Human Pin Cushion

As part of my new job at the hospital I had to go and get some vaccine boosters and some routine tests and lab work done. I patiently waited my turn to go in and visit with the occupational health nurse. My turn came and I met with the nurse. She looked over my paper work and decided I would need a tetanus booster and a TB test. So away she went and gave me the TB test and tetanus booster. No problem, hardly felt them.

Needle Tally: 2

She then wrote up the form for me to bring to the hospital lab to get my other vaccine levels checked to make sure I am immune still. Again I patiently waited my turn at the lab to get my blood drawn.

I was approached by a nervous looking guy who called my name and asked me to follow him. When I got into the chair to have my blood drawn he stated that he was a BCIT lab tech student and asked if it would be ok if he did my blood tests. Being a student myself I felt for the guy and told him sure he could take my blood! :) No worries right!?!

He started by palpating my arm to find a good vein. He appeared to have found one and proceeded to put the elastic tourniquet EXTREMELY tightly around my arm and began to get his supplies in order. Then there was more palpation and some nervous laughter from him and then he says "I think I found your vein but if I miss it's gonna hurt." Oh....ummmm yah...what am I supposed to say to that!?! I told him well then be sure you have a vein before you start, in the sweetest voice I could muster. I don't mind needles really but I am not keen on being poked a million times and have him not hit a vein.

By now, my hand is totally white and tingly and cold because I still have the tourniquet on my arm and he is STILL palpating. It has been a few minutes and his supervisor lab tech came over to see how things were going. She reassured him that he was doing fine and palpated my vein as well and said he should go ahead. So he did...."small poke here Stacey....uhhhh...hmmm let me just move the needle a bit.....ok no blood." Now the poor guy is sweating and his hand is shaking. Yes the needle is still in my arm...kinda hurts. So he digs a bit and then gets frustrated and pulls the needle out.

Needle Tally: 3

He looks at me sheepishly and asks if he can try it again. For some crazy reason I agree. So repeat all of the above palpating etc and in he goes again. This poke hurt a bit more but whatever...he looked confident...Hmmmm...I still don't see any blood entering the specimen tubes. Crap! Ok lab guy looks even more nervous and he jiggles the needle around in my arm hoping to find the vein again. STILL NO BLOOD!! He removes the needle.

Needle Tally: 4

Ok, "Can I maybe try the other arm, I am sure that will be better." Again, stupid me says sure...I am a student and I feel for the guy especially with his supervisor standing over him. The guy is now really sweating and his hand is shaking as he preps my left arm and applies the crazy tight tourniquet and palpates yet again. "I can totally feel a big juicy vein on this side!" says lab guy. Ummm great I say, then away we go. Poke......nothing....nothing...no blood.....nothing....yup, he is still digging...ok crap he still can't get any blood. He pulls out the needle AGAIN!!

Needle Tally: 5

I look at him with understanding in my eyes, and maybe a tear because now both arms are killing me and rather bruised and I say..."Maybe she should do this next one" pointing to his supervisor. He agrees and away we go again with the supervisor palpating. She pokes me with confidence and PRAISE THE LORD THERE WAS BLOOD!!! She filled up her two vials and band-aided both my arms up and apologized for the amount of pokes. No worries I told her....I hardly felt them....*cough* *cough* (I lied). Then I turned to the lab tech student guy and told him not to get too down, that I hardly felt his pokes (another lie) and he just needs more practice!

Needle Tally: 6

Yup, I am sooo done with getting needles for this week!! Keep them needles away from me!

Studying

So because I am a champion procrastinator and my lovely friend Darla is one as well, she has been emailing me photo's of herself studying today and I have been reciprocating. I mean what else are we gonna do when we are supposedly studying for our last final exam tomorrow!! :) So Darla thought I should share my pics with everyone and put them on my blog, I agreed but told her she was going down with me. Here we are in all our studying splendor, looking oh so beautiful!!








Ok, no more procrastinating, I must study!!

No, really I am going to study hard now...well.... at least try to study hard

....hmmm I am kinda thirsty, and maybe I should throw in a load of laundry while I am at it! :)

Yikes! I need an intervention!

Feeling Giddy

Gonna have to put me in one of these to get me back into the psych ward!!


They day has arrived. 6 weeks I have been praying for this day to come. The final day of my psych rotation. Sigh...this is the day.

Even though I had to get up at the crack of dawn to get to the ward on time I had a little spring in my step knowing that this was the last time I would ever have to get up this early to go to psychiatry!!! The day was rather boring and I was sure my instructor would keep us until the bitter end of 3:30...yet at 1:20 something amazing happened.....

He let us leave!! Yes, thats right, 2 whole glorious hours early!

As I walked back to my car with my good friend Kim, I felt like skipping and shouting aloud in praise that I had made it through 6 weeks of psych, hating every moment.

But folks, it is over. I made it through the worst rotation of my nursing school career, and I am only slightly crazy myself and have a few minor dents. :)

You will not see me back on that ward unless I am wearing that strait jacket and being drugged and thrown into seclusion kicking and screaming, otherwise, audios psychiatry!!!

Scrubs: My Musical

I have nothing interesting to say right now but feel the need to post....once again another Scrubs clip. I like the drug references in this one. They hit home for me! :)
To all my friends...we are best friends like amoxicillin and clavulanic acid.

Enjoy!

Scrubs - How Interns Get-By

It was time for another Scrubs clip. I hope you all enjoy.

This could also be called how nursing students get buy. Although I have never stolen anything from the hospital, I do have some antibacterial hand gel from my home care rotation that I "forgot" to give back...ooops!

New Things

Well it has been a while since my last post. Life has been busy as per usual. But things are beginning to slow down a bit as the semester winds down. Phew...I can almost breath. Anyways, I have two days off this week, today and tomorrow and I plan to use them well. I spent time today sleeping and reading and just relaxing. Then this afternoon I met up with my lovely girl Darla and we went to the mall to do some shopping. I recently received a nice tax return and my yearly Wal-Mart bonus check so I had some money that I could spend. Because I am a student, I seldom have any money to spend, even if I wanted to so this was a change for me.

People who know me know that I am very frugal with my money and this became painfully obvious when I entered the mall and realized that I had not been there since December, when I was Christmas shopping. There were so many new stores that I had never heard of. Amazing. Whole new world. So I told Darla that my mission was to get a new purse as the one that I am currently using is falling to bits, literally. I am not sure why the strap has not broken all the way off yet. I have a hard time spending money on myself. As well I really wanted to get a pair of practical yet cute black shoes with a tiny, and I repeat tiny heel, as I am a horrible high heel shoe walker. I tend to fall, or walk like I am inebriated. So that was the mission.

Boy oh boy did I do well!! :) I had to splurge a bit on the shoes but they are awesome and I love them to bits and they are good quality. But I got my purse for less than $15! It's very cute as well. For once in my life I feel like I am trendy...sort of! :) This is a first for me. I have never really been fashion forward, I just wear whatever I want if it's comfy. Well the shoes are comfy but oh so cute and the purse if practical and cute and was such a good price.

We ended our evening attending a very lively and spirited church service and it was awesome! Totally refreshing and renewing to spend time praising God with fantastic praise music in a lively and spiritual environment. The perfect end to a perfect day. Ahhhh....I feel refreshed!



The new purse. There isn't a picture of the old one because Darla made me throw it away at the mall!!
New Shoes!!!!
Note the cute gather thing
And a tiny heel. I can walk in them and I don't look drunk!!