Thursday, August 2, 2012

Scalp Burn / Brain Burn

Two days ago people… only two days ago, I burned my scalp during an all-day affair at the waterpark with my kiddos.  What sucks is when you have a career where you wear your hair in a high pony or bun and all day long you think you’re wearing your hair too tightly but in reality it’s that your head is actually burnt and your scalp is screaming for sweet relief.  Meanwhile I was so busy putting sun screen on my kids, in fact I forgot to rub the thick protectant on my own back, and since my kids left to go tearing across the park to the nearest slide I’m baking under the merciless sun unaware until two days later where I can’t find enough scratching posts to rub my back on because my co-workers can’t/don’t want to scratch my back.

Anyway, only 33 days until I go back to school, and guess what??  This is going to be my last fall season at this school.  Not going to lie, I’m kinda sadden by that fact, albeit only a little sad, not a lot sad.  Reality is sinking in that I’m going to be graduating in 9 short months and after a little social gathering with some of my nursing student friends last night, I don’t think I’m prepared to be a nurse.  I know same ‘ole story with me complaining that I don’t think I have what it takes to be a “real” nurse, so I’m sorry for airing my insecurities but I do have valid reasons to be concerned.  I’m not like my counterparts, things don’t stick in my mind, they slip and slide around in my brain but I can’t just grab facts and pull them out when I need them.  Take yesterday for example when I told you about my social gathering and my friends are all talking up their summer nurse internships and what they are experiencing for example details such as medical open wounds that I just can’t remember.  Explicitly they were talking about a woman having a c-section and being sent home with a third degree open wound, then verbatim they went through all the different open wound stages and definitions and while some topics sounded familiar I didn’t recognize the details of what they were talking about.  YIKES, I just wanted to bury my head in the sand, instead I just shook my head and said uh huh, yup, right…all the while inside I was shaking my head thinking darn I should have memorized more or paid attention better.

I guess this is my cue to hit the books a little before school starts, practice some NCLEX questions, and do a lot of praying for my future (-;

3 comments:

  1. Do you have/want NCLEX flash cards? My aunt is a nurse educator & she gave me a pack of Kaplan NCLEX Pharmacology review flashcards. I never used them, because I ended up following the curriculum for the med. school. If you want them, they're yours! Just email me your address (redstethoscopeblog@gmail.com)!

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  2. Zazzy, There is no way for you to be an "expert" in all areas. Build a great foundation, read, read, read nursing journals and updates, and keep a computer near your fingertips. Remember, you know this stuff. Critical systems thinking is more important than memorizing.

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  3. I agree with Debbie. I have seen lots of fledgling RNs in my career and it just takes time to build up that body of knowlege where it all comes naturally.

    Don't underestimate yourself either. I think - from what I have seen on your blog - you have great common sense...and that goes a LONG way in nursing! :)

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