, which is nice, because you can review your performance of the skill before asking to be graded.
After that it's lecture time. I'm not staying after today, so I should be done in time to finish a couple of errands I've been meaning to get to, but have been too tired to actually go and do.
Thursday afternoon, I'm going to lab to be tested on abnormal vitals using Sim Man (the programmable dummy) and Friday I'm going back to lab to practice skills for next Tuesday and spend some time in the library watching videos.
I got my clinical assignment yesterday. I'm headed to Ephrata hospital for the first clinical rotation. I'm less than thrilled about the drive (30 minutes) but I'm with a good group of people and I really like the clincal director for the facility, so I can't complain too much.