It get's CRITICAL!

Jell'o everyone!

So life over on this side has been pretty much insanity ..... Why? Well I just started my specialties. Guess which one I started off with? CRITICAL CARE!! I've heard that this is possibly the most difficult class in nursing school and I can now attest to that. For now at least, I haven't finished to truly be able to say that but for now it has definitely been the most difficult.

I will try to do my best to let you all know my adventures while taking this class & going to clinical. I will start off my saying that I went to my first day of clinical and it was supposed to mainly consist of touring the facility & getting to walk through the different units. In this facility there is a few different intensive care units: burn, medical, neurological & surgical/trauma. 

The first day didn't just consist of what we thought. We were actually able to observe in post-mortem care. Listen, it was a very interesting learning moment for me. I had been to the hospital after a family member passing away but I've never experienced death on the other side. I've been that family member mourning for their loved one but being the "healthcare professional" is a first for me. It was awesome to see how much care was put into taking care of this person. People should be treated with respect in such fragile times. Even if that person is long gone, they are still respected and that was awesome to see. I'm also proud of the way I handled the situation. An awesome learning experience for sure. 

That's what clinical is all about. Get in there and learn!! We are students and the PCT's (patient care techs) know more than you, it's ok. Don't go in there proud assuming you know it all and don't be scared to feel overwhelmed. People around know that you aren't normally working on that floor and most people are willing to help. I strongly believe in honesty. I rather tell someone that I don't know how to do something rather than act like I do and completely make a fool out of myself. For example:  my clinical instructor asked a very simple question. Has everyone done accu-checks? Or does everyone know how to use this glucometer? I was the only with a hand lifted. I know how it's done because I've seen it before BUT I had never actually done it nor did I know how to use the one she had in hand. It's those simple things that people are embarrassed to be honest about. 

Imagine this: A patient has a glucose level of 1,000 and is going into some kind of shock. The nurse is not going to leave the patient in a situation where the patient isn't stable. The nurse sees you walk by and yells "Run and get the glucometer and check this patient's glucose level." As you are frantically running to get the glucometer you remember that you've never used it and didn't want to look incompetent with your professor so you passed up the opportunity to learn on orientation day. This patient doesn't have time to spare. Something so simple just got CRITICAL! You might think, "now that's just extreme" .... let me remind you that this is CRITICAL CARE, these things happen! Speak up if you don't know something. Clinical is not about knowing it all, it's about knowing that you know nothing and there's tons of opportunities for you to learn. Dive into each one, no matter how intimidating or overwhelming it is. You'll think of me, thank me later!

-NurseMimiii