It was a chilly day on March 6, 2007. Me and my family were on 495 going to the Holy Cross Hospital with a slight delay of traffic. For some reason, I kept fiddling with my fingers, I was really nervous to see him. We took the exit 31A and we all shifted to the left since it was a sharp turn to the right. My big sister, Maisie, was on my shoulder and we shifted her head fell on my lap. She woke up and asked where we were. “We are almost there Maisie” my Dad said. We stopped at the traffic light and I fiddled with my fingers some more. “Stop fiddling with your fingers!” Maisie whispered to me. In my head, I say “I can’t, he is the first boy of the family, the first! Besides me!” I stopped fiddling and looked at the huge structure in front of me, The Holy Cross Hospital.…
In October of 2015 I was appointed as the Peritoneal Dialysis Unit Coordinator. The peritoneal dialysis program was being developed at this time which created significant changes in the hemodialysis unit and for me. Change has always been stressful for me yet my Nurse Manager, with her endless support in managing this change made it a positive experience. I was ready to take on this change by taking on new roles and responsibilities, and adapting to implement the change fully and completely. Communication was a critical component to the success of this change. My Nurse Manager created open lines of communication among the two of us and with the multidisciplinary team involved in the development of the program. The multidisciplinary team included:…
On my first day of clinical ride time after we dropped off our first patient at the hospital and had given turn over I asked Bruce, “Do you ever wonder what happens after we leave?” He gave me a shrug and a knowing smile replying, “Sometimes but you will get used to it.” To me it felt unfinished. What was going to happen to the patient, would they be admitted, would they be sent home, what would their quality of life be? As an EMT these questions have always intrigued…
the Logan Regional Hospital, on February 17, 2004. My family includes, my dad, my mom, my brother Ben, my sister Rachel, my sister Selina, and my sister Emma. There are eight people in my family. We then relocated to a fabulous farm with fields and grazing in Cache Valley on the outskirts of Newton. Then later on my little brother William was born.…
My mom and my step dad were talking about something and my mom said that I told her that I wasn't feeling good so I went upstairs in my mom's room. All I remembered was lying down and then all of the sudden just blacked out. From what my step dad and my mom saw was worse. My step dad was going to the room to get something when he saw me at the edge of the bed with my eyes rolled back and I was shaking like crazy. He yelled my mom's name and she rushed up the stairs, when she got there she said that I just looked passed out and she picked up my body and head off the ground and kept calling my name she said that I was squinting and trying to say yes. My step dad called the ambulance and they came. When I got to the hospital they ran tests on me to see what was going on. They told my mom it was meningitis. That week was the most horrible week of my life. I was having headaches, throwing up constantly, drowsiness, pain in my body etc., but it was thankfully the virus one and…
I have established many great relationships with different doctors and APRNS. In the ICU setting where I was employed, I did notified two physicians which I worked with about my plans for Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and both supported me and agreed to help me with a preceptorship in pulmonary and critical medicine. Dr. Erasto Cortes and Dr. Ahmed Hajj are the two physicians which I worked with and still keep in touch with. I currently work with two great surgeons, Dr. Michael Lara and Dr. Jorge Acosta, both which are also aware of my plans and have been very supportive. They both agree to also precept me in General surgery, trauma and gastrointestinal surgeries. I am currently employed with Del Sol Medical Center and my current Director is…
Sounds pretty similar to the agency I work for but it sounds like you had a lot more training then we did. Oddly, I was never asked or told to shadow anyone however, I did have a few nurses shadow me. I asked these nurses about it and they told me they weren’t getting paid for their time and I thought that was a little bizarre. I’m guessing that many agencies do not pay people for training after hearing your experience was similar to…
With my first week of clinical affiliation from the HCR ManorCare-Pittsburgh location under my belt I can give a sigh of relief that I have gained an understanding into the early expectations that my Clinical Instructor (CI) and staff have for me. From day one to current I have been asked to handle and comprehend tasks that I discovered during my academic and laboratory learning at CCAC such as goniometry, transfers, parallel bar training (to name a few). So for me being able to translate what I have learned and apply this to my inpatient setting has been invaluable. Yes, the way they document (electronically via IPad) and use of electronic stimulation placements are slightly different then what I’m accustomed my goal will be to learn these…
Today was a Monday like the passed Clinical day. I wake up feeling anxious and with some fear of having to do something new, but that is how we learn to do everything so although I am a little scare, I am the first in line to do wathever we have to do to be a great profesional nurse in the future. My patient was a man of 68 years old who ws very good with me. He came to the Emergency room on november 2 because he was having fever of 102 F of unknown causes and weight loss of 17 lbs in 2 months.…
We arrived at the hospital, fairly early in the morning. Paxton my nephew was having surgery today on his ears at proctor. he had to get this surgery since he has had many ear infections and he was only one. they got him all set up by checking vitals, blood pressure, weight, height, and many other things to get ready for surgery. after they got him all set up they said we needed to go into the waiting room so they could get started. we gave hugs, kisses and headed out to the waiting room. This surgery lasted about a half an hour, but it felt like forever. While he was in surgery my heart was racing, my head was pounding, and my palms were sticky and sweaty. His surgery lasted about forty minutes long so it worried us after it had already been…
She is at the gym and as she lifts the weight, she feels a “pop” and her leg buckles, she can’t stand, and she can’t bend her knee. The coach sprints over and helps her up, she can’t bear weight and she can’t straighten her leg, she is afraid, and although there isn’t pain, she comprehends the seriousness of her symptoms.…
August 20, 2008. Miramar Hospital. My little brother, Andres, came into the world. I was only about 7 years old when he was born, so little did I know what I was getting myself into. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a big sister - especially to a little brother. My dream was to help him out with homework, play with him outside, and watch cartoons together while drawing. Everything went as planned as I watched cartoons with my new brother in the hospital. I wanted to play games with him, but my mother said, “Dani, he’s too young. He’s too tired from his long nap. Give him a year and he’ll be ready to play.” With that, I waited until I was older to play soccer.…
Things after that were very blurry, I remember going to go to the ER and having baseline labs drawn. The…
As I got out of my car and started walking to the front door, all I could do was admire this beautiful building that resembled a ranch-style home. When I walked through the front door, the smell of mashed potatoes, baked chicken breast, and wheat rolls filled my nose; it was as if I was walking into my own grandma’s house. In front of me there was a group of people; some in wheelchairs, some using walkers, and others on the couch shouting out answers to the latest crossword puzzles. Walking through these doors brought me to the realization that I was soon going to learn everything about each one of these people. This included how to specially care for and assist them with their everyday needs in this place that they call their home. I did not…
While medical care was available growing up, there were financial or situational periods where it was not necessarily accessible. I am from a single parent family. My mother moved in with my grandparents after her divorce and works two full time jobs to help provide for my brother, grandparents, and I. Since my father went to jail and my grandfather passed, we have had to make many adjustments financially. This was the case due to my father not providing payments for child support for the time he was incarcerated nor occasional months prior. There has also been a complication with my mother and I having our identity stolen, which has created additional problems when applying for governmental aid throughout my undergraduate years. I worked…