ICU Clinical Rotation

Currently, I am almost halfway through my fourth semester of nursing school with one more to go. My ICU clinical is at Enloe Medical Center where I rotate through the neurotrauma surgery intensive care unit, intensive cardiovascular care unit, telemetry care unit, and cardiovascular care unit. This semester I have gained quite a bit of experience with IV medication administration practice. I see myself grow more and more as a nurse every semester. Reflecting on my past semesters, I never saw myself where I am now. I knew I had so much to learn, and I still do, but I am excited about the knowledge I have gained thus far. Medicine is always changing and there will always be more for me to learn, which was something I always wanted in my career. During my last semester, there was a day I was in the emergency department and felt my love for nursing truly spark. This past semester, my passion for this profession has grown more than I ever thought possible. I absolutely love going to clinical and being in the hospital. I have begun to feel so proud to be a nursing student and to have the amazing opportunities given to me through the Chico State Nursing Program. There is something that changed for me between my 3rd and 4th semester where I became so much more comfortable in my nursing role. Through clinical experience and theory classes, the pieces have clicked a little more each time I complete a semester. It feels as though I was just a first-semester student and did not think it would fly by as fast as everyone said it would. The closer I get to graduation, the more I realize to take in all of the experiences and appreciate the wonderful people I have met through this process.

3rd Semester

I am now halfway through nursing school!! Recently, I finished my OB rotation. This clinical took place on Fridays and Saturdays, for 12 hours each day. The departments we were able to work in consisted of Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and The Emergency Department. I was able to accomplish so many new clinical skills. This semester I have experienced the most growth in my nursing skills that I have seen thus far. It was a lot of hard work between clinicals, studying, exams, and extracurricular activities. The clinicals were also a whole new emotional experience. I had never witnessed live births, cesarean sections, or cared for babies who are sick. As a nurse, one of the most important skills is knowing how to support your patients and to be there for them. Different types of patients need different types of support. I really enjoyed learning how to support mothers and babies. During this semester, we also have an Obstetrics, and a pediatrics class. Along with this, we have our medical-surgical class and our 8 hour medical-surgical clinical. Last week, I had my first day in the OR department. I was able to assist with preoperative care and watch a procedure. I am also still involved in the Pre-Nursing Club. It is a new year and I just met my new mentees. I will provide guidance and advice on how to apply to the nursing program, as well as be there to support them through the process. I just signed up for my 4th-semester clinical and we also have a Simulation class next semester. This is where we go to a facility that has manikins and we simulate scenarios that can occur in the hospital. Next semester will be a busy one, but I am so excited! It felt exciting, but weird signing up for 4th-semester classes, it still feels like I just started. Time flies, and I am just trying to appreciate every moment while I can!

Summer 2019

I finished my second semester of nursing school this past spring and now it is summer. In August, I will be moving into my third semester, time flies! My last semester was surely a success. Second semester made me grow a lot as a nurse. My pathophysiology course was my favorite so far and helped me understand the science behind certain diseases. I feel like I just began nursing school. It is incredible how much I have learned, the relationships I have formed, and the ways that nursing school has impacted my life thus far. This summer I am working as a caregiver, as well as on campus, and some other small side jobs. I wanted to spend this summer working and also being able to explore. I want to spend my second to last summer in college exploring the place that I spend the majority of my time in. The school year becomes so hectic and I don't always have time to adventure, so I felt this would be the perfect opportunity. I also have one big trip being planned that will be a road trip with one of my best friends! We will be driving down the coast, exploring Los Angeles, San Diego, and towns in between! I wanted to make sure that I work this summer, but also take some personal time to relax and have fun! Throughout college, I learned how important it is to work hard and stay motivated, but in order to do that, you must take time for yourself. Also, the fun times are the ones I enjoy the most and always remember. In relation to the school/work aspect of my life, I want to also spend some of my time researching new graduate programs and places to apply after college. Of course, I am still finding my role as a nurse throughout school, and what area I want to work in. I know this will take time, and I also feel very open to a lot of different areas of nursing. This will be a huge and scary step in my life, but very exciting. New places and changing from what is familiar is always frightening, but it is how I grow as an individual. I am always embracing new opportunities.

Update

As many of you have seen there was a recent devastating fire that started in, Paradise, California. CAMP fire is still going and has affected the lives of so many wonderful people. I have teachers and classmates who were personally affected. They either lost their homes, or their jobs. Chico has been reaching out to try and support those in need. Seeing the response from the community I live in has truly made me proud. Many of my friends gathered donations and volunteered their time at shelters. Outside of Chico, so many people were eager to help as well. My friends, and family members made donations which I was able to use to buy masks, water, toiletries, and food for the evacuees. I was able to volunteer through the Chico State Nursing School which was an experience I will never forget. I cannot imagine what the people from Paradise, Magalia, Konkow, the canyon of Chico, and other surrounding towns that were affected are going through. They have lost everything, yet still remain so positive. At one of the shelters a few people set up a little band and played music until it was time to go to bed. It was definitely uplifting for everyone at the shelter and I thought that was really touching. All of the shelters are full, and parking lots have been opened up as camp sites for people to stay at. It is going to take time for this town to move on from the devastation and I know everyone is doing as much as they can to help out. Lastly, our firefighters are amazing and I am beyond grateful for them. It definitely takes courage and bravery to risk their lives to save ours.

First semester of Nursing School

I am currently in my first semester of Nursing School here at Chico State. Right now it is week three. I will start clinicals soon, which is very exciting. I joined the Chico State Nursing Club to be a mentor to pre-nursing students who need guidance for applying to the nursing program. I am also involved in faculty meetings for the Nursing program and I have my first one this Friday. It is going to be one busy and exciting semester! I love my classes and it feels like a job already. It is a change of pace, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. I am taking an evidence based practice class, a fundamentals of nursing class, and my skills lab. In skills we have performed shaving, brushing teeth, tying restraints, making beds, applying oxygen masks, and putting on compression hose socks (TEDS). I can't express how grateful and enthused I am about this school year. It is a lot of hard work, reading, and dedication, but I know it is what I want to do! I studied abroad this past summer in Thailand before the program began. I took Buddhism in Thailand, Thai Style cooking, and a Hill Tribe Field Study. It was truly the best experience of my life and I would do anything to experience it again. I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel abroad before I began nursing school. I would highly encourage anyone who is even thinking about studying in another country to do it. It is truly a life changing experience. It opened my mind to new things, experiences, and culture. I definitely see it as something that will improve my skills in my career! There are so many things that have been goals of mine to do during college and I am doing my best to accomplish all of them!

New Adventures

I can't believe I have completed my sophomore year of college. It seems as though time flies faster every year I get older. I'm happy and proud to say that I was accepted into the Chico State Nursing Program for Fall 2018. It was a few nerve racking months for me before finding out the results. Next year will be a new adventure that I am very excited to embark upon.  A huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders and it was so relieving to see all my hard work pay off. I have pushed myself more than ever before in my first two years of college. I have made myself grow as a person and expand out of my comfort zone. This past semester was my most enjoyable set of classes because they were all science based, consisting of Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, and Health At Every Size. Now, I will be going further into my career path and taking nursing courses. My classes seem to become more enjoyable the more they get narrowed down. This summer I will be traveling abroad to Thailand and taking the course, Buddhism in Thailand. This will be another experience that will make me step out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons. It will be a very eye opening and life changing experience. I have always wanted to study abroad, which stemmed from hearing about my sisters' trips abroad. One of my sisters actually studied in Thailand and she is a nurse practitioner, inspiring me to go down the same route! I will be there for exactly seven weeks and my mom will be visiting me in my last two weeks there. Together we will be traveling to Bangkok and Phuket. It feels like seven weeks will feel like forever since I have never been out of the country for that long, but I know that once it's near the end of the trip I am going to feel like it wasn't long enough. I can't wait for all of the new experiences, people, and culture I will be introduced to.

I wrote this post before my trip and added these pictures after I got back :)

 

Time for 2nd Semester!!

Wow, this winter break has been a huge refresher for me. After my hectic, fall semester, I needed some time off. During the Fall of 2017 I was working 24 hours a week, taking 16 units, going to the gym 5 times a week, and somehow maintaining a social life. You could probably conclude that I didn't get much sleep and spent way too much money on coffee. This Winter Break I still took an online winter course and worked, but had plenty of free time. I stayed at school and all of my friends went home, so this is what gave me a lot of down time. I was able to start preparing myself for next semester. I will be taking Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, Human Nutrition, and Health at Every Size. Microbiology is a requirement for the Nursing pre-requisites and the other three classes are filling the nutrition minor requirements. I will have a heavy course load next semester, but I am excited because all of these classes interest me. They are all science based, which is what I find I enjoy most. During this semester I will also be prepping to study abroad in Thailand in May and July. The class will take place in Chang Mai for approximately a month. After, I am going to travel on my own to Bangkok, Chang Rai, Phuket, and a make some other stops in different towns I find intriguing while I am there. The course I will be taking abroad is Buddhism in Thailand, which fills one of my GE requirements. Also, I am currently finishing up my nursing application for Fall 2018 and hope to have it turned in before school starts. I have been trying to get as much done as I can to lessen my load when school begins. I always put a lot on my plate, but I strive to push myself and reach new heights.