Its still October...

This month seems to be flying by fairly quickly. I've been busy, still in orientation to the units that I am going to be working on. Its my third week in orientation and I am feeling fairly confident and comfortable working on the units.
My patients are great, they keep me fairly amused and I have gotten several positive comments from my patients. One room appreciated my cheery smile and my upbeat attitude. Another one appreciated the fact that I did my job no matter how gross things were...in regards to poop...LOL...Another one said how nice it was to have such a pleasant young nurse caring for them. I haven't had any negative feedback no matter how difficult the job gets or how much pain the patients are in. I hope I won't get any negative comments but I am fairly new at this.
Anyways I only have two days of orientation left and then they are setting me free which is good, I am looking forward to working on my own and not following someone around anymore. It will be good to be independent.

October already...

So obviously I am good at neglecting my blog, it seems like something I am just not that good at keeping tabs on. I cannot believe my last blogging was in august and it's already october. The leaves are falling off the trees, its starting to get cold out in the evenings. Fall is starting to show itself outside.

So this is a picture of a J-tube. I've been orientating at the hospital and it seems like all my patients have these tubes in them. Ok so there's only a few of them, but still it seems like all I've been this week is working with tube feeds. They're pretty cool to work with actually, and you get to push medications through them too which is alright. They aren't as difficult as I remember them being when I was a nursing student.

The IV lines and hanging IV medications. I only had one patient with an IV, and the meds came up pre-mixed. So little to nothing for me to do with that. But it's a learning experience since I didn't get much IV training in clinicals as a nursing student.

So much to learn and see. Orientation is fun but I can hardly wait to be on my own without a shadow, though I've had pretty cool nurses to work with so far that have made my orientation good. So it's the weekend, a small break before more orientation next week...let the fun continue...hopefully.

Its been awhile!

So its been awhile...again. At least I've made an effort to blog more often and failed again miserably at it. But it's been a busy few weeks of enjoying the summer. I've been able to have a few movie marathons which included House, Gossip Girl and ER. I've painted a few new pieces of art, which actually turned out really good. I've spent quality time with my friends, I took a day trip to calgary more than once and I dusted off my golf clubs too. They were covered in spiderwebs and I even managed to get a few good days in at the driving range. I haven't golfed in a year and my attempts to prove I still knew how to hold a club and whack the ball proved to be a very daunting task.

But at least I golfed when there were new learners at the driving range and did not feel so out of place with my lack of skill and lost talent. I almost got hit a few times by a guy who was golfing next to me during my first session at the driving range. He wasn't so good at getting the balls far as he was hitting them straight up into the air coming over the divider and almost landing on my head. Golf is a lazy man sport, so I don't understand why some people find it so difficult to play.

Lazying around has been nice but I think it's time to direct my energy elsewhere before I go completely stir crazy. As much as I love summer and all that comes with it, it's time for summer to leave. Let it snow!!!!

Its been pointed out...

That I haven't updated my blog in awhile and ofcourse visiting my own blog today, I realized just that. It's probably because I am way to busy enjoying summer. Between swim lessons, bubble blowing, and side walk chalk there isn't much time left.
So to appease all the people who pointed out that I have disappeared from the blogging world and from existence via email, facebook or whatever...look here I am!
This might be a boring entry though since I don't have much to say. Infact it may just end right here until I have something more to share with everyone. I will post again and sooner than last time. I do promise that I am alive and I am here still, I haven't forgotten about you just yet.

It was a dreary day in London Town

The way to find out about your happiness is to keep your mind on those moments when you feel most happy, when you really are happy- not excited, not just thrilled, but deeply happy. This requires a bit of self-analysis. What is it that makes you happy? Stay with it, no matter what people tell you. This is what I call "following your bliss." --Joseph Campbell--

My blog title probably contradicts happiness but can you be happy when it dark and dreary outside? The weather out lately has been swirling wind, tornado warnings (almost), funnel clouds looming above us. It gets hot, then it rains and hails and is miserable outside where you can only sit at the window and stare outside in hopes that the storm will last a matter of minutes. (like the usually do).

So are you happy? Do you know what happiness really is? Has happiness found you lately?
This is just one of my ponderings for the day since my blog is titled ponderings and perceptions.

Tagged

So Mick tagged me.

The idea is to share six unimportant things about myself and then to tag six other people to do the same thing.
Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your entry

So, 6 unimportant things about my life:
1. I drive a black car
2. I live in a house
3. I love green tea
4. Spring is my favorite time of year but I am quite of sick of the rain we're getting.
5. I could survive on a deserted island and be resourceful
6. Other cultures are quite fascinating to me

I tag Adrienne, Garth, Sonya, Ashley, Jeremia, and anyone else who really feels like wasting five minutes of their lives.

Did you miss me?

So it's been awhile ( a month) and my blog is yet again neglected. I think I just haven't had anything to write about. That or I am too busy to write anything. I cannot really say what is exciting in my life at the moment either, it doesn't seem like there is too much going on that out is of the normal for me.
So I guess for now I will leave my blog this way until I have something creative or intelligent to say at least.

A slideshow of Hula Hannah's Island tour.

This is the rental car, I considered allowing her to ride on top of the car but it was quite windy that day and I didn't want to damage the paint on the car.

Our first stop along the road that winds down all the ocean. What a view.
This is Hula Hannah riding in the car...no dashboard riding for her.
We made a stop at a very mountainous region...actually it was the wall in the bathroom...(haha)
China Man Hat, a prominent landmark off the coast of Oahu. Can you see how it got it's name?
We were off to the famous Kualoa Ranch. A very interesting place if you have time to stop and spend there. You can ride horses, go on ATV's, take a jungle ride, a boat ride and my favorite the movie tour of the ranch.

Pearl Harbor was partially filmed in the bunker behind the sign.
Remember this log? It was in the movie Jurassic park.
Close up shot.
Here we are at the mormon temple in Hawaii. Hula Hannah had never seen it before.
The North Shore....no waves and very few sea shells to collect...(haha)

Having a Pineapple float at the Dole Factory. It was really tasty.
Hula Hannah wanted to pose with the pineapple. There were too many to choose from so we found this rather small one and she was happy.
She wanted to go swimming with the carp but I couldn't let her....they were quite hungry vicious little fish.
Taking a rest in the shade.
That is the Royal Hawaiian hotel, our next door neighbor here on the beach. Yes it is a PINK hotel.

That concludes the tour of the island for today.

At the beach and the boat.

We spent sometime exploring the beach. Sitting, watching the waves, the people and enjoying the scenery. In the background is diamond head volcano. Hula Hannah was wondering if we would find a live volcano yet to get our picture by, but I think we're on the wrong island for that.
Spending time by the pool is another favorite past time of Hula Hannah's, only because it is not as hot by the pool and the sun is not shining directly down onto you until about noon. So it is the perfect spot in the shade to rest and relax and the pool is nice and cold. Hula Hannah wouldn't go swimming today though.
Hula Hannah wanted to go out on a catamaran ride, so being the island adventurers that we are, we took a chance on this catamaran that parks on the beach near our hotel. The trip was enjoyable with huge swells and big splashes. Hula Hannah seemed to have fun until a fellow passanger decided to lose his lunch all over the deck. Hula Hannah thought she was going to gag but luckily made it back to shore before she lost her lunch.
Docking back to shore...she's glad to be off the catamaran.
We followed our ride with a trip to try some of the local cuisine (hehe). Let's just say it is one meal that will not be repeated on the island. (The corn on the cob though was good.)

Hula Hannah at the beach.

Hula Hannah wanted to go to the beach. Sitting, listening to the waves crash onto the beach is peaceful. She was getting restless though, so she wanted to go for a swim in the ocean.
She insisted I take a picture of her by the water. This picture was taken moments before a huge wave crashed into the beach and attempted to carry her out to sea. The rescue was quite dramatic and hula hannah was quite shaken. Hula Hannah said she would no longer be swimming in the ocean for fear that she might almost drown again.

When we returned to our beach mats, she wanted me to build her a sand structure. Having no bucket or shovel, this turned out to be a difficult task, the only structure I could build was a wall to keep the water off of our beach mats. She just sat and played her ukelele while I constructed this sand structure.
She wanted to go for a walk along the beach wearing my flip flops. I said that it was too hot to be wandering around the sun aimlessly because she refused to go walk down by the water which would have been better because that way you can at least cool off. So we did not end up going for a walk in the sand, she just ended up sitting on top of my flip flops during our stay on the beach that morning.
We did end up going for a walk later on in the day. She found another waterfall that was hidden behind the marketplace. So we took another picture with her and a waterfall.
Along our walk we found some volcanic rocks and plant life. She said her home use to be hidden amongst thick dense jungle and her and her siblings would have to walk miles across volcanic rock to fetch water and fresh fruits such as papaya, mango and banana's to eat. She spent sometime sitting on the volcanic rock reminising about when she was a young girl.
When we got back to the hotel, hula hannah helped write the blog about her day, just to make sure I didn't miss any detail.

Tune in later for the catamaran ride....

Welcome to the adventures of Hula Hannah!

First let me introduce you to my travel companion, her name is Hula Hannah. She is a minature hula girl that I found searching through one of the many bargain places across the way from my hotel. The minute I found her I knew that we would have many great adventures on the island together.
Hula Hannah has unfortunately made herself very comfortable at the hotel that I am staying at. She is a bed hog, she likes her space and likes to be tucked in at night. She never stops playing her ukelele either. There is always a noise coming from her direction....even when I am attempting sleep at night....it is starting to get old and annoying.

In the morning she likes to be out on the balcony to just sit and collect her thoughts with the wonderful view of the ocean from our hotel balcony. During this time she likes to sit and be undisturbed and play her ukelele...so I usually leave her outside for a period of time in the morning while I get ready for my day.
Hula Hannah likes to eat a large breakfast. She likes her pancakes with her hashbrown and as well the orange juice which tastes a bit like something that you find expired in the back of your refrigerator....yes the OJ is nasty. But Hula Hannah is also a huge fan of pineapple. She won't let me take a picture of her eating pineapple, but I will see if I can sneak a picture of her on a different occassion.
After breakfast we took a stroll near the shops and she found these lovely water falls with a mosaic backdrop and giant carp fish. She took photo op's and played her ukelele for money, unfortunately nobody gave her any money for her songs. I guess she really isn't that great of a ukelele player...but don't tell Hula Hannah that.
Hula Hannah wanted me to put a flower behind her ear....as all the islanders and tourists wear a hibiscus flower behind their ears. So we took a moment and took a photo of her with her new flower. It did get to heavy for her to carry, so we left it for someone else to wear.
Later on in the day, we ended up meeting with Hula Hannah's hula friend and they danced the night away and she continued to play her ukelele.

To be continued...Tune in next time for the adventure with Hula Hannah at the beach.

The way it is

So I dream of beaches, laying on the beach somewhere, looking out at the pristine blue water. Hearing the waves just crash as they hit the sand. Looking out every morning and seeing the ocean just steps away from where I was just sleeping. Building sand castles in the sand or even sand pyramids is fun too.
Somewhere that is quiet and peaceful. Where I can compose my thoughts and actually take a bit of time to relax and enjoy doing absolutely nothing. Isn't that what vacations are for? Don't get me wrong, playing the tourist is fun too and I enjoy seeing the sights and adventuring out.

As well the surfing, I do not surf but watching the surfers ride the huge massive waves and hearing the thunderous crashes as the waves hit the ocean....is there a place? Maybe in a day or two I will discover this place :)

8 days

It's going to be a long 8 days I think. I am tired, overworked and nervous. I am currently in the midst of review week and I feel like I should know everything there is to know but for some reason it feels like the information is going in, but not staying inside my head. I am especially not looking forward to the skills lab final, that is a horrifying experience. You basically regurgitate all the information you have learned all semester long from lab to an instructor...I do not do well on oral and performance exams, they are my weakness. So I've already attended 4 hours of practice labs and still do not feel like I know how to properly manage IV's or run secondary medications. But nursing school was never meant to be easy.

My other exams shouldn't be all that difficult. I usually do well on exams and find them not to difficult to do. Then next week friday, I graduate. I am not done my program until two months later, but next friday I get to walk across the stage, get my empty diploma, shake some hands and celebrate my achievement. It's a celebration of what we as students have accomplished and worked towards for the past few years. It's also kind of scary at the same time to think in two months we can work on our own in a hospital setting. We will be professionals...or so we hope.

Well for now I am just going to worry about finishing my finals, and graduating, the rest of the stress from clinical and preceptorship can wait until I am faced with that challenge.

What about the room?

So completely nauseated this afternoon after lunch, I made my way to school. I was dreading every step from my car into the building and up the hallway, up the flight of stairs and down the longest winding hall to the room......yes the room that we as students are critiqued and made a lesson of (basically)...welcome to every nursing students worst nightmare, a place called "THE SPHERE".....in this room sits a robot who is made to simulate a patient in a hospital setting. It is quite possibly the most freaky robot any person would ever see, sort of an ugly bugger. It just stares at you with these huge bug eyes, the mouth dropped open and it just blinks. Constantly blinks at you and it's voice sounds soothing and calm.(the only good thing in this situation). It cannot move its arms or legs, it just lays there with this blank expression on its face.

Anyways today was day one of my tedious task of keeping this robot alive and using my super awesome nursing skills to care for it. Let's just say you are thrown into a room with a few of your peers while the instructors hide behind a wall of two way glass, we can't see them but we know they are there. OOooooh how much I hate this room...by the way the instructors control this robot, they can make it easy, or they can make it difficult. Today was just an example of this. It was so busy. It felt like we were in there for maybe fifteen minutes but by the time we were done it had been nearly 50 minutes....time flies when your in this room.

My experiences there in the past have never been good, in fact have led to me being in tears thinking I am incompetent and dumb. I know this feeling is shared by my fellow peers. So anyways the day dragged on and the patient needless to say survived what we had to do and successfully did not die on us.....THE ROBOT LIVED!!! I guess maybe I might make a good nurse after all. Anyways as soon as our scenario is over we are rushed back to the tiny holding cell.....I mean conference room.....where are we put on pedastals and made examples of, that is quite possibly the most gut wrenching experience but when someone says something positive about you, it makes it worth it really....at least we learn by example and don't screw up in the real world....it is a safe and nurturing learning environment.

Anyways back there again tomorrow, should be interesting. We'll see, maybe tomorrow won't be as scary as today was.

back again

So it seems my quest to un-neglect my blog did not work. Things have been incredibly busy lately. I also attempted to boycott facebook but that would be like going without water...did not work!
So I finished my pediatric rotation and what a difficult rotation that was. It was just hard because the patients are so little and they're really sick too. What I liked about them was that they don't talk back to you like older patients do. And through sickness they seem to grin and bare it where as an adult cries and whines constantly to ease the pain. Children cannot express pain as adults do but seriously some adults do milk the system I think.
It was an uneventful three days, it is Tuesday and I am on my weekend because they scheduled our clinical over the weekend. Nursing school is pure torture I think because they are free to deteremine whatever schedule works best for them and not for the students who have lives and families outside of school. They just like to put us through the most stress one person can aquire.
Other than that me and my partner are doing a presentation on thursday for class on fetal alcohol syndrome. It is a very interesting topic I think. So it seems like we are just running and busy and going constantly.
Once we graduate we are graced with one week off before we start our community rotation and our preceptorship rotation which then ends us being completely done by the end of July. It should be interesting, only four more months to go.

Neglected blog

I think my blog has been neglected, facebook is absorbing to the point that I have been MIA for a few days from it and able to cope but my poor blog is facing more neglect than facebook ever has. I just find facebook tiring lately and I really don't talk to all 200 of my friends on there. So I wonder what is facebook really for then?
I just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten about my blog....but I have a midterm tomorrow so I have to study, so ultimately my blog has to be neglected for one more day.

Apparently I've been tagged.

Alright so Mick tagged me, here's how this goes:

Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five other people.

So my nearest book happened to be my 818 page Introduction to Maternity and pediatric nursing textbook...yay!
haha this is going to be fun!

"Presentation refers to the fetal part that enters the pelvis first. The cephalic presentation is most common. Any of the following four variations of cephalic presentations can occur, depending on the extent to which the fetal head is flexed:
The vertex presentation, with the fetal head fully flexed, is the most favorable cephalic variation because the smallest possible diameter of hte head enters the pelvis. It occurs in about 96% of births."

So I tag: Ashley P., Sonya, Garth, Adrienne & lastly Jeremia (though I don't think he ever looks at his blog anymore).
Those are the only 5 people linked to my blog and hopefully read it? maybe? hehe

oh yeah and Ps-Mick did you learn something about childbirth from my above exerpt? heehee

27 Today

Today I turned 27. I thought that turning 25 felt old but actually turning 27 I don't feel old. I think that when I turn 30, it may hit me that I am old but for now I will just enjoy being 27. I did have a really good birthday, spent sometime with my family which was good. We also had a cake which was a good suprise. I didn't think that I would get a cake this year but my family suprises me sometimes.

This year my birthday happens to fall during reading week which is nice, I get a holiday during my birthday....but I guess I will have to start my papers soon anyways to get them out of the way. The much dreaded clinical rotation starts next monday. 3 more rotations to go, we'll see how this one goes first.

Unwritten

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I like this song, It's called Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.

We're all kind of made of blank pages
and we don't know what is to come. Kind of like an empty book waiting to be written...

Starbucks expedition.

So we have a new starbucks here in town and I was so excited when we got it. Everyone was excited because on the southside, there is only the starbucks in the safeway and well they don't make very good coffee...(sorry if anyone I know works there.)
The new starbucks is 1 of 6 starbucks in town here. I was thrilled because they have my favorite drinks and a drive-through. I don't like to get out of my car when the temperature dips as low as it did today or on any other day for that matter.
So my first few times through the drive-through (2 times)...were actually really good experiences. I ordered my drink (venti upside-down, one shot espresso with caramel through-out, caramel machiatto.) and they got it right. The second time it was a white mocha.
Well my next few times through the drive-through (such as today...) were not thrilling experiences. I ordered white chocolate mocha's, fairly straight forward, not all that complicated to make. The first time I ordered it, it tasted like black coffee, but she did call it a white chocolate mocha, it was just very weak in the milk department. The next few times after that my venti has been half full of white chocolate mocha and the rest filled with cream....half full coffee for like $5.45? I think not!!!
So today I figured ok, it was a two time mistake and they'll get it right. So it is like freezing cold outside, luxury of the drive-through at my disposal and I get my mocha. I drive onto the road to discover the weight of the cup is a bit off, it doesn't feel heavy enough to have any coffee in it. So I take a sip, nothing but whip cream comes out, generally in the first sip, you get some coffee, but not a lot, so I take another sip, full of whip cream again.
By now I am like halfway to the north side and completely upset, so while driving 60km's an hour on an icy busy road, I take the lid off the coffee....now I know what your thinking, that I probably spilled my coffee all over the inside of my nice creamy beige car...well no actually I shoved my finger into the venti cup to discover that my finger tip reaches the coffee level. I put the lid on and am now even more upset, so I drink the few sips of coffee that are in the bottom of the cup.
I will not be returning to the luxury of a starbucks drive-through anytime soon. Instead I will trudge through the snow and the horrible wind and go to my favorite starbucks in chapters because they seem to always get my coffee made right....I may too go complain to the other starbucks and see if I can score a free coffee for the hardship of having half filled venti mocha's.

Time again for IPOD SHUFFLE

These are fun, so I figured I would do a new one that I took from someones facebook notes. Here we go:
Directions:1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU WOULD SAY?You loved me when- BDA

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?Somebody told me- The Killers

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL? Santa Monica- Theory of a deadman

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Feel it- Black eyed peas

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?Dance floor anthem- Good Charlotte

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Ghosts- Nick Lachey

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Shades of blue- Ashley angel parker

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? If I were- Hoobastank

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Storm- Lifehouse

WHAT IS 2 + 2?We believe- Red hot chili peppers

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BESTIE?21st century- Red hot chili peppers

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? The adventure- Angels and Airwaves

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Will the future blame us- Our Lady Peace

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?Nobody’s home- Avril Lavigne

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Sexy back- Justin Timberlake & timberland

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Victims of love- Good Charlotte

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Stay- Rex Goudie

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Them vs. You vs. Me- Finger Eleven

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Change your mind- The Killers

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Comatose- Skillet

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Get out alive- Three days Grace

2008..the last 15 days

Welcome to 2008...though I probably should have said that sooner...maybe...I mean after all January is half over. What is new you might be asking, well I have started back at school. Already I can tell that my classes this term will be difficult, mostly because there's the history of nursing, the ethics of nursing etc....mostly boring stuff. But we do have a maternity/pediatrics class that manage to keep my attention...most of the time.

I have been placed for clinical, though I am not thrilled about being back in long-term again, I worked so hard to get out of long-term care, it's just a really depressing atmosphere. They are short for placements because there are over 400 nursing students here. We compete for spots with the RN program and they get priority for clinical placements for whatever reason. So some of us have been shuffled back to long term care where our skills will go un-used. We also get to do a week in the SPHERE lab...with the creepy dummy I had talked about in an earlier post. It's a mortifying experience and you get nervous because people watch you...lot's of people.

But anyways since the long-term care is in a hospital like setting, hopefully, maybe something exciting will happen. I want to use my skills I am learning and unfortunately in long-term care no one has IV medications or needs sutures or staples removed or has big gashing wounds in their bodies which require dressing changes. Hence my love for the hospital and all the goryness that comes along with it. I get to do a rotation on pediatrics as well, which I wish I would have gotten my rotation on maternity because there is only one PN job on pediatrics and a grad nurse from last year just took the position, so I don't foresee it opening anytime soon.

I am really excited because they have opened a "float" position between labor and delivery and maternity. It is filled right now, but the prospects of them opening more positions for the PN's is in the future. I had decided one place I would like to work is maternity, which is why I am disappointed not getting placed there.

If I do decide to go onto get my Bachelors of Nursing I think I would want to work somewhere fast paced and intense, being a PN doesn't give you much in the fast pace category. I don't know, maybe I might work in a doctors office for now, It's something normal. I like the idea of regular hours.