Looking back...

Looked back at an old post and found a list of things I wanted to do last semester--so thought it would be fun to evaluate (as it IS part of the nursing process).

Things I wanted to accomplish:
*How to assess a newborn baby and a laboring woman: I did this tenfold! How about assessing 11 newborns and trying to get them all fed--by myself!!

*How to give an injection (nope, didn't get to practice on a live person 1st semester): Gave a few injections and LOVED it--weird, huh?

*IV insertion (yeah, I want to do this ASAP): Did this as well and found it to be challenging. I hope I get the hang of it this semester.

*Calculate drips: Learned how to calculate drips with and without drop factor and made up my own mnemonic for the formula that everyone in my class uses now (very tall dry martini= volume over time X drop factor of 60 mins)

*Insert a foley cath and/or a straight cath--probably on a woman which is the most challenging: Yep, did it. It was cool and kind of strange all at once. Never been that close to another woman's uh, ya know. (HAHAHA!!! How's that for professional use of terminology!)

*Administering O2 to mom/baby and O2 Sats: Took O2 sats but did not have to resuscitate a baby in utero or give O2 via nasal cannula or anything. Too bad. Only saw it given in the c-sections I observed.

*Respiratory sounds--need a better idea of what I am hearing:< Still have no idea even after doing this some. Maybe my Littman will help.

*Therapeutic communication (this is all we do in mental health clinical, I think): Blech. Did TOO much of this.

*Observe in OR (for a c-section-I REALLY want to do this): Saw 3 sections and thought it was rad.

*Concept mapping-EW! This is new...: Did some concept maps. Hated it.

*Lots of pathology this semester in Med/surg--all stuff I need to retain for my exit challenge: I did learn some geriatric patho. Boring.

I will be functioning much more independently this semester and will be doing everything by myself with instructors looking on. Kind of scary.

OK, off to Barnes ad Noble with hubby to watch him use his gift cards and then we are seeing a movie early.