Failing - Not An Option

I've been receiving information for that past two years from about Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.  It's a Honor Society specifically for Community Colleges.  I finally bit the bullet and joined.  I've had a good GPA since starting this journey, but worry about the required GPA to continue as a member during these difficult two years of clinical.  This will hopefully encourage me to keep my grades up (and not just 'passing').  So, I am officially a member The Alpha Epsilon Zeta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.   Now I just have to keep my grades at the required GPA to continue in it.  I've not had a chance to attend a meeting but will get to one in a few weeks before classes are over for the semester.

At the very start of our shift we received notice of the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  It was scary, as the alerts came in via phones and tv's around the hospital.  So it was with a heavy heart that I started my last week of hospital clinicals.

So this was our last week doing clinical work at the hospital.  I was bummed as I really enjoyed this time.  And due to scheduling, I wasn't going to have a patient this week.  Monday was my turn as the Team Leader.  In that role, we shadowed our instructor, got reports on each patient that our students had and assisted where needed.  I didn't think I would enjoy this but I really did.  I liked being able to help others.  Last week we worked on parenteral meds so each of the students in my group would have to give an injection this week since we are no longer able to provide medications at the nursing home we will be doing our final two clinical weeks with.  So as Team Leader I accompanied the instructor and the student nurse to the patients room where the student nurse gave the injection.  Those that went before me all had to do insulin injections with the insulin pens.  So there isn't to much to mess up.  When it was my turn, I was shocked that I had to give a heparin shot (this is a blood thinner that helps prevent blood clots in patients who aren't able to ambulate).  So thankfully, my instructor, allowed me to review all the steps in giving this shot.  She tried to trick me up by handing me two different syringes.  I was smart enough to know that (after checking the patients medication administration record) my patient to receive 5000 units or 1 mL of heparin.  The one syringe my instructor gave me would only hold .5 mL so I knew right off that wouldn't work.  We were taught exactly what to do the previous week in lab, so I knew that I had to inject 1 mL of air into the vial of medication and then withdraw 1 mL of heparin.  I was to inject this in to the patients abdomen.  Since the patient had gotten their injection that morning in the lower right quadrant I was to inject in the patients lower right quadrant.  I was very nervous at first, but did as I was taught and BAM, it was over!  I did it and I the patient didn't flinch, so I guess I didn't hurt them.  I was on cloud nine that I had done something else that I'd been taught!

The next day, I was on IV observation.  Our hospital has their own team of IV nurses that go all over the hospital starting IV's, assessing those that had been started earlier (or elsewhere), changing the locations as a problem arose.  I'll tell you these nurses move.  We got called to the ER to only get there and find out the patient had been sent to radiology so we were off to another unit at the very opposite part of the hospital.  This went on the entire time so it's obvious these nurses move all shift long.  We got a short break for dinner and then I was able to follow another team of IV nurses that had to start a PICC line.  This IV is inserted through a vein in the arm and threaded up the arm, into the superior vena cava (near the heart).  This procedure took a lot longer than a 'normal' IV and is done under sterile asepsis.  I was so glad I had the opportunity to observe this and the other procedures this night.  It was a great last night at the hospital. 

I was sad as we left knowing we won't be back until the fall but we will get back there.

So today was my sixth exam of the semester, the third of this course and I failed my exam.  I've not failed anything since starting this journey and I was heart broken and ashamed.  I was not going to share this as I am embarrassed that I didn't' do well on this exam, but I have to say I have worked my bottom off for the past three years  next month and failure is NOT an option!  I will work this much harder so that hopefully this never happens again.  I'm very nervous as it has been rumored that 60% of all students FAIL the final exam in this one course!  I thought surely this can't be true but now I'm beginning to wonder.  I know several others who also failed this exam and they also have never gotten a grade this low.  I have to say my failure was a 70, passing is a 75.  I still have a B average for this course but I truly want to makes sure I don't drop any further.  The last two exams of this semester are both in less than three weeks.  Our exams are usually a week apart but not the final two, we have them both in the same week.  And the material in both of these courses is much more difficult.

So I end this week with lots of studying to do this coming weekend.  I have a motorcycle ride with Dale on Saturday and I'm going to spend some quality time with him as we don't see each other to often these days.  On Monday I will get my turn in the Operating Room for observation!  I've heard all kinds of reports from students who have already done this and the only complaint has been the 'smell' of burning flesh.  I'll see how that goes and will update you next week.