Nursing School Semester 2 : Week 3

Still in a bit of a haze but finally starting to find a routine! Also, Thank God for 5 day weekends!

• I'm done getting vaccines and finally cleared to start clinical. This has been such a headache. It also doesn't help that I'm tired of being poked and bandaged.
• I think it's just nursing school that makes it difficult for me to focus. When I'm free to do whatever I want with no deadlines my head is clear.
• Finally back in the gym! I can't tell if I was just excited to move my body after sitting for 8 hours or really hyper. Either way, going to the gym helps me focus and is the highlight of my long days on campus.

•  My first major exam is next week. Ask me if I feel like I've learned anything. One of the hardest parts of nursing school is adapting to a variety of teaching styles. Even if you have the same professor for a different class they may teach one class totally different from another. 
• First official week of clinical! Trying to get my body to adjust to school mode again - Not setting an alarm is a luxury, for sure! Also, having more responsibility is kinda weird. I've worked as a tech and an extern with no issue but actually having to conduct a physical assessment, give medications and perform procedures is...interesting. I will say that I had my first rejection this week! I introduced myself as "your student nurse providing care today," and the patient said "Nope, I don't want a student," so I didn't get to pass any medications to her. Better luck next week. 
• Call me weird but 6 and 9 hours shifts seem to drag by more than 12.5 - 13-hour shifts.

After my first Med-Surg clinical!

• That moment when you realize you're getting kicked off the insurance this year and need to schedule routine Doctor's appointments ASAP + maybe get a full-time job... because benefits. This realization came one day while driving and thinking "oh wow, this is really blurry. I should probably get an eye exam, it's only been 2 years."

• I'm back to thinking I want a second job. As weird as it sounds, staying busy motivates me and obviously makes the time pass faster. When I have too much free time I forget to do things. 
• Meal prep parties - we're making them a thing this semester. Forreal. Either that or I'm getting Wingstop to sponsor me. I went to clinical without eating breakfast and felt like I was going to pass out for the first portion. Thank God for Chick Fil A!

• Podcasts and "The Office" have been my jam lately. Something to decompress on the drives to school, days we finish up early and for study breaks.  We need more shows that have < 30  minutes episodes.

• New favorite app -Flora. It plants a  fake tree with a time limit. The goal is to keep you off of social media and the internet. If you click out of the app it kills the tree. Who wants to kill the trees? The more you do it the more trees it plants until you have a little forest.
• Cool moment - My Med-Surg clinical professor took us on a "secret" tour of the hospital. The hospital where we have clinical is our old nursing school. We got to see the old dorms and classrooms. We even walked through a creepy tunnel that was built in an effort to prevent the nursing students from getting kidnapped. #history

•  FINALLY got a laptop. That's the main reason I haven't been consistent with blog posts, youtube videos or anything really. It's crazy how much you "need" a computer to survive, especially in nursing school. I'm hoping this lasts me through my next degree (final degree).

Another chill week. The semester hasn't quite picked up steam but it's crazy to think that there are only 13 more weeks remaining in the semester. 

Looking forward to next week!