My first semester of nursing school is finally over. It was a pretty brutal semester and apparently next semester will only be worse...especially with Pharmacology. But at least the end of next semester will mean the end of our first year. Thankfully.
For those who have never experienced nursing school, it is one of the more challenging things to be attempted. As American's we are taught to memorize and regurgitate. In nursing school, they don't want that...they want you to know, understand, and choose the "most right" way of answering or doing something. It can be very difficult at times to give them exactly what it is they are looking for. I think, in the end, it will be worthwhile and meaningful.
13.12.06
13.9.06
Moving Right Along
The semester is going by rather quickly now. Next week we start our clinical rotations and I'm sure that will be an interesting experience. We have all been somewhat busy with the various tests and reading that not too many of my class have focused on how busy we will be once we don't have Monday and Wednesday free anymore. I tried to make that point yesterday with a few people in my class, but I don't know how successful I was.
I think I have accumulated a new friend. Her name is Emma and she is an incredibly nice woman. A fact that I need to keep in mind when talking with her. My sarcastic wit is at times I think hurtful to her - she isn't used to it. We have put together a study group with another woman and two of the three guys in our class. We'll see how it goes with that. Most of the time study groups break into social chattering...and not always once the work is done.
My Dad's birthday is on Monday. I haven't gotten anything for him because 1)we're sending him and Karen to California and 2) I'm making his birthday cake...which will be a feat in and of itself. He wants this monstrous concoction of two layers of chocolate cake with strawberries and cream filling and chocolate mousse frosting. To me, it sounds rather horrific, but it is what he would like.
Now. Knowing my father and his penchant for sweets and chocolate, and knowing that my siblings have similar tastes, I'm working on where I can cut a few corners on the sugar and fat content. Of course this is what I normally do, but it can be tricky with cakes. If you're not careful you can end up with a crater in the center, unlike with cookies where they are just a little poofier than you expected. To make it even more interesting, I need to make the cake big enough to feed an army. Fortunately for him, I don't have school on Monday during the day, so I can actually get this done. Otherwise, they were going to buy a cake which has a bunch of gross preservatives and who knows what else.
Patrick seems to be doing well with his second semester. He is busier than he was last semester with the amount of paperwork he has, but I think he is getting more out of it.
He is worried about me right now. I don't get paid a whole lot for the work I do and since I can only work two days a week, I'm pretty much killing myself while I do it. Unfortunately, I HAVE to work because of the debts I accrued during college and then subsequently afterwards (during the summer after Patrick got back, I didn't work, wanting to spend as much time with him as possible, and then our move to Michigan took my rather low debt amount to new heights). It's my debt, I take responsibility for it. But I need to keep on top of the payments so that my credit doesn't suck ass when we go to buy a house.
I have tried applying for other positions within the hospital with no success and was told by HR that the hiring manager had to actually review the applications. So, now I'm on the job hunt...again. I'm a little sick of job hunting honestly. It's not fun having to work at impressing people you normally wouldn't have anything to do with. BUT! If it will pay better while I'm in nursing school, that is what matters.
I'm playing fantasy football this season with some friends from high school. And true to form I suck at it. During week 1, I got 43 points. For those of you not experienced in the fantasy football lingo, this is not all that great.
Lois and I went to a Trauma Update Conference last week which was interesting for the most part. The legal issues topic was of particular interest to me, as was the talk on battlefield surgery by a doctor who served in Iraq. There was one talk on rectal injury which looked promising, but ended up being rather disappointing. UNMH hosted the conference and they also announced that Grand Rounds are offered every Friday during the academic year. The topics should be interesting if they are anything like last year. I sent out an email to my class to tell them about the opportunity, but I never heard back from any of them, so I guess they aren't all that interested. I can't say that I blame them, especially those of us living in Santa Fe, when the talks are only an hour long and they start at 7 am. But if the topic is worth it, I can't see that being a issue. Maybe that is the difference. I look for opportunities to explore extracurricular education and for the most part they are happy to just get through the semester. This is going to be an interesting two years.
I think I have accumulated a new friend. Her name is Emma and she is an incredibly nice woman. A fact that I need to keep in mind when talking with her. My sarcastic wit is at times I think hurtful to her - she isn't used to it. We have put together a study group with another woman and two of the three guys in our class. We'll see how it goes with that. Most of the time study groups break into social chattering...and not always once the work is done.
My Dad's birthday is on Monday. I haven't gotten anything for him because 1)we're sending him and Karen to California and 2) I'm making his birthday cake...which will be a feat in and of itself. He wants this monstrous concoction of two layers of chocolate cake with strawberries and cream filling and chocolate mousse frosting. To me, it sounds rather horrific, but it is what he would like.
Now. Knowing my father and his penchant for sweets and chocolate, and knowing that my siblings have similar tastes, I'm working on where I can cut a few corners on the sugar and fat content. Of course this is what I normally do, but it can be tricky with cakes. If you're not careful you can end up with a crater in the center, unlike with cookies where they are just a little poofier than you expected. To make it even more interesting, I need to make the cake big enough to feed an army. Fortunately for him, I don't have school on Monday during the day, so I can actually get this done. Otherwise, they were going to buy a cake which has a bunch of gross preservatives and who knows what else.
Patrick seems to be doing well with his second semester. He is busier than he was last semester with the amount of paperwork he has, but I think he is getting more out of it.
He is worried about me right now. I don't get paid a whole lot for the work I do and since I can only work two days a week, I'm pretty much killing myself while I do it. Unfortunately, I HAVE to work because of the debts I accrued during college and then subsequently afterwards (during the summer after Patrick got back, I didn't work, wanting to spend as much time with him as possible, and then our move to Michigan took my rather low debt amount to new heights). It's my debt, I take responsibility for it. But I need to keep on top of the payments so that my credit doesn't suck ass when we go to buy a house.
I have tried applying for other positions within the hospital with no success and was told by HR that the hiring manager had to actually review the applications. So, now I'm on the job hunt...again. I'm a little sick of job hunting honestly. It's not fun having to work at impressing people you normally wouldn't have anything to do with. BUT! If it will pay better while I'm in nursing school, that is what matters.
I'm playing fantasy football this season with some friends from high school. And true to form I suck at it. During week 1, I got 43 points. For those of you not experienced in the fantasy football lingo, this is not all that great.
Lois and I went to a Trauma Update Conference last week which was interesting for the most part. The legal issues topic was of particular interest to me, as was the talk on battlefield surgery by a doctor who served in Iraq. There was one talk on rectal injury which looked promising, but ended up being rather disappointing. UNMH hosted the conference and they also announced that Grand Rounds are offered every Friday during the academic year. The topics should be interesting if they are anything like last year. I sent out an email to my class to tell them about the opportunity, but I never heard back from any of them, so I guess they aren't all that interested. I can't say that I blame them, especially those of us living in Santa Fe, when the talks are only an hour long and they start at 7 am. But if the topic is worth it, I can't see that being a issue. Maybe that is the difference. I look for opportunities to explore extracurricular education and for the most part they are happy to just get through the semester. This is going to be an interesting two years.
24.8.06
Patrick's girlfriend
The first week of class has actually been pretty easy. One of our instructors is in Ireland baptizing her new baby so we have only really had two classes this week, which has been nice. I'm trying to get a head start on things and it seems to be working out. Next week, I'm sure, will be more of a challenge. One thing I'm starting to notice is that everyone keeps referring to me as "Patrick's girlfriend". I guess that comes with being one semester behind him. I now know how Katie felt following after me in high school. I'm wondering, half the time, if the instructors know my name...
Gemma and I were able to talk for a while today and I found out that she and Josh can start planning their wedding. She was offered and has accepted a job offer once she has graduated law school. I'm so proud of her and all that she has accomplished.
My dad's still not doing too well. We don't know how much longer he has but every time I see him he looks less and less like he used to. He's so uncomfortable and now with the kidney failure, the toxins are building up in his system and are causing him to itch. The water blisters on his legs are breaking and we're worried about infection. He says that he wants to go to the coast and sit by the ocean to have some time for introspection before he dies. I'm waiting for Karen to recover from her surgery before I start pushing. He and Karen are going out to my mother's house tomorrow to tell my sisters and mother that he has been declared "terminal". I'm worried that this will turn ugly. I really don't want my sisters to turn into the ones that require the comforting from my dad. That would really piss me off. I guess we'll see what happens and go from there.
Gemma and I were able to talk for a while today and I found out that she and Josh can start planning their wedding. She was offered and has accepted a job offer once she has graduated law school. I'm so proud of her and all that she has accomplished.
My dad's still not doing too well. We don't know how much longer he has but every time I see him he looks less and less like he used to. He's so uncomfortable and now with the kidney failure, the toxins are building up in his system and are causing him to itch. The water blisters on his legs are breaking and we're worried about infection. He says that he wants to go to the coast and sit by the ocean to have some time for introspection before he dies. I'm waiting for Karen to recover from her surgery before I start pushing. He and Karen are going out to my mother's house tomorrow to tell my sisters and mother that he has been declared "terminal". I'm worried that this will turn ugly. I really don't want my sisters to turn into the ones that require the comforting from my dad. That would really piss me off. I guess we'll see what happens and go from there.
14.8.06
School? Didn't summer just start?
I find it ironic that the first official day of fall doesn't come until late September and yet the "fall semester" begins in August. I officially start the nursing program next week, which means that this week is reserved for jumping through the hoops of orientation and a skills test that I am having slight performance anxiety over. I'm sure I'll be fine, particularly once it's over. Patrick tells me I have a great bedside manner...apparently that will take me far in this profession.
My position at the doctor's office here in town officially came to an end on Friday. Bittersweet though it was, it will be nice to only have one job for a while. Fortunately I learned a lot in my position there and those skills will serve me well in the years to come.
We recently had a garage sale and cleared out a lot of junk that we won't use and, in all honesty, don't need. Patrick's mom made over $800.00. Patrick and I made about $260.00, which is great because now we can use that money to pay for our storage shed for a couple of months.
We have been getting a lot of rain the last couple of months. Normally the NM rainy season is late July and August, but the amount we have been getting is ridiculous. It's rained more in the last three months than it normally does all year. Albuquerque actually flooded. And, in true New Mexican style, on the news this morning were two men in Albuquerque throwing bucket after bucket of rain water over their walled yard. A walled yard that had a wrought-iron gate, where a lot more water was coming through back into the yard. A perfect example of an exercise in futility. I guess, though, when you are faced with the unknown even the most inane action is at least action on your part to control the situation.
My grandmother came from Chicago to visit a couple of weeks ago. She is getting on in years my father wanted her to come out here to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, she has been having a hard time with her memory and is developing a "touch" of dementia, which makes her comments fairly interesting. She told my 14 year old sister that she is an excellent mother and that she has a handsome husband. She asked Patrick and I if, now that we are married when were we going to try to have children. When we told her we weren't married and that we haven't tried to have kids yet (school comes first), she said that was okay that we should just keep trying and it will happen. All in all, an entertaining visit.
My position at the doctor's office here in town officially came to an end on Friday. Bittersweet though it was, it will be nice to only have one job for a while. Fortunately I learned a lot in my position there and those skills will serve me well in the years to come.
We recently had a garage sale and cleared out a lot of junk that we won't use and, in all honesty, don't need. Patrick's mom made over $800.00. Patrick and I made about $260.00, which is great because now we can use that money to pay for our storage shed for a couple of months.
We have been getting a lot of rain the last couple of months. Normally the NM rainy season is late July and August, but the amount we have been getting is ridiculous. It's rained more in the last three months than it normally does all year. Albuquerque actually flooded. And, in true New Mexican style, on the news this morning were two men in Albuquerque throwing bucket after bucket of rain water over their walled yard. A walled yard that had a wrought-iron gate, where a lot more water was coming through back into the yard. A perfect example of an exercise in futility. I guess, though, when you are faced with the unknown even the most inane action is at least action on your part to control the situation.
My grandmother came from Chicago to visit a couple of weeks ago. She is getting on in years my father wanted her to come out here to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, she has been having a hard time with her memory and is developing a "touch" of dementia, which makes her comments fairly interesting. She told my 14 year old sister that she is an excellent mother and that she has a handsome husband. She asked Patrick and I if, now that we are married when were we going to try to have children. When we told her we weren't married and that we haven't tried to have kids yet (school comes first), she said that was okay that we should just keep trying and it will happen. All in all, an entertaining visit.
16.6.06
And nearly a year later...
So I am a bad little blogger. I have abandoned faithful readers to pursue a 4.0 GPA over the last year and as a result I have a lot of catching up to do.
To begin...
I officially start nursing school in the fall with an anticipated graduation date of May 2008. Yay me!
My sister got pregnant and had a little girl who is the apple of everyone's eyes. She really is a beautiful baby. Normally all babies look like monkeys, but she actually looked adorable. My two nephews (by another sister) are doing quite well and it is amazing to watch them grow up so fast.
I'm not speaking with my mother right now. She and I haven't actually spoken since January. For those of you who know the story why, you are the few people I let in enough to know that information. For the rest of you, suffice it to say that we had a strong difference of opinion. Needless to say, she is wrong and I'm waiting for my apology.
Patrick is doing well in nursing school. He finished his first semester and is excited for his second.
I've changed jobs a couple of times. I'm still working at the hospital but am working as a CNA. I've applied for a position with CSF and have an interview for Monday, but I'm not sure how that will go. I can't imagine that they would be too interested in an individual whose main priority would be school. Not that I blame them. They say that they are willing to work with me on scheduling, but nursing does pose a very demanding schedule. I honestly don't know if it would be fair to the school if they did hire me.
I have finally learned how to swim. Thank god.
I think that is about all the catching up I have right now. I'll try to be better about blogging but honestly, life tends to get in the way. Pesky thing that it is.
To begin...
I officially start nursing school in the fall with an anticipated graduation date of May 2008. Yay me!
My sister got pregnant and had a little girl who is the apple of everyone's eyes. She really is a beautiful baby. Normally all babies look like monkeys, but she actually looked adorable. My two nephews (by another sister) are doing quite well and it is amazing to watch them grow up so fast.
I'm not speaking with my mother right now. She and I haven't actually spoken since January. For those of you who know the story why, you are the few people I let in enough to know that information. For the rest of you, suffice it to say that we had a strong difference of opinion. Needless to say, she is wrong and I'm waiting for my apology.
Patrick is doing well in nursing school. He finished his first semester and is excited for his second.
I've changed jobs a couple of times. I'm still working at the hospital but am working as a CNA. I've applied for a position with CSF and have an interview for Monday, but I'm not sure how that will go. I can't imagine that they would be too interested in an individual whose main priority would be school. Not that I blame them. They say that they are willing to work with me on scheduling, but nursing does pose a very demanding schedule. I honestly don't know if it would be fair to the school if they did hire me.
I have finally learned how to swim. Thank god.
I think that is about all the catching up I have right now. I'll try to be better about blogging but honestly, life tends to get in the way. Pesky thing that it is.
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