One down

I had my first exam today and hopefully in the next hour or two I will know my results, it was a multi choice exam of 70 questions.



I also have received the three assignments back, I got 88% (A) for the physical assessment assignment. 82 % (A-) for the Cystic Fibrosis essay and boo hoo only 63 % (c+) for the ethics essay. Worst mark yet. But I think I will still get a B - for the paper when the grades average out.



It is pretty depressing so far I know I will not get an A for two papers (as the exam I did today I would have had to get close to 100% and that is highly unlikely), so fingers crossed I do well in pharm exam tomorrow and get an A for that paper (that is the paper that I got 88% in the essay, it was worth 50% and the exam tomorrow is worth 50%, and A- in NZ is 80%)



So my marks should hopefully be an A, B+ and a B-. Im still annoyed I did really well in year one, going to try really really hard next semester to pull my grades back up.



On a brighter note I had my mentor meeting on Monday, and she was really impressed with my work on clinical placement, especially with the babies and children, so she is recommending me to SCBU (special care baby unit), this is the place that I chose for my placement but seeing as it is so popular, the chances of being picked are unlikely. However if your mentor sends an email to the practicum manager then you should get put there, fingers crossed.

Also my mentor gave my name to the learning hub (extra support , tutoring service) to become a student tutor, and you get paid for it. I did really well in anatomy and physiology last year, and she thinks that I would be a good tutor for some of the students that are struggling with it.

Anyway I am at tech till 7pm, big S is picking the kids up from school and doing dinner, bath, bed so I can study for tomorrow, so better go.

Tue 3:45 pm

At tech studying

My exams start tomorrow and I am a tech studying, well trying to anyway, I get so distracted. I have really bad hay fever too and it is driving me up the wall, I use tablets and eye drops but they are not working. I have contacts in and my eyes are so itchy.

So far this morning I have been revising trauma, and shock.

Glasgow Coma Scale:
A score of less then 8 means a likely severe head injury.
The lowest score that you can get is a 3 and this would mean a very deep coma or death.
The highest score is a 15 and that is fully awake.

For a Trauma call to be made (this list is not complete, I have only picked out the main things)
It would have to be a status 1 or 2
Physiology would be: RR less then 10 or more then 29, BP less then 90 mmHg, GCS of less then 13.
There may be multiple casualties.
Injuries: of head, neck, torso, Flail chest, complicated pelvic injury, major crush injury.

Shock Types:

Cardiogenic and this includes obstructive
Hypovolaemic
Circulatory, and this also includes septic, neurogenic and anaphylatic

Better go, sorry for mistakes and bad grammar.

Mon 12:02 pm

Maybe of interest

Just found a list of Drug and their herbal interactions, so i will list a few.

Agrimony decreases the effects of Insulin.
Alfalfa increases the effects of Warfarin.
Garlic increases the effects of Insulin and Warfarin.
Stinging nettle increases the effects of Diclofenac and perhaps other NSAIDS.
Rhubarb increases the effects of Digoxin.
Chamomile increases the effects of Hypnotics.

Goodnight Thurs 8:19pm

I'm finished :)

Today was my last day, I cant believe I was there for a month. I think that must have been the fastest month of my life. I know I was moaning a bit a while back about how I was not really enjoying it, but I have to say that today I was quite sad to leave and when I think about it, I did enjoy myself. Sure there were a few times when I was over the whole thing but overall I learnt heaps, gained confidence in my clinical skills and now feel much more confident in my ability to become a future RN. The biggest thing I learnt in the last month was that I really love working with children, especially babies. They even said in my evaluation that I show great ability with children. This has strengthened my thoughts in specialising in pediatrics when I graduate. I have applied for clinical at the special care baby unit next semester and fingers crossed I get it, this is the one place that I have always wanted to go but heaps of people are asking to go there as well. I just pray that I get picked.

So anyway next week I have my final exams and that's me for about 10 weeks. What am I going to do with myself? I have decided that I want to make a start and get through a big assignment that we do next semester. I have got all the info for it , so know what I need to do. So hopefully I stick to that idea, as that is my goal for the summer holidays.

Time flies

I have only two days left of my practical placement, I cant believe I have been there for a month, it has gone so fast.

Life has been pretty hectic at the moment on the family/ home front, hence the reason I have not been posting much lately.

While I am here I will provide the most common adverse effects of drugs on the human body( hopefully it is a question in my exam next week)
1. Respiratory depression
2. Anaphylatic shock
3. Dizziness
4. Constipation
5. Hypertension
6. Hypotension
7. Oral candidiasis
8. Rash
9. Dry mouth
10. Nausea
11. Drowsiness and sedation
12. Fever
13. Photophobia
14. Stomatitis
15. Diarrhoea
16. Anogenital candidiasis
17. Vomiting
18. Blistering
19. Photo sensitivity
20. Postural hypotension

Goodnight
Tue 7:32 pm

almost through week 3

and then only one more week to go, this week has been my best. I am really enjoying the work and absolutely loving all the babies that come in :)

Study is not going to well at the moment but still have a couple of weeks to go, at the moment I am eagerly waiting for the marks back from the three assignments I did a few weeks ago. Fingers crossed it is good news.

Well, this is going to be short, no word of the day, I just want to go and hop into bed, I am sooo tired.

Night

Wed 8:09 pm

I am tired,

and dare I say this but abit bored of the health centre. It is starting to feel like all everyday is, is CVD assessments, diabetes checks, blood tests, vomiting children, leg ulcers, blood pressure checks, vaccinations (which I am not aloud to do). At least now I know I definitely want to work in acute care, don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed it, but I just feel like I will need something more in my career as a nurse. My friend is also in a health centre, and she is absolutely loving it, primary health is her thing, she does not want to ever work at the hospital.

Another thing that I am finding is that depending on which nurse I work with, depends on what kind of day I will have. Today was pretty good, my nurse let me do heaps and she just stood back and watch, but a couple of the other nurses, seem to forget that I can do it and just seem to go on automatic. So my new goal for the next two weeks, is to jump in and say would you like me to do this or that for you.

Words of the day:

Post - ictal: The state immediately following a seizure.

Postprandial: Occurring after a meal

Paraesthesias: Abnormal sensations such as burning, creeping flesh or tingling.

I have been studying antibiotics (for my exam) and the four ways that they stop bacteria, this is:

1. Inhibition of cell wall synthesis
e.g Penicillin, Cephalosporans

2. Disruption of the microbial cell wall
e.g Polymixin/ colistin

3. Inhibition of DNA replication, DNA synthesis and protein synthesis
e.g Tetracyclines, Aminoglycosides

4. Interference with metabolic processes
e.g Sulphonamides and Trimethoprim

Mon 8:19pm