dun dun dun

I'm baaaack.. kinda

one and a half semesters of nursing school left. I am almost done!!!
Life is busy. Life is chaotic. Life is flying by and I have had no time for anything. I am lucky if I get a daily shower. For real.

It's almost over!
All the hard work. All the blood, sweat and tears have paid off. Almost.

I made a promise to keep on track and making sure I post my journey will help I think. I hope you are still here.

Getting Paid

I've finished my clinicals
and got a job!

I haven't even taken my final test and I have a CNA job!

I worked last week.

graveyards.

yes
I actually chose graveyards.
11-7

I figure this will give me time to go to school and study and still have family time.
sleep?
nah

who needs it?

I managed to get two nights a week until the end of May just because I am still working my "day job"

I am at a great long term care facility.
they have an assisited living facility. actual apartments. how cute is that? and they are freggin nice! they have a waiting list to get in..yeah
they have a pediatric floor
and a skilled nursing floor
and the regular long term care floor

so far I am floating on all three floors.
I love love love it!

I am getting paid crap. almost half of what I make at my "day job" and work three times as hard, but I love it!

I don't mind wiping asses.
something about being able to have the one on one time with these amazing patients, makes that little bit of ickyness worth it.

I got to "bag" a trach patient. It was scary. But amazing. knowing someone's life is in my hands.. literally.. was a profound experience.

I start all of my classes this week. Last week I only had one class twice a week.. now I have all four twice a week. eeee!!

I have a lot on my plate. But I see the light at the end. and it is going to be a fabulous pink light!

off I go to have a wonderful adventure!

Have a great week

And we go crazy.... now!

we, being the new student cna's, had our first "bad" experience at clinicals the other night..

I say bad but I mean. er, bad. yeah.

we walk out of the "meeting room" into the hall to track down our CNA's we're assigned to "shadow and help" for the night.
Immediately we get this:
two turn and walk the other way as if they didn't see us.
one drops the s bomb because "she really didn't want to be bothered today"
and one, who I happened to be "following" actually yelled some profanities and walked as fast as humanly possible away from me.

what a warm welcome.

not taking it personally. as much as possible. we proceeded to catch up to our "leaders"
well. It took me about half an hour to find mine after he hid in the kitchen or something.

the rest of the night was oh so much better.

we were treated like assholes. for reals.

now, I am not a high school student.. which I've heard they don't like so much. but seriously people. they don't deserve to be treated like that either.

for eight hours I spent most of which trying to locate my cna, then after finding him, trying to catch up.

still not taking it personally. much.

I did not learn anything I didn't already know. other than not how to treat students wanting to help you with your job in any way, shape, or form possible to make your life easier.

my cna barely said two words to me directly in the eight or so hours I was at the facility.
yeah. that was very comforting.

I know, as nursing, and medical staff, we need to have thick skins. but this was messed up.

one cna actually told a new resident's family students bother her. in front of us.
professional, no?

I just hope they are informed of their assholeness way after we are done with clinicals so next time, we aren't treated worse.


on a good note.. I was just offered a CNA position by the first facility I had clinicals at. woohoo!
graveyards. two nights a week. go me!

as long as I get my certification within 90 days, I'm good!

I start training in a couple weeks. Just after school starts.

coffee and xanax anyone?

Oh man!

My body is aching!

seriously, like got ran over by a mac truck, dragged down the street by angry pomeranians, kicked by two year old's having tantrums aching.

yeah.

I'm tired.

and I only had one day of clinicals.

*whine*

ok..

whine over.

I had a blast!

other than the two hours of sleep I got the night before because I put my meds in my pocket instead of taking them.

uh hem

but bright er, dark n early Saturday morning my class buddies n I partook eh? in our first clinical rotation at the local nursing home. Which I happened to live across the street from before we bought our home. And I knew the CNA in charge of us! rock on dude

The CNA instructor is completely blind and totally amazing. totes.

she went over some things. talked about some skills. encouraged us  then sent us on our lil way for the day.

I was teamed up with my new besty from class..
and under the direction of our momma duck.. she called us her little ducklings.. cute no?

we learned. we changed beds. we changed briefs. I cried a little. seriously. I did.

the cutest people were in the house that day. I wanted to hug them all and take them home. for reals.

one example is Mrs. E. she probably has dementia.. we weren't told.  but she didn't know why she was there or even where she was.
but she told me several times I was the nicest person she had ever met. I told her she was my favorite person ever. That's allowed right?
But she made me cry when I asked her one time what she was doing.. she said she didn't know. she truly didn't know why she was in the hall. I could see this in her heart. and it broke mine.
tough.


but it was a great day. I don't know how cna's do it.. but I'm getting there.

I have a job interview at the care center I first went to. eee!

they can hire me without being certified as long as I get it within 90 days.. so I have an interview Tuesday.
tomorrow!

First try..not good

I finally took my accuplacer to try to test out of Math 990.. this is a pre-req for nursing.. yada yada yada

I was to the point of tears Sunday night trying to study and learn.. I truly suck at math. truly.

But I got the first try over with. 12 questions. seriously?!
12 questions!

but I got 53. I needed a 58 to test out. ugh.

so close.

probably one question.

so I get to try again. two more times if I need.

Tuesday I will have another tutoring session and take it right after to see if that helps.

so, here's to another week of CNA classes and studying, and working, and kids, and hubby, and on and on..

I love it!


oh.. got my stethoscope and other goodies today!! this calls for a squee!

I can't wait to start taking vitals!!!

Trucking along

I've got a few tests down..

1 intro to the health care system and nursing assistant 80%
2 intro to the language of health care 89.3%
3 communication 90.5%
4 those we care for 77 :( retake 100% yay
5 infection control 90.5%
6 safety 82%
7 positioning, transferring, and exercises 93.8%
8 patient environment 88.9 %
9 vital signs and oxygen 87.9 %
10 patient hygiene and grooming 97.1 %
11 preventing pressure ulcers and rehabilitation and restorative care 85%
12 basic nutrition and digestion 92.9%

so my average test scores are 87.9
I have to have a 85 to pass the class..

but the instructor informed us that everyone gets a 100 % on clinicals and 100% on final skills. so that will bump up my scores to 95 not including the next tests I have.. as long as I score above 80 on every one, I will pass!
whew!!

I am more than half way through now.. after two weeks!
I am ready to start taking vital signs...eeee!
I ordered my stethoscope and bp cuff this morning..

I might as well do vitals in style, no?

I think it will go well with my zebra scrubs :)

I get a break from class for a few days.. we have Fridays off.. and Monday off for some reason or another.. so I get a chance to study for my accuplacer in Math so I can test out of Algebra 950 for nursing pre-reqs. cross your fingers.. I take that Monday.. I took the day off work so I can cram :)
also, I am getting another tatt on my arm to almost finish up my sleeve.. you can see pics on my other blog. It is going to go up to my collarbone and maybe down my back. idk. we'll see what happens.

have a great weekend!

bah-bam

Three nights down... four tests done..
scores?
eh..

80
90
77
90

I have to retake the 77 until it's an 80 bleh..

not so bad for an ol' lady eh?

overheard from one of the "teachers" last night

"I was told I would be able to work on my homework at this job, I am going to have to let so and so know that it's not working out that way."

uh?
yeah.

I thought you were supposed to be "teaching" the "students" that PAID to take this class??!!
WTF

no wonder the goof-offs that are weeks behind (remember the distracting talking kids from night one and two and three..and well.. you get it.) are still struggling to pass their skills and move on to clinicals.

One girl mentioned that she still has 11 modules (those are what we do each night) to do.. she should be done people! done. (we only have like 20 btw)

*shaking of the head

anyway.. I'm trucking along.. popping in my headphones and turning up the music.. it helps for some reason to concentrate more on my book and less on the people around me.

I have to take a CPR class soon.. I'm kinda excited for that.
you know, when my coworkers choke or fall down.. I can help them and not just make an ass out of myself.
or when random strangers need help in the CPRish way.. I can save the day!
whoop!

I have learned to concentrate on what I am doing. Not my neighbor, one who is a couple mods behind me, and one who is like five ahead of me..sheesh. It helps.

Tonight is night four and we get Fridays off.. so three days to study and catch up.. wait.. I'm not behind. ha!
but I get to study terminology n stuffs. yay me

Have a great day!

What A Nightmare!

Left work with an hour to get my ass in my seat.

Picked up my teenager from a friends house on the way.

left her in the lobby of the school so the hubs could grab her on his way home

ran down a long ass hall and up two flights of stairs

did I mention I haven't found a book bag yet? so I'm carrying my books and purse.. yeah. fun

I squeeze my jiggly bits into my seat with two minutes to spare! woohoo!!

I catch my breath just in time to see two teachers.. and lots of other students from a previous class already working. on their class.

five or ten minutes later.. one of the teachers addresses us and informs us it's orientation.. five minutes later.. it's over..
she doesn't care if we're perfect. as long as we try. we have to be there every day. or let her know. or the other one. or something.
we have to get our immunizations asap. eek!
but I don't have to get a flu shot!!! whew!!! I am going to protest this one as long as humanly possible.. more on that one later..

we're on our own.
to learn basically two chapters.
and test on them. on the handy dandy computers they have in the room.
and get above an 80%
in less than 3 hours.

and all the while there is lots of talking. and noise. and some kid whistling. I almost threw my book at him.
I can't focus with noise. ugh! this sucks ass.

what I learned was this.
I paid $400 to sit in a classroom for three hours, four nights a week. I am going to teach myself. If I have a question on something I can ask one of the teachers sitting at her desk.
I have to read and KNOW basically two chapters in this three hour time and test on it and get above an 80%
I have a few weeks to do this and then on to clinicals.
Where I get to PICK MY OWN SCRUBS!!!! (with long sleeves of course)
Know how excited I am bout that??
pretty damn excited!
It might even out the fact that I am going to wipe old asses.
ok. probably not.
but it will help some.

What the hell did I sign up for??!!

Nervous

It's My first night of school tonight!

After a sleepless, and I do mean sleepless night..
literally. Two. maybe Three hours of sleep. ugh.

I'm dragging ass today.

But super excited to start my first day of school! I'm such a dork.
I love school. I love the idea of school. Of homework. Of studying. Of libraries. Of learning. I am just not very good at it. I tried before, although working two jobs at the time also.. it was super hard.

This time around I made a promise to myself that I am going to try the best I can and get the best grades I can so I can get a better job after graduation. They look at that right?

If not, oh well. I know I am doing my very best and will be a better nurse for it!

so.
here's to a long ass day and I will be back with an update on, squeee.. my first day of school!