I don't think anyone reads this... but it's a good break from clinical paperwork! Not that I have done enough to deserve a break, but I guess procrastination happens!! This semester I have two classes and two clinicals. We have our second adult class, which with the new curriculum is a mix of the old high acuity adult class and the 2nd med-surg class. So, they're teaching us a butt load of crap!! And my other lecture class is pediatrics... only happy words there!!
Then I have two clincals. My adult clinical is in the trauma/burn unit at UAB. I was really excited about this clinical, because I thought that I was interested in trauma and the ER. But now I'm rethinking that... not so much because I don't like it, but because I think I like something else better (I'll get to that later!) My clinical instructor for adult is Dorothea V. Poole... yep... The few times that we interacted with her before we picked our clinicals she seemed like a lot of fun and like she would be pretty laid back. Well, she is a completely different person in clinical. Totally serious and never cracks a joke... and the most intimidating person I have ever been around before in my life!
But then, she is always talking about Jesus! She told us one night after making one girl in my clinical group cry... that the reason she is so hard on us is because this "nursing mission" is a call that God has put on her life, and that she has to answer to God about it, not to us. So... that's cool, but I think she could go about it in a better way. If Jesus was my clinical instructor, I don't think he'd act like she does... Of course, maybe he would just heal everyone and we could go home early!! haha :D
My other clinical is in the pediatric cardiac and thoracic surgery unit at UAB. The more I go to peds clinical the more I love it, and the more I go to peds clinical the more I dislike adult clincal!! For peds clinical I have a R.N. partner instead of a clinical instructor and group. I really like that because I get to care for 3 or 4 patients instead of just one. Most of our heart patients are either babies or toddlers or teenagers. And most of them have some type of congenital heart defect and have to have their first few surgeries very early in life. Then the teens come back for heart transplants because their hearts have started to fail. I haven't gotten to care for a teen yet that was in the hospital to get his or her heart transplant, just those that were back for complications like kidney failure or something like that. I am learning that I really enjoy working with kids that are in the hospital a lot. Like heart kids, or cancer or cystic fibrosis. But... heart stuff is really really complicated! I don't think I have enough of a passion for it to be a pediatric cardiac nurse!
Also this semester I have been volunteering with Relay for Life. I am the survivorship chair for UAB's Relay. So, I am working on getting cancer patients and cancer survivors from UAB and Children's Hospital involved in our Relay. The more I learn about pediatric cancer and talk to peds oncology nurse practitioners and nurses, the more I want to do pediatric oncology. It is kind of what led me to nursing in the first place... I just really think that it is one of my callings in life, and I am excited about getting to the point in my life when God will allow me to help kick some childhood cancer butt!!
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