LAMI observation

Hello blog world I realize I’ve been off for most of December but I was in ”study mania” during finals and then our family just got back from vacation to the great state of Texas.  I have so much catching up to do that I made a list.  Now that I’m on break I’ll spread out my blogs a bit so I don’t overwhelm you all too much.

www.medivisuals.com

In this blog I’ll mention my exciting time during my OR observation which happened at the beginning of December.  The patient was scheduled to have a laminectomy and discectomy for lumbar stenosis on the L5 region of the back.  The exciting thing about this experience was the fact that I knew the circulating nurse and specifically she requested that I follow her throughout my observation time.  I felt so excited to be asked to come back to see my friend, with her 20 years of experience, in her element. 

The patient was wheeled in awake and talking and then the anesthesia doctor did his thing and the patient was out within minutes.  The nurses, techs, doctor, and PA helped to flip the patient over on his tummy and prepared for surgery.  I was asked to step on a step-stool at the head of the patient so I could have a better view.  The anesthesiologist asked that if I felt woozy to fall backwards and he would catch me but not to fall forwards because I’d land on the patient.  I saw bone flying and just tried to not think of what was happening on a personal level but rather just stay in the moment which helped.

Another thrilling this was that the ortho doc asked me to come opposite of him on the patients other side,  gown up, and come share his double microscope to view what he was doing.  I felt honored and excited, even my nurse friend seemed shocked that I was asked to view the procedure.  The doc showed me the spine under the microscope and pushed it around like it was a rubber band. After he removed some stenosis he asked if I could see better blood flow and I agreed wholeheartedly that I could, even if I didn’t know for sure what I was seeing.

Ultimately the procedure only took about 2.5 hours including the pre and post op times.  While my experience was a positive one, the atmosphere was cold and formal and I don’t think the OR is the place for me because I love interacting way too much with the patients.

Strong Enough by Matthew West

After the week I've had this song sums up what I'm feeling the best!

You must think I'm strong
To give me what I'm going through

Well, forgive me
Forgive me if I'm wrong
But this looks like more than I can do
On my own

I know I'm not strong enough to be
everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough
For the both of us

Well, maybe
Maybe that's the point
To reach the point of giving up

Cause when I'm finally
Finally at rock bottom
Well, that's when I start looking up
And reaching out

I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough

Cause I'm broken
Down to nothing
But I'm still holding on to the one thing
You are God
and you are strong
When I am weak

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
And I don't have to be
Strong enough
Strong enough

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
And I don't have to be
Strong enough
Strong enough

Oh, yeah

I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough
Strong enough

Med Error?

Last week I had my clinical on Tuesday and I knew I had three meds to give at 0900, but then I never checked the system on what time the next scheduled meds should have been given at.  You see our clinical times start at 0630-1130, and we (the student’s) are responsible for giving all the meds during that time frame.  The patient in my care was supposed to get meds at 0900, 1000, and 1100.  I only gave meds at 0900.  We’ve only be passing meds for three weeks up to this point. The first week I had my instructor watch me, the next week I had the nurse I followed shove me the med and tell ME to administer it while she checked in on another patient. 

So when my instructor sat me down in her office later that afternoon and asked what happened I didn’t have any excuses to give but the truth.  I guess she didn’t like my answer and told me that I shouldn’t have the idea in my head that if I don’t do something the nurse will catch my mistakes.  She said that I AM to be thinking that I am the “nurse” so I SHOULD HAVE given the med, not expecting the nurse I was following to do it.  My instructor then went on to say “I’m sorry this has to go in your academic file especially being your last clinical and all.” I was thinking what kind of a dork tells me this on my last clinical day?!  I get that it was my responsibility and that I shouldn’t have expected my nurse to do any of my work, but come on.  I mean if I were malicious in my intent or purposefully neglectful I could understand.  Or I could understand, if by my doing, the patient was given an extra dose or the wrong med, but my nurse gave the meds that I didn’t and she never mentioned that it was a problem to me. 

I think my instructor was trying to find someone to fault in our class this semester and I was that person.  Either way she teaches by intimidation which doesn’t sit well with most of the students in my class.  She also threatened informed me other instructors next semester will see the red flag in my file and pay close attention to my short comings, making sure I don’t make this mistake again.  Nice…  If I had any bit of confidence up until this point, I surely don't now.  I’ve officially been knocked off my perch, so-to-speak.

Other than that I totally bombed my oxygenation/perfusion exam Friday with a 68% for my score.  I know what happened, I poured all of my time in a 17 page paper and not enough time into studying.  I have to average 73% on all my exams, and so far I’m in the clear, but I really want to rock the final coming up so I can feel rest assured with my overall grade in the class.

On a lighter note I filled out my internship paper work for this coming summer.  I applied to four hospitals in my area that I get a chance to work as a nurse tech.  I’ll be paid roughly half the salary of a new nurse for eight weeks, being able to put to use my nursing skills.  I’m super excited, thrilled, and scared all at the same time.  I hope I do well, and I hope I get extended an interview and offer.