I actually started to update this blog just before this semester started, but never got around to it. The winter/Christmas break went entirely to fast. I've spent most of my time trying to get hours in the hospital at my part time job there. I didn't get done all the things I had planned as life just seems to go faster each year.
This semester started our psych rotation. I was very nervous the first day, but I'm always nervous at the beginning of each clinical rotation and then things go well. We missed our first clinical day because of snow (and several other days due to so much snow this winter). I survived my first rotation on the psych unit. We were partnered up with a classmate and sent into a designated unit. My first night, I was on the 'recovery' unit, which is for 'high-functioning' adults. I was able to have a therapeutic conversation with my patient that evening and enjoyed the interaction. My patient seemed appreciative of the time also saying that it was the first time they were able to talk about something without crying. The next week (missed another clinical day due to snow/ice) so we only had one day. I was on the adolescent unit. It was interesting, yet sad, to see so many young people suffering with mental issues. Last week (our last until later this semester), I was on the 'middle' unit. This is where psychosis patients are. These are your more mentally disturbed, maybe hearing voices, type of patients. The student I was buddied with thought we should lead a group (it's an assignment required of us at some point during our rotations here, most wait until later in the semester), but she had a good idea and I was relieved to help out.
We had our first psych exam and I passed. Sadly, that's about all that matters any longer. I try and do my best, but I am not seeing A's and very rarely B's. C's are acceptable! As I've even been told by my counselor last week "What do they call the person who graduated at the bottom of their class in medical school?" "A doctor!" The letter isn't the most important and I've got to just keep trying to do better.
We are also stepping it up on the Med-Surg units. We'll be doing more 'nurse' things vs CNA type things (this seemed to be the consensus of what many mentioned in our first class). We started back in the Med-Surg unit this week (but due to MORE SNOW) we only had one day of clinical this week (we typically have two clinical days per week, then labs, lectures, seminars, oh and work also). We've reviewed our necessary skills, but I'm thinking I might need to get back in the lab so I'm not nervous.
Our first med-surg exam was to be last Thursday, we got hit with ANOTHER snow storm so it was postponed to Friday. I was bummed as I had to work Thursday night (and really MAJORLY study again the entire day/night before the exam); well due to the extreme cold, what melted, froze and more snow fell over night so Friday school was closed also. Our exam was being pushed to Monday. I was working all four nights before the exam! My worst nightmare. I get home around midnight and have to unwind, I'm wiped out in the morning so the studying before work just did not go well. After getting home late Sunday night, I stayed up until 3:30 and was back up by 6am for the exam. I didn't do nearly as well as I felt like I did. Bummed. Thankfully we do have test review where we get a chance to go over our exams, see what the correct answer is and then try and figure out why we picked the one we did (which was wrong).
I'm trying to stay on top of my lectures so that I'm not so overwhelmed when it is time for the next exams (in two and three weeks). I'm taking every opportunity I have to get help on any ways I am able so I can hopefully do better. I am looking forward to being on the hospital on Monday for clinical and being hands on with our patients. I will try and update again in a few weeks.
This semester started our psych rotation. I was very nervous the first day, but I'm always nervous at the beginning of each clinical rotation and then things go well. We missed our first clinical day because of snow (and several other days due to so much snow this winter). I survived my first rotation on the psych unit. We were partnered up with a classmate and sent into a designated unit. My first night, I was on the 'recovery' unit, which is for 'high-functioning' adults. I was able to have a therapeutic conversation with my patient that evening and enjoyed the interaction. My patient seemed appreciative of the time also saying that it was the first time they were able to talk about something without crying. The next week (missed another clinical day due to snow/ice) so we only had one day. I was on the adolescent unit. It was interesting, yet sad, to see so many young people suffering with mental issues. Last week (our last until later this semester), I was on the 'middle' unit. This is where psychosis patients are. These are your more mentally disturbed, maybe hearing voices, type of patients. The student I was buddied with thought we should lead a group (it's an assignment required of us at some point during our rotations here, most wait until later in the semester), but she had a good idea and I was relieved to help out.
We had our first psych exam and I passed. Sadly, that's about all that matters any longer. I try and do my best, but I am not seeing A's and very rarely B's. C's are acceptable! As I've even been told by my counselor last week "What do they call the person who graduated at the bottom of their class in medical school?" "A doctor!" The letter isn't the most important and I've got to just keep trying to do better.
We are also stepping it up on the Med-Surg units. We'll be doing more 'nurse' things vs CNA type things (this seemed to be the consensus of what many mentioned in our first class). We started back in the Med-Surg unit this week (but due to MORE SNOW) we only had one day of clinical this week (we typically have two clinical days per week, then labs, lectures, seminars, oh and work also). We've reviewed our necessary skills, but I'm thinking I might need to get back in the lab so I'm not nervous.
Our first med-surg exam was to be last Thursday, we got hit with ANOTHER snow storm so it was postponed to Friday. I was bummed as I had to work Thursday night (and really MAJORLY study again the entire day/night before the exam); well due to the extreme cold, what melted, froze and more snow fell over night so Friday school was closed also. Our exam was being pushed to Monday. I was working all four nights before the exam! My worst nightmare. I get home around midnight and have to unwind, I'm wiped out in the morning so the studying before work just did not go well. After getting home late Sunday night, I stayed up until 3:30 and was back up by 6am for the exam. I didn't do nearly as well as I felt like I did. Bummed. Thankfully we do have test review where we get a chance to go over our exams, see what the correct answer is and then try and figure out why we picked the one we did (which was wrong).
I'm trying to stay on top of my lectures so that I'm not so overwhelmed when it is time for the next exams (in two and three weeks). I'm taking every opportunity I have to get help on any ways I am able so I can hopefully do better. I am looking forward to being on the hospital on Monday for clinical and being hands on with our patients. I will try and update again in a few weeks.
