Where did time go?!

I will start by recapping last weeks clinical at Kindred. Overall, it was a really great day. I decided to make sure I chose two patients that were alert & oriented. Sometimes it is nice to be able to converse with my patients instead of talking to them while they are comatose and unable to response as I jabber away. I was assigned to give my pre-breakfast, 0730, medications to this adorable lil French woman. I just know that back in her younger years she was a feisty, french gal with an attitude and a style to turn heads. She is 91 and four foot nothing. I headed in to perform my initial assessment and she was sleeping....let me rephrase that: She was out cold! I could not wake her up. My response was to panic but her vitals were fine, so I tried not to. When my instructor came in to give the medication, I still was unable to wake her. I mean, I was in her face saying," Goodmorning! I need to have you wake up for a few minutes! Rise and shine!" We were rubbing her shoulders and everything. No response. After a good 15 minutes, my instructor smiled at me through her eyes and said, 'Well, keep trying" and left the room. I know she was laughing inside trying to think of how I was going to wake this lady up. Eventually, I did.

My second patient was this pleasant older man. He recently had a gall bladder infection, with stones present, and had a t-tube in place that drained from the site. I know this is going to sound sick so bear with me but the bile that was draining was really cool. Gross, I know. I usually don't like the whole bodily fluids, blood & guts deal but I was really excited to drain his tubing. He was sweet to talk to and he told me all about his six kids. I enjoyed the day with him. And, I hung an IVPB in the afternoon and nailed it. Whew! It felt good.

Tomorrow is my last clinical day at Kindred. I was bummed to originally be placed at this site but I've learned alot and grown even more as a nurse, all because of the people I encountered there. The nurses are great and I will truly miss them. Janet, one of the favorites, had Vanessa, Gem, and I pose for a picture on her camera so she would remember us. If only they knew the impact they have had on our lives and how much they have taught us in these past 9 weeks.

Tomorrow will be my last day to show my teacher I am skilled and competent at passing meds. She will observe me performing a head to toe assessment in under five minutes. And, at the end of the day, she will give me my one-on-one evaluation. Weird to think tomorrow is the end of this clinical term for Med-Surg but very thankful for these past 9 weeks. I can only hope I made a difference in someone's life at Kindred.