Hogmannay

I said I would be back before new year and I'm here. Well no I'm sitting with my parents having a 'q word' new year (I was on holiday this time last year).
I've scheduled a virtual first footing to appear for this little corner of the 'net just after midnight here... That will be fun cos I'll be off getting snozzled on overly expensive Scots beer.

So for those who fancy singing the whole thing...

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my jo,

For auld lang syne,

We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
And surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot,
Sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
And gie's a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Or if you fancy slipping into a Scots accent a la Rab C Nesbitt...

Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an nivir brocht ti mynd?
Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an ald lang syn?

CHORUS:

Fir ald lang syn, ma deer,

fir ald lang syn,

Wil tak a cup o kyndnes yet,

fir ald lang syn.

An sheerly yil bee yur pynt-staup!
an sheerly al bee myn!
An will tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.

CHORUS

We twa hay rin aboot the braes,
an pood the gowans fyn;
Bit weev wandert monae a weery fet,
sin ald lang syn.

CHORUS

We twa hay pedilt in the burn,
fray mornin sun til dyn;
But seas between us bred hay roard
sin ald lang syn.

CHORUS

An thers a han, my trustee feer!
an gees a han o thyn!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie-waught,
fir ald lang syn.

CHORUS

Good luck I can only half pull this off on a good day!

Merry Christmas

Ah it's another year of bad telly, over eating and thinking people for presents that you didn't like ever.
Actually this year the beeb, ITV and the est of them have pulled their fingers out and provided something special. Oh if you live in the UK go watch Rab C Nesbitt on iPlayer. 10 years on and they've brought him back, course he's a new man now. (Here if you have no idea of what I'm talking about) Rab is the embodiment of everything that is wrong with Glasgow.

But at the same time he has a love of the city that some of the citizens have managed to forget.
The clip is taken from the first season (someone has been kind enough to put them up on youtube).
Ironically we were city of culture for 1990 and we're hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We don't have a mayor, instead there's a Lord Provost. The building they are standing in front of is the back door the the Kelvingrove art gallery (my mate Seggie hasn't a photo of that yet, wiki has a few though). It was built back to front for the garden party (not the 1988 one when I was 3 but the 1888 one which I surprisingly wasn't around for) and the pictures on wiki are of the back door AKA the non-fancy one.

Sorry went off on a tangent there... I should take you on a photo tour of Glasgow some time... Which is a not so subtle way of me saying I got a new digital camera for Christmas and want to play with it.
Enjoy the clip I'll be back before Hogmannay!

Oh and P.S. yes I do sound like that... sorry.

Merry Christmas in Advance

Placement finished this morning so I'm now off for 2 weeks. WOOHOO! Part of me would have wanted to be there for Christmas with our long term patients. I'll even be 1 year older by the time I get back.
So in case I don't get the time I want to pass on some of last year's cheer in the student nurse's edition of the Night Before Christmas.
I actually posted on Christmas day last year. Don't ask me how I had the time... between all the computer games I received. Tis the season to give yourself RSI playing the DS for hours on end. I averaged about 9 hours a day playing Zelda: Phantom Hourglass last year. No wonder I was baffled as to how I managed to find time to post; never mind talk to my family, or eat, sleep, got to the toilet. Oh now I think about it I didn't.....
Hope Santa is good to you!

O to Z (part 3)

O - OBSERVANT - What's around you right now? What do you see?
Christmas decorations, our fiber optic tree, my flatmate watching Home and Away and this week's Nursing Standard, all cluttering up the living room.
P - Who are the special PEOPLE in your life?
My family, my new-ish nephew, my friends / flatmates, the people I work with in placement, past mentors, the guys I worked with at camp, one or two of my lecturers (you can see where this is going right?).
Q - Any Little QUIRKs About Yourself:
Can't stand people who eat with their mouths open, oh and I WILL tell you the truth if you ask me a question.
R - What do you like to do for RECREATION?
Well I blog apparently. I also play computer games, fix my flatmate's computers, draw and write short stories and fan fiction.
S - Do You SING in the Shower? In the car? For your friends?
I sing everywhere, including placement. Staff hate it, patients love it. I'm really not the best singer but sometimes songs get stuck in my head.
T - What's at the Top of your TO DO list?
Well I still have some writing up to do for placement and some study. But in reality I still have Lost in Blue and Professor Layton to finish. I'm entering the RSI phase of my Christmas mania (I'll explain later).
U - Any UNUSUAL Experiences
We currently think the ward is haunted but I've not seen anything personally.... Can't think of anything sorry.
V - VEGAS, Vienna, Venice, Vladivostok... How far have you traveled? What's your favorite City?
How far? I've been to Canada and the US. Closer to home: Amsterdam, Malaga, and all over Scotland and England. Favourite city? My home town... East, West, Home's Best.
W - WINTER, Spring, Summer, Fall... What's your favorite season? What makes it special?
Summer, although around here you can't really tell the difference between summer and winter (it's all rain).
X - EXes - Things You Don't Do Anymore (but did, once (would you, again?))
For a moment I thought this meant ex-boyfriends / ex-girlfriends and my advice would still be don't go back they are ex-es for a reason.
Y - Any secret/deep YEARNINGS?
To finish the course? Aside from that I would like to write an novel or get my comics in the Nursing Standard (I don't aim high do I?).
Z - ZERO to ZENITH - Where are you in your life? Still growing? On an upward (or downward) curve? Just skating along?
Ironically I was saying the other day that I don't think I know enough to be qualified. Then the reply came back that even after 10 (something) years she still thought that she didn't know enough and she spends more time studying than me right now (I'll never be half the nurse she is). So I'm still growing and I guess I always will be.

I thought I would just throw the whole lot in together so it's all done for you and I can go back to ranting.

Shopping With WardBunny

They say there are 2 kinds of shoppers in the world. Lets just refer to them by gender...
Female - Spends hours wandering around shops looking at everything and anything. May buy nothing or perhaps the thing that wasn't actually being looked for.
Male - Goes to one shop, buys the item required, goes home (perhaps via pub).
Now I'm not saying that you can't shop outside of your gender stereotype or for that matter refuse to confirm. I don't. I refer to myself as a power shopper.

I know what I'm looking for and I might as well go myself. This of course might have something to do with the minor fact of my favourite 3 shops being GameStation, Game and Waterstones; and my friend's favourites being clothes, clothes and shoes. I can't stand waiting around while someone else tries on 50 different outfits. It's at this point that I should point out that shops in Britain seem to come in 3 types; young and thin, middle-of-the-road, and out-sized. It's true, go look next time you're on the high street. I'm not thin enough for all these young and thin places (suppose I could get 2 and sew them together though), so I tend to shop in the middle-of-the-road places because I can afford them and they come in my size. Of course no-one my age would be caught in them but that's not the point. Also the out-sized places while they come in my size, cost an utter fortune and I don't have the cash for that.

I live in jeans (I'm not counting my uniform or PJs which I wear about 80% of the time).... I also mostly live in gaming t-shirts. Sometimes you might catch me all dressed up, never in a skirt mind (I've not worn a skirt on over 4 years). I have some very dyke-y outfits but I love them anyway and more importantly I love the looks people give me when they don't know but they outfit is making them wonder.

So yea, for the sake of your health don't come shopping with me. Even food shopping...

WHY when it's still a week before Christmas does everyone feel this incredible need to run other people over in the supermarkets? I was black and blue when I left Morrisons on Saturday. See I only need to shop for myself so I just go for the items I need. That's why I shop in the same place every week when I do have a choice (like I want to suffer ASDA). People go some kind of insane at this time of year when it comes to shopping. I mean really you do not have to run people over to get at that non-existent bargain. So how do people think that it is acceptable to do that? Seriously my ass is not that big that you can't go around it.

I still haven't bought any Christmas presents, for all those that keep asking at question. Don't plan on buying any till after Christmas. See in past years people called me a cheep-skate for that, buying presents in the January sales but with so many credit crunch sales happening now no-one will care. Besides I'm unlikely to see some people till after Christmas anyway. Stop asking already, if I am ready for Christmas. In past years I have spent WEEKS sorting everything for other people. This year I cannot be assed and do you know what, I don't think I'll be able to spot the difference!

P.S. If you ever find a red haired, big-boned, too-old-for-computer-games, scruffy dressed female sitting outside a changing room with a DS in her hands, spare a thought, it might just be me sitting there.

Norovirus

Lets make this really simple huh? If you have had vomiting and diarrhoea, and if it stopped less than 48 hours ago, then don't come NEAR your local hospital! Got that?
According to the BBC 3 million people came down with the bug. There are currently 13 trusts in England alone that are reporting outbreaks! Although I think it's more than that now and that isn't including Scotland and Wales.
So for the sake of the immunocompromised, the very old, the very young, and the staff DO NOT bring it in with you when you come visit! Got that? Good.

And while we are on the subject of D&V... Enough of X-Factor Christmas hits already! I don't watch these shows, if only because I really don't have the time, but why must we suffer this crap year after year? Has Britain got no taste in music? Apparently not.

FOS

Yea... I am working on a decent post before I start the mind melting week of night shift. (I don't DO night shift. They make me feel like death.)
But of course how many times have I said that to you guys?
FOS is one of those delightful acronyms that are not meant to fill up medical records. Like TLC and the Departure Lounge... Actually I know of a hospital were the Discharge Lounge is routinely called that. Honest it was the sign on the door at one point. Why someone thought that was a good idea I don't know.

Memo to self:
Shopping list
A to Z part 3.....

Sometimes You Just Get Days Like That

Today was hell.... An interesting hell but hell none the less.
So many discharges = lots of admits to fill the empty beds.
Patient going 'off' in medical, who needed surgery, and no they don't talk to each other.
Cannula going weird at the sight of a bag of FFP.
So yea..... Having a busy day.
Still got the headache that started the minute I walked through the door. Apparently I'm not the only one having an off day, Chinese Girl Gets Kiss of Deaf. Wow kissing causing deafness.... bring on the hearing aid.


On an up side tomorrow is Day Without a Gay. I would call in to placement gay but I think Sister would have a small problem with that. Not the gay bit just the calling in for a day off bit. My windows vista sidebar magic 8 ball says 'go for it' but I think I'll be getting up in 4 hours anyway.

E to L

The second instalment commeth....
E - EATING - what's your usual snack?
My usual drink is Diet Cola or Starbucks coffee. Snacks..... mmmm chocolate, mostly I guess. I have a real sweet tooth... teeth (well the ones that are left).
F - A Few of your FAVORITE Things
My laptop / DS / PDA. M*A*S*H and SVU and Holby City and Casualty and House and all the other TV shows. My life.... I very much like my life just the way it is. (Cop out!)
G - GIGGLES! What (or who) makes you laugh? Do you have a good sense of humor?
'Staff Nurse I really get on with', Jack Dee, other bloggers, Twitter.... I have a 'broad' sense of humour... I can laugh at almost anything.
H - major HOT Button:
People who do not pull their weight. Right now it is the mess in the flat that keeps setting people off.
I - I am ______________
"Super Student" - Can I do it? Yes, I flaming well can!
J - There isn't a J. I don't know why but NO I won't jump if you ask me too.
K - Also KNOWN As... Aliases? Screen names? A non de plume perhaps?
Well since this is an anonymous blog you can easily assume I do have a real name. I also have another screen name which most of my fan fiction is written under. Yea bad question to ask really.
L - I LOVE ...
My laptop, my job (sad, maybe), Christmas..... many things.....

That'll do for now I guess!

Do Tattoos Reflect Professionalism?

So there we were sitting around on Twitter shooting the breeze with 140 characters of less when Nurse Connect released this article into the world.
This is somewhat a bug bear for me. I do have a tattoo but even now it's covered by my clothes and is never seen when I'm in placement. You also have to remember that this is the UK and we are governed by the almighty NHS and a simple search of google for 'nhs uniform policy' yields loads of documents from multiple NHS trusts on their specific uniform policies.

Basically it boils down to this.... (only taking into account nursing / other clinical staff)
You get a uniform. Normally navy blue is reserved for Ward Sisters (manager), Deputy Sisters, Specialist Nurses (they are in the same band as the management). White with blue binding is for are the general plebs. Theatres, cath labs, ITU, paeds, etc. will have different uniforms / scrubs. OTs, Physios, Speech and Language Therapists (SaLT), etc. have similar uniforms but different colours for the bands (e.g. our SaLTs have gray, OTs have green). Our student uniforms have the uni's name embroidered on to it (this is quite common though so it's not just us), however it is similar to the Healthcare Assistants (HCA) / Clinical Support Workers (CSW) with plain white tunics, so we get easily confused.

• Ladies' Tunic with trousers
  
• Men's Tunic with trousers
  
• Or the rather rare dress usually worn with a belt.

So right beyond the uniform that you may or may not have to launder yourself.... you are expected to....

• keep long hair tied back (and off collar)
  
• keep nails short and clean (no nail varnish)
  
• wear no (visible) make up
• no jewellery (except a plain wedding band)

They have all but told us when to breathe. This is all in the production of a professional appearance.
Some of the policies I have come across cover tattoos as well.

Inappropriate tattoos must be covered at all times. The head of service/department will be responsible for determining whether a tattoo is inappropriate or not i.e. any tattoo with offensive language is deemed offensive. It is acknowledged that some religions/cultures use henna to decorate their bodies at certain times and this is acceptable.

NHS East Kent

Visible tattoos are to be discouraged....

NHS 5 Boroughs

Considering what we have to put up with this all seems acceptable. I wouldn't want to be looked after by someone with swear words scrawled all over their arms (I would assume that back, chest, legs, etc. would be covered by our uniforms). In this area would a Celtic or Rangers FC tattoo be considered offensive? There is a massive rivalry between these 2 teams in Glasgow, this offers a background. But I guess it would be up to the nursing management. However a Celtic tattoo would be offensive to a Rangers fan and vice versa. So I guess it would be.

As a side note there is a policy of non discrimination when it comes to union affiliation / orientations / etc. So when I came back with the mention of my gay pride badge on my uniform I know that nothing can be said to me about it. We are allowed to wear a certain number of badges proclaiming our union or the school of nursing we graduated from.

My point was that as much as that little proclamation of my pride in who I am on a uniform the same as everyone else's is a reflection of my personality, a tattoo is a reflection of someone else's choice in life. (No I'm not saying my orientation is a choice by the way) So why shouldn't people be able to show off a little bit of their personality by way of body art so long as it isn't offensive?

DONE!

It gone, finished, handed in!
And a little over the minimum word count.
Now I'm off to bed because I am too tired to move any more!
I promise to put up the good post later.

Nearer to the End

I'm past half way!
WOOHOO!

A to D

Karin RN has been following the A to Z meme (The outline is here).... and since I've not done enough of these things I'm going to clog up a few posts in case I'm not around to fill the gaps in person.
So....
A - If you were an ANIMAL, what would you be?
I would be a... oh good question. I would like to be a goldfish but I would not like being stuck in a tank needing care from someone else all the time. Maybe that says something about me.
I would dearly love to be a wild horse, running free all the time. Than again people will call me a sloth for not moving very fast or doing anything with speed.
Nah I'll be a wild horse!
B - BOOKS: What's on your reading list?
Simple look down to the bottom of the posts and take a look at the bookshelf. Or go to my Shelfari page.
C - COMPULSIVE about anything?
I wouldn't say I was compulsive about anything. I used to clean the fish talk all the time but since the algae has balanced out it isn't so bad. I think I'm too laid back to be compulsive about any one thing in particular.
D - DREAMS - Do you ... dream in colour? remember your dreams? keep a dream journal?
Hmmm yes I do dream in colour and sometimes I remember them. After one (equally weird) shift that night's dream was that I went around killing people with oxygen cylinders (not killing patients BTW, I remember killing a staff member) (oh and I was beating them not blowing them up). I don't keep a journal because only the really weird ones stick the morning after.

That should to for this instalment. See you guys next time.

Smile

Hey look 600 (ish) words!
Went to bed at some time after 6am (here). Not really tired but had to sleep at some point. Need to work more tomorrow though.
Expect some posts to just appear.... If I'm not totally around.

After the Calm

Comes more storm... well it does in my life sadly.
As the ticker shows I still have most of the essay to do. And I've been taking the night off... well it's both Time-of-Doom AND I have a cold (like everyone in both the flat and my placement [that includes patients]). I'm tired but I'm off from now till after the essay goes in so it can't be that bad. I still have time.

Lets see how this one pans out, huh?

3 Day Week

Tomorrow I have Immediate Life Support (ILS) training. I've not read the book yet... well I've read bits of it like airway support. And it's a study day on Friday so it's a THREE DAY WEEK!
So what will I do with all this free time? Well finish this damn essay I'm supposed to have finished for Friday.
Hmmm I've only 1,800 words left to go. It cannot be that hard surely? I've already spent a whole day getting the sum total of no where. I will have something written for Friday but what I don't know. Might just splice in a little bit of my Star Trek Voyager fan fiction and see if they notice the difference. I mean how many of them actually have the time to read whole essays when there are 150 of them still to be marked? Wonder if I would get away with that... it's not plagiarism because I wrote them myself but of course to has feck all to do with the subject of nursing. Oh except the bit I set in Sickbay... I complain that I can't write anything at all but then I have a 13,000 word fan fic sitting on my hard drive. It's not finished though and the battle scene needs a lot of work.

Possibily The Worst Download Speed In The World

...Since Dial-Up.

EXCUSE ME 373 BYTES?!?!?!?
I haven't seen anything like that since I gave up working on a 486 processor!

Taken from BBC iPlayer...

YouTube Rec...

I do try not to spam this blog with videos but I had to post this... and it has TJ Thyne from Bones. What else would you want?

So... Where Was I?

I'm 2,000 words away from the end of my final essay. This implies I've not even started it... which I haven't. I've only just remembered that I do actually have an Athens password so that's the references sorted.

My 2 days off are nearly at an end. I'll be working from here-on-out. I'm thinking about being sneaky about my study days. We're meant to have a study day on so many Fridays and I worked the last one. So I might try and get it off some day this week so I'll have a little more time to finish.

So far I've done sod all... not the most productive 2 days.

Theatre

Went to see West Side Story tonight. It was brilliant. I love going to the theatre.

But here's the thing, I've been to shows in London's west end and I really don't remember clapping after every song. Am I just forgetting or do people really do that? Because we seemed to be clapping after every number but the timing didn't really allow for it so we were missing the actor's lines.

On the way out everyone was saying how good it was, while we in true Glaswegian fashion were complaining about the people around us. Like the guy sitting next to me that insisted on critiquing every damn thing DURING the performance! Or the 2 women in front who chatted through it. Or, better yet the woman 2 rows in front with hair EXACTLY like one of the deputy sister's... Damned off putting thinking she's sitting in front of you the whole time... Not actually her but still, I used to think it was quite a unique hairdo (but then what do I know about fashion).

Slow Day

Ever had one of those shifts that just never seems to end?
Man today lasted forever... We discharged patients left, right and centre but we were still not busy. Of course for every empty bed there was a patient to fill it. Only those patients were arriving after we left for the day!

We learned some important lessons.... don't talk about the boss from inside the sluice when she's standing at the station... and when you are the first one to spot she's standing there do NOT, under any circumstances, wet yourself laughing... don't naff off deputy sisters... 'cos it'll come back to bite you on the ass.

We had far too much time on our hands, and idle hands...

Off Duty

I'm making up my own off duty and I still manage to put myself on shift when I am meant to be somewhere else! Idiot!

I really need to start work on my final essay.... it's due on the 5th of December. I've written more in less time so I'm still not worried.

Student Learning Curve

The little first-ies arrived yesterday while I was propping up the dentist's chair. Only difference is I don't have to do that again for the next 6 months. Neither of them has been on a ward before so this will be such a baptism of fire for the poor little things. Oh and then I had 6 patients of my own today to look after and while I almost got everything done (there was this mix-up about dressings). Things just went slower and were more difficult. Not anyone in particular's fault... unless it was mine that is. They have no practice with obs... yet, I'll get them proficient by the end of the week.

It's going to be a steep learning curve for them to bring them up to the performance of our auxiliaries. Not all that far away from mine. The one that is bringing me up to the level of our staff nurses.

Truth is they have shown me in less than 8 hours how bl**dy far I've come. I was looking at their outcomes (the basics they need for this placement) and though I'd been working, what, 3 hours and I had used all of these and a whole load of skills they are yet to learn.

Bookworm (Meme 5)

Kim @ As The Pump Turns tagged me for the Bookworm award. Thanks!
There are a few rules to this...so...
Pass it on to five other bloggers, and tell them to open the nearest book to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence on that page, and also the next two to five sentences. The CLOSEST BOOK, NOT YOUR FAVORITE, OR MOST INTELLECTUAL!

So my book (the nearest, having-more-than-56-pages book) is How Girls Can Help Build Up The Empire (the original Girl Guide Handbook from 1912, a re-print)...
Pg 56 - "You will find all sorts of wonders by stalking birds and watching what they do - how they build their nests or feed their young ones, and which birds lay only white eggs because their nests are in the dark, like kingfishers, sand martins and owls."

Man they like their run on sentences! It has a huge chapter on hospital duties (it sounds a lot like Flo was helping them) and of course on first aid.

I feel the urge to tag...
Cellar Door @ Not Another Nursing Student Blog
cb @ Fighting Monsters
Julie @ Life in the NHS
Not Nurse Ratched
and
Nurse Ratched because she has some really interesting books... one of them must be near her computer

Meme (Number 4) (Screenshots!)

Thanks to Cellar Door I felt the need to disclose my screenshots.
I use 2 different computers so you can have 2 screen shots. This is my parent's computer - a desktop running XP (we have different user accounts). The wallpaper is Oliver Wood (yes, yes Harry Potter!) the Potterpuffs edition.This is from my laptop (running Vista, in case I let anyone forget). Yes I run the sidebar widgets and the areo interface. The wallpaper is a broken blood vessel taken with a scanning electron microscope. I'm quite minimalistic with my icons (the only area of my life where I am like that!) and both computers run Kasperky internet security (although my laptop's is a little broken right now) and yes I live off 4 on demand.

Another Meme (3 in a never ending series)

Stolen from Cellar Door (about a million years ago) and because I'm feeling ... sleep deprived. I started this ages ago and never finished it. I found it today when I was cleaning out my drafts. So things I would tell my 14 year old self that I've learned in the past 10 years.

1) Being single isn't bad and don't go into a rush to try and fix it... since seeing as men never really were your thing.
2) Yes you will make a lot of mistakes but you will survive through all of them.
3) Leave the country for a bit, you'll come back stronger.
4) Realise sooner that men aren't the answer.
5) Move out of your parent's house, the space is good.
6) See when you lose all that weight? Try to keep it off a bit harder but don't care too much when it goes back on.
7) Don't get addicted to Diet Cola. It will rot all your teeth.
8) Just tell people you will never see again that you think they are amazingly beautiful.
9) See a shrink sooner and stop holding on to childhood issues.
10) Don't bother with advanced higher maths. It's a whole world of pain and it's no use to you anyway.

Dentists, or the Last Will and Testament of WardBunny

Still trying to psyc myself up for my root treatment tomorrow. So I spent all day sitting on my backside, watching TV and worrying about it.
I am up to date on Holby, Casualty and Special Victims Unit. I've still not seen the 2 part conclusion of season 4 of House so if I could not die before I've seen that.... Or for that matter before I've finished placement and told our ward's SHO that I think she's smoking hot. (She's like Jessica Alba playing a doctor who loves little old ladies while really well dressed)

Oh and I would love to have a go at winding up the new students that are meant to be arriving some time this week. I don't really mean that. OK maybe slightly, I will be kind and helpful but if one of them thinks they know more than me, then I will be slapping them back down.

I get all the joys of working this weekend to make up for taking tomorrow and Friday off. As much as a hate working weekends I would also like to see this one.

I give my goldfish to my parents, my clothes to Oxfam, my laptop to whoever cracks my passswords (that is not an invite to start now by the way!) and my blog to the greater good (or for the NMC to use as an example of what not to do).

I declare that I am of sound mind *coughs* and that these are my wishes.

Wound Management

See this is something I can get into! Everyday I get chances to re-assess my patient's wounds and alter the dressings if needed. (I still do it under supervision, those alterations, by the way)

I've seen some right stupid combinations that make you question what the nurse was sniffing when they came up with it.
I've seen:
Wounds you could stick your fist into
Infected surgical incisions
Sinuses that constantly leak
Ulcers that lead all the way down too muscle / tendon / bone
Oh and the occasional not infected, clean, well healing site.

But what happens when the wounds are not so easily dressed? When say they aren't on the outside? When, dare I say it, stray into mental health territory?

The uni's shrink is trying to fix me. We've done this dance before and once before I thought I was healed. But for now there's something missing and I can't fill the gap with panic attacks because it makes me a crap nurse.

Support

The ward sister knows I'm gay.

Now that is a sentence I never thought I would write. Not because I was scared but because it's not all together important. I've had that moan before, that it isn't anything to do with caring for my patients. It's not worth the effort telling placements, you are only there for a few weeks after all, and dealing with staff that hate you / dealing with staff that question everything. (*So how do you know you are gay?* No, answering with *How do you know you're straight?* doesn't help.)

She's brilliantly supportive (then again she really didn't know what she was getting when I turned up at the door!).

Being out really doesn't bother me. I really don't hide anything. If asked I will tell you a direct answer but it doesn't come up in general conversation. For some reason people don't ask me if I have a partner. Maybe I just give off those 'I'm single' vibes so no-one dares ask me. Besides I think I've heard almost everything by now. Ah just wait someone tomorrow will say something stupid.....because it's a new day after all.

Fear / Respect

Sister was asking me whither I was scared of the deputy sister. Well yes, I am terrified. You mention that to anyone and you hear muttering along the lines of 'bark' and 'bite'. *If you want me I'll be under the nurse's station rocking back and forth* Then she asked if I was scared of her.....
Oh, cack. There's no good answer here. You say 'no' and it's like she has no real power over you. You say 'yes' and she has infinite power over you because she knows you live in fear.
I may have a pathological fear of anyone in a navy blue tunic (or dress depending on where you are)....

I'm even scared of that picture!

Well I have a 'respectful fear'. You have power. I don't. You've been doing this for years. I know nothing (well next to nothing). Now can I go back to cowering?

P.S. How can you work in a dress? Seriously? Not that you will ever find me in a dress / skirt but come on trousers are so the way to go.

Force Ten Freak Out

They don't happen often but when they do it's usually for not good reason. Today was just one of those days. Simple mistake, leaving something. Then I go have a freak out about it because someone else broke it. See not really my fault? Can I convince myself of that? Not a snowballs chance.

Applications and Babies

I've sent in my applications for a couple of jobs. Wish them luck, they'll need it.
The dentist wants to do some root treatment on my remaining molar. So that will be a fun day off!

AND best of all we've just come off the phone with my brother over in Alberta. His little boy was born just over an hour ago, weighing in at 7lb 1 and a half. He has no name yet but apparently does have a bit of a cone head! So I AM AN AUNTIE!!!!!!!! He'll be first generation Canadian (think he might have dual nationality and hold a UK passport because of my brother and sister-in-law).

Sorry for the random photo. It's a klappar skalbagge (skalbagge being Swedish for beetle). I found it in Ikea (I place I don't totally like) and I couldn't help myself (which explains the huge soft toy camel - Niles - in my bedroom).
I call him Nigel.

Overtime Pays More Than Money

News Flash: I am NOT shit at my job!

You know that old "you get told it so you believe it kind of thing"? Well getting told in placement that everything I was doing was wrong kinda ground me down for a bit.

Then I go off to earn a bit of money on the wards as an auxiliary and fall into a few shifts at the not-too-far-away hospital (instead of the two-buses-from-my-house hospital where placement is). Better yet I fell into a run of shifts at Coronary Care.

I worked so hard for them but they taught me too. Like Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps, these things are cool (seriously technical but cool!). They apparently very dangerous too... granted a balloon sitting in your aorta inflating and deflating with every beat of your heart could be dangerous.

They loved me! I did voluntary overtime (they asked and I wanted to er... stick my nose in on the interesting stuff), oh and then there's the extra shift today which came with a side of overtime. So I'm not shit at my job, least they don't think so.

Right when I go back to placement I am going to kick ass. I can so do this.

Why I Finished the Last Post With Swearing

Apparently I've only used ass once (er, twice now). None of the check words came up. Hell 4 times and fuck twice (er, 5 times and 3 times now). So yea NO UNDER 13's ADMITTED!
104% Geek
I think I may have broken that one at some point. Got the same questions twice for example. Total geek!

Workin' Girl

Ah feck....
What started as a simple 7 hour shift turned into a 10 hour shift simply because there was so much work to be done. Not all at once but a constant trickle. A constant trickle with no end! THEN they talked me into a shift tomorrow morning. Excuse me? I know I was meant to be working there on Friday (before I cancelled it). BUT tomorrow that was meant to be my day off.
I could have said no I guess but who could say not to an extra 7 hours! And 3 hours of overtime today!

Also so I can skew the results of a test... fuck, hell, shit, bugger, bloody hell and just to check - dyke, lesbian, gay.... OK I'll explain later......

Coolest Job In The World!

I have found maybe the coolest job advertisement in the world.
Sadly no it's not chief chocolate taster for Cadbury's.

There's a paediatrics hospital that wants adult newly qualified nurses! Man best news all year! You have to be willing to learn.... well I'm willing to put myself through college again to retrain and get my degree if I have too. No I'm not putting the link up, I want this one for myself!

Quotes and News

If a patient is cold,
if a patient is feverish,
if a patient is faint,
if he is sick after taking food,
if he has a bed-sore,
it is generally the fault not of the disease,
but of the nursing.

See old Florence talked sense occasionally. In fact she was at least 100 years before her time with this...

Bad sanitary, bad architectural, and bad administrative arrangements often make it impossible to nurse.

I don't think she'd notice any difference! Of course I think she might have been talking about little rooms and oddly shaped wards. Preferring those long wards with 2 rows of beds, to the more modern 4/6/8 bedded rooms and single side rooms. But hey the perennial problem of bad management seems to prevail like a crop of bad weeds.

Anyway, my last post was no good but it was true. I've had to cancel one of the shifts this week to make way for a dentist appointment. Since one of my few remaining lower molars is aching. So I get the joy of going to the dentist and I lose out on a shift! They won't let me do a back shift or anything. Poo.

I was going to comment on a news story I found but I'm tired and really it's not the most. interesting thing so I offer quotes and a little comment... and a toothache grumble.

Work: It Keeps You Busy

I have my last essay to start and all the write ups for placement but I'm still working.

Ben and Jerry's Baked Alaska ice cream is great when you've just finished a special obs shift.

I have no coherent thoughts left.... sorry.

30 Hours Should Do It

If I work for 30 (and a bit) hours I can afford one of these!

That's a lot of work......

I've got 39 hours of work lined up for the next week.

Am I an idiot?

This is an addiction.

U.K. peeps - Waterstone's have ebooks for the Sony BUT so do WHSmiths (and Smiths are cheaper!).

U.S. peeps - I can't wait till the Kindle arrives here because it has been delayed till next year. I have to take what I can get.

Textbooks

See this is how it goes..... Back in first year I bought a whole load of textbooks. At the moment it works about to around 1 per essay. Then you go and get told that what I was using (which was fine for first year and are still accepted by the college fore written work [or so I thought]) are not in fact of any use. Well granted since I bought most of them they are now out of date. Some of them went out of date only 6 months after I bought them. Massive waste of money, though I still used them just referenced the newer edition (and double checked to make sure they said the same things).
Mostly the only bits to go out of date are the resus / acute care stuff (like I started the course and it was 15 compressions to 2 breaths, now it's 30 compressions to 2 breaths for adults) or blood norms or procedure protocols (which are governed by evidence based practice and seem to change on a day to day basis). Recently I've replaced 2 of my textbooks with the new editions (yes I DO realise I only have 3 months of study to go).
So what textbooks are the best? Meh it seems to be a personal choice to be honest, because if you find one to be easy to understand then go for it but the college / uni might be recomending something else.
Right books I really love...

Your starter for 10... I think everyone should at least read this. I bought it at the begining and it has been faithful ever since. The second edition only came out a couple of months ago to match the new NMC code (there's a copy of the code in it) and it's not one of the ones I replacing.
The Student Nurse Handbook (1st and 2nd year) and The Newly Qualified Nurse's Handbook (3rd year and post qualifing) by Bethann Siviter are fantastic.
Oh and she does the drawings herself!


Right everyone needs a dictionary. I've managed to aquire several over the years but this one at least fits into my bag.






Finally a core text... This one is prescribed but I never took to the 2nd edition. The 3rd edition came out...oh about a year ago and I resented the thought of getting a new one especially at £30 a go.
I just couldn't read the werid colour of text in the 2nd edition (and the writing style left me with a headache). I went out and got the 3rd edition today and they seem to have at least fixed the colours and put in a few diagrams. Warning this one weighs in at about 6kg but we've never had to carry it in.




Other text books.....
Research - consider getting a basic book on research if you're going down the degree route.
Area specific - I know people that loved one area so much the have books on specific areas (e.g. acute, older adult, cardiac, etc). Not essential but can be helpful especially if you enjoy those areas.
Calculations - if you struggle with the maths a good drug calculations text might help... or you know find a helpful math geek (*ahem* that would be me in our class) to help you out.
Nursing model specific - I own a text specifically applying the Roper, Logan and Tierny model (it's out of date now but I got it for a nursing models essay at the time). These can be really good especially when filling out placement paperwork and the like (endless source of references for the likes of communication and dying).
Clinical Skills - there are manuals all over the shop outlining the different skills, how to do them and what you need to do them. Some are more basic than others. I own a basic one but will ned to go out later this week and get a more advanced one for placement references. I'm considering the Royal Marsden Manual for this. I've picked it up a few times and it seems to be what I'm looking for. I'll update on that later.

So yea that's that I'll be doing on my week off!
P.S. I don't work for Waterstones (I just buy a lot of textbooks there) but I wouldn't be upset of they wanted to send me an ebook reader as a token of thanks!
P.P.S. Kidding..... slightly.

Warm Fuzzy Feelings

And those are few and far between these days...
I love learning and the whole nursing course but some days you just feel like chucking it all in. I'm trying to remember the good times so that I don't lose sight of where I'm going.
So where am I going? Going to get a job hopefully. I would of course like to pass this final placement and get out the other side. See part of finishing the course means that you are fit to practice. The MNC talk about 'Good Health and Good Character'.... Well I have my moments of Good Health and mostly that isn't a problem.

Good character is important as nurses and midwives must be honest and trustworthy. Your good character is based on your conduct, behaviour and attitude. It covers examples such as someone who knowingly practises as a nurse or midwife before they are on the register, or someone who signs a student off from an educational programme while being aware of poor behaviour.

Now I'd never want to be signed off if I was incapable (also because it would bite the ass of the nurse that did so) and I am scared wit-less of being incapable. Yea OK it's safe to say I have no confidence left and reading the Committee Reports of nurse conduct is not helping me any more. Not that it was helping in the first place (the whole lot scaring the cack out of me!).
I'm not ready yet. I'm like a part baked cookie... I taste all right but there's something wrong (also soft with no hard outer shell to protect me).
Warm fuzzy feelings? Bah! More like cold hard surfaces... clinical surfaces. I'm going to go rock under the table and hope tomorrow is a better day. Oh and maybe the staff nurse I get on really well with might just be working the same shift......

Memes (2 of 2)

Things women should do before they're 30

1. Hard boil an egg: Done, hate boiled eggs though!
2. Diplomatically tell Mum to butt-out: Seriously? A lifestyle like mine and you think I've not done that?
3. Ace a job interview: *pffft* Nope..... got my first job without an interview.... did manage to get into college
4. Ask a man out: Why the heck would I do that? I have though (went belly up of course!)
5. Send a thoughtful thank you note: Yes but it depends on who you are!
6. Listen to a friend in need: That's part of my job surely?
7. Ask for help: Oh dear god no.... at my lowest point I had to be dragged to the counselor and doc.
8. Effectively end an unhealthy relationship (romantic or platonic in nature): OK not been so good on this front.
9. Beautifully wrap a gift: Oh heck I can do this all the time! I rock at wrapping presents!
10. Say "no" gracefully: Sometimes..... not to food of course.
11. Whip up a great dinner with the five items in her fridge: Yes but only because I did a food shop today.
12. Forget pleasing him, by 30 a woman should be able to tell her man exactly how to please her Oh come on! If you don't know this minuet the get some 'alone time' and freaking find out!
13. Sew a button: Man I learned this in Brownies! I had my sewing badge you know!
14. Mix a kick-ass cocktail: Is it alcoholic? yes. Does it contain everything in the drinks cupboard? yes. Then it's a good cocktail.
15. Take off her bra without removing her shirt: Oh hell yea.... who can't do this?
16. Apply lip gloss in the dark: Yes but why in the dark or am I missing the point?
17. Balance her chequebook: I've not used my chequebook since I got it... oh 6 years ago. You don't really need them any more.
18. Create a budget: Again *piffft* budget what's that?
19. Find the best deal: Mostly usually when technology is involved.
20. Negotiate a salary and/or pay raise: Take what you are given and be happy with it!
21. Read a map: Totally!
22. Hail a cab: Phone out, call taxi company, get into taxi.........
23. Say something in French just for the hell of it: Uh yes but I'm not so good at it.....
24. Apologise when she's wrong: Sometimes.... least I know when I'm wrong.
25. Dress for her body type: Have to..... but mostly it's uniform and PJs.
26. Change a flat (or know whom to call to come change it): I can so change a tyre!
27. Spot a fake (handbag, diamond, potential friend...): In handbags: certainly. In some pieces of memorabilia from my specialities.
28. Feign interest: Oh god yea, that must be part of the job description.
29. Know what to tip on a $25 dinner bill: 20% - $5..... 10% - $2.50 or you know nothing cos your service was garbage........ (where was that $25 tab anyway?)
30. Hold a baby (Hey, someone you know is bound to have one sooner or later): Oh actually I'm quite good at this but no-one thinks I'm any good for some reason.

I meant to post this with the last one but got distracted with the photos.

Memes (2 of them!)

Instructions:

a) Answer the questions below, do a Google Image search with your answer, take a picture from the first page of results, and do it with minimal words of explanation.

b) Tag 5 other people to do the same once you’ve finished answering every question.
P.S. I don't own the copyright of ANY image you see here and I've linked to where the image came from

1. The age you’ll be on your next birthday


2. A place you’d like to travel to (camp be here! well somewhere!)

3. Your favourite place

4. Your favourite food

5. Your favourite pet

6. Your favourite colour combination

7. Your favourite piece of clothing

8. Your favourite TV show

9. First name of your significant other

10. The town in which you live (while the BBC building was being constructed)

11. Your first job

12. Your dream job

13. A bad habit you have

14. Your worst fear

15. What you’d like to do before you die


No tags.... Do it if you want to! I'll explain any choices in comments if your really feel the need!
Back to normal blogging shortly!

Today's Classic

Granted I spent a lot of time walking into this 4 bedded room before forgetting why tonight but I did have a reason the time this happened...
[Middle of visiting by the way]
Sam - That's my girlfriend.
[Sam's 70-odd and was talking to his relatives]
Me - Didn't expect that response to walking in!
Sam - I'm I not getting any love?
Me - I love you too Sam.
Sam - Ah Fuck off.

Ah well can't win them all! And I still have that marriage proposal from a 92 year old.

Your Job, My Job

Cellar Door said something in one of her comments that reminded me about the adult nurse / mental health nurse divide.

I have friends on the mental health branch of the course (mostly from when we all started together in first year) before the 'iron curtain' fell and the 'them and us' mentality was installed.

It's almost natural to think that your job is the best job. Round up a bunch of nurses and, unless you've just caught them coming off the 'shift from hell', most will tell you that they quite like their job. I mean if you hate your job the why the heck are you still working there?

Why do we seem to think that other people, who are also nurses (for talking's sake), have an easier / harder job than ours? You are good at your speciality (even if you 'fell' in to it) and they are good at theirs. Lets put it this way I can't talk down your agitated suicidal patient and you probably can't read the arterial blood gas results and alter the ventilator settings accordingly (OK, I did that once under supervision but I totally get the science).

All our jobs are complicated and technical, but if it came down to it I couldn't do yours and maybe you couldn't do mine (well not without a bit of study or something).

A Turn-around...

Apparently I'm doing better today. I'm not sure what I did. Course I went off and did a dressing (one I did on Thursday and hasn't been done since [ that's OK because there should be 4 days between changes]) without any prompting. It was to be done so I did it. Actually there was more than one dressing but I left the other one to the nurses since the dressing that's on it needs to be reassessed.
Right I just have to extend this a bit.....but let's not count all the chickens.....

A Naptime Clarification

What I meant by running IVs...

• Running fluids through giving sets
• Making up (under supervision) IV antibiotics
• Stopping / recording finishing time / taking down sets and disposal (with permission, dependant on nurse and placement area)
• Connecting and starting (under some supervision)

Things entirely dependant on place and staff...

• Disconnecting fluids (not drugs / syringe drivers) so patient can go to bathroom
• Silencing Baxter pumps and correcting blockages
  
• Removal / disconnection / disposal (without permission because the fluids are finished)
• The prep of the next bag (without prompting)

I'm quite good with Baxter pumps most of the time, including the ITU's 3 line editions. I know it is medications we are dealing with (just because it's not a pill doesn't mean I can be any less careful). Until you do the IV drug course you cannot flush or inject into venflons (and that is the first post qualifying course I'll be signing up for!).

Right I'm off for a nap..... I got 1 hour of sleep last night. I do have something to post later too honest!

Learning To Change

There's this odd jump I've apparently not made yet from student nurse to real nurse and this is what has caused the problems over the last couple of weeks.

2nd Year Students....

• Do everything while being watched, e.g. dressings, running IVs, paperwork, etc.
• Do all the work of a CSW / auxiliary nurse

Students at the end of the course....

• Can do dressings / paperwork / referrals / ward rounds without being watched
• Can do drug rounds with minimal supervision (we still need the signatures and observation till qualified)
  
• Can work on their own without constant prompting / suggestions / support
• Are essentially mini nurses
  

I'm stuck somewhere between these two places. It's the working on my own, I think, that's the problem.

Things I can do....

• Dressings / running IVs / direct patient care
• Some of the day-to-day paperwork / some of the admit/discharge paperwork (and I can't do it fast enough)
• Finding things to be done and doing them if I can
  
• Finding things that don't seem to be right but apparently are
• Dragging doctors to patients when they need them
  

People say I'm missing the confidence to fill in the gaps between these things I can do. Hmm, right. So what do I do now?

More to follow....... when I find some answers.

No News Is Not Always Good News

I've not been talking about placement because it's rather fresh at the moment but in time I'll explain what's going on.

Sufficed to say nice ward, nice staff, nice patients.... me doing the usual, i.e. not enough, not fast enough, not good enough.

Some days I suck at something I thought I was good at. Right I'm going to bed because my foul mood isn't lifting. Sorry folks. I promise to be happier tomorrow.

Why I Haven't Been Around....

Sorry folks. I have been reading, just don't have the strength to type.

Placement has been less of a learning curve than I thought it would be and the last few shifts have flown past. I hope I can say that about tomorrow and the rest of the week. I have been thinking about sleep far too often. When I should sleep, when I'm able to sleep..... So why would I want to spend the rest of my working life thinking like this?

I've not started any of my written work sadly. So I'm starting to fall behind and there's a weekend away starting on Friday and I really should be there too. Ack.... I worked (like for money, for once) on both Saturday and Sunday. It's a run of 12 days without break in shifts.

I promise not to moan anymore about working too much. I did bring it on myself.
And...
I promise to post more, especially if anything interesting happening but according to the news feeds nothing much has happened. Aside from the LHC leaking helium.

Mercury Thermometer

When I was a kid I went into hospital for an op and I had my temperature taken by a thermometer under my arm. That was the last time I saw a mercury thermometer.

Till of course today. See I'm used to tympanic thermometers. Put on a cover, jab into ear, push button and bang result. I don't even know if they are sill considered good practice what with mercury being poisonous and all. NHS direct doesn't think so.

Mercury thermometers are now being phased out, because they are dangerous if they get broken. Mercury is poisonous if swallowed, or if it comes into contact with the skin.

Only adults should use mercury thermometers because children are more likely to bite it and break the glass. You should shake a mercury thermometer before you use it. This is so that the mercury goes back into the bulb of the thermometer, which will allow you to take an accurate reading To take a person's temperature, you can place a mercury thermometer either in their mouth, or under their armpit.

So another one for the lecturers. And that shaking the mercury down? Still haven't managed it yet!

Hypothetically Speaking

In the course of your work you catch a nurse doing something that is wrong. An infection control something (considering the state of HAIs in this country). (There are other somethings too but those are real gray areas) What do you do?
a) pull her up?
b) report her to the ward sister?
c) moan to the blogosphere?
d) report it to someone outside the ward e.g. infection control nurse / college lecturer?

Clearly we're looking at option c. Although no hypothetical question ever is. I have to admit I'm considering talking to the college. We are expected to report bad practice to someone. You can't just sit on it, especially if the proverbial hits the fan at some point.

"Did you realise this was wrong?"
"...yes..."
"Why didn't you do anything about it?"
"I didn't want to say anything to offend anyone."

How rubbish is that reason? I didn't want to cause offence? I wanted to be signed off and get a good reference? Try making that wash with the patient's family.
In about 5 months I'll be accountable for everything I do and if I were to simply keep quiet I would be as much to blame.

Damn. Rock. Hard place. Me.

P.S. Honestly not a real situation... honest.

The Begining of the End

Today is the first day of the last placement.
Arrgh. I'm starting at 9 which is unnatural, unless this was the community. So the shift will have already started when I roll up. Somehow that makes me more nervous.
I'm so close to the end now. Well aside from the 15+ portfolio entries and an essay.

Other and Better Things

Well the Large Hadron Collider came online without a hitch. Protons are running around in circles in France / Switzerland. It's also producing pictures...

Tonight was the first time I had to explain to 7 year olds why today is important and why it should be remembered. It's hard to get a 7 year old to understand why these people that they have never met, in a place they have never been to, about an event they will only see in pictures but it's possible. I do it every year for Remembrance Sunday and somehow it's actually more difficult to get them to understand something I never saw or will truly understand myself.

Actually I could use some advice. Anyone worked with a kid who is nervy and unable to be around large groups of other children? What do you do with them? How would you help include them? She wants to be there, it's just that she can't handle it.

THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING!!!!

Actually it's not but that got your attention right?

CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is to be fired up this morning.... some time.... All they will be doing is sending tiny protons round in a circle to make sure it works. We're not even at the 'sending 2 beams in opposite directions so they will smash into each other' stage yet.

Some people are freaked out by the thought of this unknown 'will it create a giant black hole that will swallow the Earth'. It's not going to create a giant black hole. Besides if it grew instantly and swallowed the Earth would we actually notice? Well no, not even twitter works that fast.

And if the world does end this morning... I'll be stuck in a lecture..... What a rubbish way to go!

Viruses: An Idiot's Guide

For a bunch of student nurses the contents of my flat seem to have missed the concept of virus / infection.

First up what ever strain of cold is going around is strong (or my immune system is weak but it seems to have infected everyone I've come into contact with too, however).
Second - you live in the same flat as me. We share the same facilities (toilets, showers, kitchen, etc.) so no matter good I am with the alcohol hand gel / hand washing / covering my mouth when I sneeze, you are gonna catch some of these little bugs!
Third - NO ANTIBIOTIC IN THE WORLD WILL CURE A COLD! Colds are not bacterial infections ergo an antibiotic will not help. This kind of behaviour is why we have so many resistant infections going around (hmmm MRSA anyone?). This over prescription is nuts.
Forth - don't look at me like I have a third head (we've proved I have a second head I can't see because I get looked at enough!) when I say I haven't taken any drugs. This is because I'm aware that really NOTHING is gonna help the way I feel except for an early night. (except a couple of paracetamol)

Do we understand viruses better now? Good, now let me go cough in peace!

A Good Ol Days Post With A Health Warning.

There was something about ERNursey's post that reminded me of my first few days... So many of the student nurse blogs I read are of those who are starting this year. Leaving me feeling like an old fart since I finish in only a few months.

It's got me remembering the 'good ol days' but I would like to issue a health warning. So to Kim @ As The Pump Turns, NurseTeeny @ The Makings of a Nurse, undergrad RN and Cellar_Door @ Not Another Nursing Student Blog please stop reading. Keep your rose tinted specs on for a little bit longer. In fact that goes for almost nursing student within the first half of their course. Flee and save yourselves, come back tomorrow when I'll be back to the usual ranting. For Not Nurse Ratched and Brain Scramble this will be nothing new.

It's fair to say school hasn't been an easy ride. The first week it felt like my brain was melting and it's never had a chance to regroup. Contrary to popular belief I haven't actually failed every essay we've been given. In fact I got a B for one of them. One of the reasons I didn't start the blog till the last year was I lived under the near constant threat of getting kicked off the course. I kinda lurched from one mess to the other.

When I was on the last course, straight out of high school, I thought that was stressful. I made myself ill and left. The summer before I started nursing I went to camp. It was one of the best times in my life and I went into college hoping for the best.

Of course what followed was THE most stressful time of my life ever. I couldn't get past this one exam and the threat of massive failure coupled with the essays and family and being diagnosed dyslexic left me... well on Prozac (not the name brand, generic this is the NHS remember) and seeing a counselor. (see folks this is why I told you to stop reading!)

I lost the rose tinted specs the first time we had a 'social' admission, read didn't need to be here not going home, with family shouting and swearing at staff.

This might be a good time to remind ya all about the good days. Getting a B for that essay, my ITU placement and just to lower the tone, that nurse I had a crush on. I'm a damn site stronger than I was when I started. It's been the hardest 2 and a half years of my life. This is why I'm not allowed to talk to 1st years anymore! Tehehe!

Closer and Closer

Today we are one step closer to graduation. I passed the resit! Woot! Just, oh, the final placement to go. I'm so close I can taste it.

First thoughts on Google Chrome - the new browser....
It's nice, shiny, looks great on Vista's Aero interface but the only down side is that I lose the functionality of my Firefox addons (like IE tab).

Special project - The college have dropped the whole peer teaching. So while I HAVE finished 2 pages of 8 I don't actually need to finish it anymore. I will keep going though, I've started so I'll finish. Hate leaving things not done. Just might take a little longer.

Pride Glasgow!

O.K. I promised pictures but my camera really sucks so I searched flickr for better photographers than me.
I found the most amazing pictures from S2 B and I've borrowed a couple to post here. You should go look at the rest of them!The pride flag flies over the city chambers for the first time. By S2 B.
The parade going down Union Street. By S2 B.
That's entertainment! Photo from alephnaught...
The day was an utter riot. We had the time of our lives. It makes you wish every day was like that!

Progress Update

Fortunately we've been given an extra week to finish the special project. It took me the best part of last night to finish the front page and I was too tired to get anything done this evening.

In other news it's gay pride in Glasgow tomorrow! I'll take some pictures and post them when and if I manage to come home.

Best Idea Ever

I have come up with the best idea ever for one of the projects we are doing. Of course there are a few drawbacks to this plan.

Task - Educate your peers on a subject you've studied in depth. You can use Powerpoint, tutorials, written hand-outs, etc.

Method Chosen - (here's the brilliant part!) Comic. I'm thinking maybe about 2 pages, A4 portrait size on A3 pages, double-sided, folded in half... which means I would have 8 pages to play with. The back page would be the references of course.

Subject - Well this is where it goes a bit off... what I could write about - The Long Term Complications of Quadriplegia. Nice, probably what they are looking for but doesn't lend itself to comic. This is something I have studied in depth and I could write about... in fact I have written 3 pages on it so I wouldn't have to do it.

So where does this leave me on a subject? Well I've had another thought...

Pros - No-one else will have thought of this
It will educate people on an area that is rarely covered
It will look brilliant when I'm finished

Cons - Only I could do something like this so people will know it's me
It might not be what they are looking for (I do have the fall back idea at least) (they have given us free reign though)

So what is it? The Needs of LGBT Patients
Cool? Pure Utter Genius! It's unique (not a single lecturer has mentioned it) and I'm not doing it as a piggin' Powerpoint presentation!

Pure Rage and Pure Disrespect

We got out the final assignments today! Which would have been good... I put in for orthopedic trauma for my final placement. I love broken bones and the like. Stupidly thinking I'd get it.

Most people didn't get what they really wanted. This is a cracking indicator of how the day was going down the pan already. The person who got my ward rubbed salt in my wounds before I got mine. Then I got my placement...

Gynecology - I don't have a problem with gyne, it's an interesting field. If it hadn't been for the 'isn't that a lesbian's dream' - type comment I would have kept it. OK I find that offensive. Why would I think that about my patients? Would a straight female nurse (or a gay male nurse) go on to a urology ward and think something like that? No and no one would suggest it, well they might as a joke. It didn't come across to me as a joke.

I spent all afternoon shaking literally. I went to the head of the year after class and told her what was said. Can't suffer the snickering for the next 6 months. The risk of coming out while I'm working would be exceptionally harmful too, especially if someone on the ward thinks along the same line. I never actually asked to move placement but that's what happened. Stroke rehabilitation - I can do that and it isn't too far away from spinal injury rehab... well closer than gyne anyway.

Did I blow it out of proportion? I'm still hurt by that remark and still shaking inside.

The Green Eyed Monster

When being a little bored I looked at my site stats for how people are getting to this blog. I get lots from the lovely people that link to me from their blogs but it's the search engines that fascinate me.
Recently it has been the 'Hospital Corner?' post inspiring people (15 people to date). I suppose I could have done a step by step on how to do a hospital corner but that would have been to easy and I'm not writing a textbook here.

The classic from a couple of days ago was 'nurses jealous of doctors'. I've never written a post on the possibility of nurses being jealous of doctors' positions. What they arrived at was part of my Doctors and Nurses collection (if you remember they were posts on me and the doctor at one of my placements, here's parts one, two and three for those that forget).

So am I jealous of doctors? Nope I don't want their job. I want to be a nurse.

Stop Changing the Plan

Let's assume you're on a course... it doesn't have to be nursing, and then the powers that be start to 'fiddle' with it.

Things that work are switched for things that don't. Leaving anyone with an ounce of common sense wondering how they got positions of power in the first place. Truth is the more of an idiot you are the more likely you are to become a manager.

They keep implementing these changes without a second thought as to what it's doing to the students at the other end. Humph twats!

Sheep.

Nothing like jumping on the communal band-wagon --->
I've had a haircut and when straightened it actually looks a lot like that. Without straighteners it looks like a bird's nest.

Anyway I've done nothing but read news on the net and watch the rain fall. All in all a very uneventful day. I don't even have anything to rant about, unless someone starts singing 'I kissed a girl' by Katy Perry.

Anyone think she's just out to annoy her parents? They are both pastors after all and they have said they don't like what she's doing. She's no more gay than I am straight. Now I've heard several stories along the lines of "when I was younger / drunk / questioning / combination of the above" and what brings up the red flag for me has to be the 'chapstick' line. Question how old was she when the alleged incident occurred? Because either she was very young (considering she's 23 now) OR it's one heck of a stereotypical image of a lesbian (use of which I would consider offensive). Or, you know, it never actually happened.

Lesbian magazine Diva's editor, Jane Czyzselska, says she's not homophobic but maybe just naive. Well OK I can buy into that, if her first song hadn't been called 'UR So Gay'. Aimed at her last boyfriend, 'UR So Gay' was basically a list of his failures and shortcomings. Use of the word gay to mean lame is considered to be un-politically correct. Not that it would make much difference to me but come on she has issues and she needs to deal with them without putting that pish on a CD.

Well I didn't mean that to turn into a rant...

Changes

I've decided to split the Goldfish posts from this blog to one of their own. So if you wish to hear me drone on about my favourite pets muscle on over to The Goldfish Diaries (yes, yes it's also hosted by Blogger).

And if you don't, you for some reason enjoy my take on being a Student Nurse (I can't begin to understand why though), then stick around I won't go off topic so much anymore!

Warning: Studies May Harm Health

I like medical studies. I kind of have to since these are what powers my day to day tasks. They show me why things have to be done a certain way or how to avoid infection or make patients feel better. This so far will no harm your health but 'buyer beware' the docs have been at it again.

Lets start with a famous example. Once upon a time there was a combination vaccine for Measles, Mumps and Rubella, they smartly called it the MMR. Then after a study was done the press went a little bit nutty, blew it all out of proportion and linked this jab to Autism. Which has meant that equally nutty parents are not vaccinating their children. Sorry it's at this point I would like to quote House MD...

Young Mother: Her whole face just got swollenlike this overnight.
House: Mmhmm. No fever, glands normal, missing her vaccination dates.
Young Mother: We’re not vaccinating.
[Baby giggles and coos]
Young Mother: [Takes a toy frog and starts to make frog sounds] Gribbit, gribbit, gribbit. [Giggles]
[Baby smiles and giggles too]
House: Think they don’t work?
Young Mother: I think some multinational pharmaceutical company wants me to think they work. Pad their bottom line.
House: Mmmm. May I? [He takes the frog and starts to do the gribbit noise with the baby]
Young Mother: [Whispered] Sure.
House: Gribbit, gribbit, gribbit. [The baby laughs] All natural no dies. That’s a good business: all-natural children’s toys. Those toy companies, they don’t arbitrarily mark up their frogs. They don’t lie about how much they spend in research and development. The worst a toy company can be accused of is making a really boring frog.
[Young Mother laughs and so does House. The baby giggles again]
House: Gribbit, gribbit, gribbit. You know another really good business? Teeny tiny baby coffins. You can get them in frog green or fire engine red. Really. The antibodies in yummy mummy only protect the kid for 6 months, which is why these companies think they can gouge you. They think that you’ll spend whatever they ask to keep your kid alive. Want to change things? Prove them wrong. A few hundred parents like you decide they’d rather let their kid die then cough up 40 bucks for a vaccination, believe me, prices will drop REALLY fast. Gribbit, gribbit, gribbit, gribbit, gribbit.
Young Mother: Tell me what she has.
House: A cold.

I would love to have put up the clip of that exchange (it's much better on film) but no one on You Tube has done it as far as I can see. I recommend you watch Season 1: Episode 2: Paternity. But I do concur with his assessment of people who refuse vaccinations.

So to the point I came across this baffling piece of research, Ear Infections 'Link' to Obesity. So is this the magical link that will cure childhood / adulthood obesity simply by stopping ear infections. Er... no I think not. This is starting to sound rather like the simplified outcome of the MMR study - "12 children with autism who also had the MMR jab... oh look MMR caused their autism". So because I had several ear infections when I was a child that's the reason I'm fat? Least I'm not blaming it on my genes.

Well it's less likely than Clumsy Young Face Obesity Risk. Actually I can see the reasoning behind this. Think about it less coordinated children are less likely to enjoy school sports. Therefore more likely to avoid them in the future, increasing their chances of becoming overweight through lack of exercise. Brilliant huh? Wish I had written that could have made some money selling the results. I knew that sport wasn't for me when I was hit in the face by a basketball and everyone laughed. Didn't see it coming. Actually I'm quite a strong swimmer but when it comes to catching and throwing my skills stopped when the basketball hit my face.

You can't possibly follow every study done. I mean for everyone I've read that says X causes cancer there's another 4 saying A,B,C, and D all cause cancer too. You'd never leave the house, eat anything or touch a cleaning product. Least then I'd have more time to catch up with all the TV I watch. Unless there's a study that says TV causes some sort of debilitating illness... oh wait it does - Couch Potato-ism.