14 January 2005

Week 1, Semester 2

One week down, fourteen to go! The new semester is off to a good start. Classes are a little more intense than last semester, but more focused on detail rather than general concepts, which is easier for me. I’m amazed at what we’ve already learned in just one week. Here is a sampling.

  • Injections (Dart that needle in! I’m grateful that we haven’t had to puncture other students or patients at this point, just oranges!)
  • Nursing cares for people with stomach and upper gastrointestinal illnesses.
  • How to write Nursing Diagnoses and create Nursing Care Plans. (And here I thought I’d seen the last of legalese upon leaving the Colorado Dept. of Law!)
  • Medications ~ Memorized a list of 60 medications. Not just the names, but also the drug class, their use, what we need to assess as nurses prior to and during the course of therapy and their side effects.
  • Proper administration of medications. We reviewed this in the fall, but were tested on it today. I, patting self on back, passed with flying colors!
There have been things I learned outside of class as well.

WINTER! I didn’t really know what winter was. Winter in Colorado is days of sunshine, punctuated by a handful of cloudy snowy days now and then. You need nothing more than a sweater sometimes. The snow melts in 2 days. It gets really cold only a few days a year. Winter in Iowa? WEEKS of DARK gray clouds sitting low, punctuated by partly cloudy days where it is LESS GRAY. Once in a rarity, the sun actually comes out. I crave those days and find myself basking in the sun like a cat! It’s COLD. FREEZING. WINDCHILL BELOW 0 for days on end. ICY. There is ¼” or more of freezing rain on every surface, followed by snow, followed by more freezing rain, followed by… you get the picture! It’s SLICK! I need studded snow boots!

But in the cold and ice, there is AWESOME beauty as well. Ethereal frosted fern patterns on every window. Forests of barren trees shining in the late afternoon sunshine like a forest of Venetian chandeliers, every twig and branch coated in ice, gleaming, and sparkling, reflecting light. Landscapes in muted tones of white and lavender with every blade of grass or pine needle frosted and standing out in relief. Horses in the pasture wearing thick white blankets of snow. And in my apartment, pots of brilliant amaryllis the color of rubies, paperwhite narcissus filling the air with fragrance and a monstera philodendron, a souvenir from my working days at Lam-Wood threatening to take over Creston. There is beauty everywhere. Our challenge is to find it, where ever, whenever we are, even when the wind chill is well below 0.

The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

04 January 2005


Christmas Deer Posted by Hello

New Year, New Classes!

Christmas is over and the New Year begun. I enjoyed a lovely two weeks in Colorado over the holidays visiting with family and friends. Highlights of my trip were sitting in church on Christmas Eve with my parents, all my kids and the girlfriends and two of my closest friends. How wonderful to spend the holiday surrounded by everyone. Another highlight was New Year's day when I got to spend time alone with all my kids. Great laughter and lots of fun! I also enjoyed spending time with several friends. In the mornings, I enjoyed the mountain views from my parent's house and watching the deer and birds in the yard. Nice to have time to just sit and talk with my parents as well. It was very hard to say goodbye to everyone this time around. I do miss everyone so.

School starts up on January 10. Purchased my books and have gotten a start on the homework assigned before we left on break. I’m excited about my classes this semester as we get to study some of the areas of Nursing that I’m really interested in!

Medical Surgical Nursing (aka Med Surg)
Maternal Child Health
Human Growth and Development
Science of Nutrition

We also have three clinical rotations this semester as well as a Medications lab. My first clinical rotation will be at one of the hospitals in an adjoining county. I’m looking forward to that and think it will be a better fit for me than the nursing homes.

Oh, and the official report card for last semester?
Fundamental’s of Nursing, I & II ~ B
Pharmacology ~ B
Anatomy and Physiology I ~ A

Feel pretty good about those grades!