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Adventures of a Nursing School Student: Hannah
Oh, nursing school. It’s unlike any other college degree: the “class schedule” is irregular, the tests are more intense, and the work involves actually performing some of the procedures you have discussed in class. It also means you take a stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff with you in your purse so that you can practice on your closest friends and roommates.
And I know that because I was subject to many nursing students wanting to use me as a test subject.
If you are in nursing school, or you remember those days, stories in this series will entertain you as real nursing students, both former and current, share their experiences and funny moments.
To start off this series, Hannah B. shares this story of her first week of clinicals:
My first day of clinicals, we were on a buddy system; my buddy and I were given the room number and patient’s name and the simple instruction to walk in and do whatever was necessary to come out with the patient’s vital signs. Sounds easy enough. Well it wasn’t. The patient’s name was ambiguous, and as we stood there at the foot of the bed in the wee hours of the morning we saw not one, but two people lying helplessly, asleep in the bed. Doubtful as to which person was the patient, we motioned to each other, silently trying to solve the problem. So, we did what any logical person would do- guess. Naturally, we guessed wrong and embarrassingly we were forced to walk to the other side of the bed after trying to take the patient’s girlfriend’s temperature. Later that week, during a second incident, a nurse would excuse me from a patient’s room after she pointed out that I was looking “horribly pale and shaky.” Obviously I threw up in a trash can immediately after- it was a rough first week of clinicals.
Has this ever happened to you? What would you have done? Do you have any similar stories?
What You Need To Survive Nursing School
Nursing school. Average college students can’t begin to understand it, unless they live with a nursing student. Then again, they probably never see their roommate and must assume that he or she lives in the library or at the clinic. A student’s time in nursing school can seem daunting to outsiders, but it is a doable process that is both challenging and rewarding.
We can’t tell you exactly what to expect. Every program has its own quirks and expectations. But we can give you some advice to help you survive the next year or two, and help you get on the path towards becoming a registered nurse!
- Go into situations with confidence. Don’t be cocky, but don’t be scared of teachers and tests and clinicals. When you begin to work with patients, your attitude will affect their experience, and if you let off that you are nervous it will only increase their anxiety.
- Know your own studying and learning style. This will help you as you prepare for tests. If you learn best by writing, don’t spend all your time trying to just read through the text book - get a pen and some paper out!
- Invest in a good highlighter for studying purposes.
- Find other classmates whom you get along with well and exchange phone numbers. Make a habit of studying with other people: there is so much information that it will help to hear others’ opinions and takeaways from your classes. You can also use each other as a support group when you first start changing bedpans and putting in catheters, since non-nursing students probably won’t understand why you are pursuing this career.
- Buy coffee. The night before a test, you’re going to need it.
- Make sure you have a comfortable pillow. Clinical days will feel long and most start early; you don’t want to be groggy in the morning because you couldn’t sleep the night before.
- Formulate a plan for how you can relax! After you take a test, take a break to read for fun, or work on craft projects, or have a bunch of non-nursing friends over for dinner. Do whatever you can to give your mind and body a break from the routine, and don’t let every weekend be filled with books and notes.
- Persevere! You might have to sacrifice the stereotypical “college life” for a couple of years, but in the end you will leave school with a degree that is always going to be needed in our world.
photo courtesy of Business Law Alert
Mystery Diagnosis
One of the best medical shows currently on television is called Mystery Diagnosis. Each episode takes you through two patients’ journeys to find out what is wrong with them. You easily get wrapped into their stories through their extensive interviews that typically include their family and friends.
With out of the ordinary symptoms, people on this show usually have rare diseases. But that makes you wonder if you could ever get it, too- or even somebody you know.
Personally, I tell myself that i’m watching them so if I ever am in their position (or anybody that I know is in their position), I will know what the diagnosis could possibly be. I mean, I also am completely intrigued by rare diseases, but this show is great all around. It’s so fascinating because these people go through years of their lives completely blind to what could be the source of the problem to their weird symptoms.
The patients go through multiple doctors that never figure out what the real problem is for entirely too long. But the patient and people close to them never stop trying to find out. These are 100% real stories, mind you. And eventually comes a doctor who really gets down to business and figures out the problem.
You always learn long worded, weird sounding, rare diseases and all about them by the end of the show. It’s crazy that people are out there right now having no clue what’s wrong with them but they’re struggling everyday with strange symptoms that could potentially end their lives.
This touching, real, personal roller coaster of a show is a perfect show to expand your knowledge to different diseases and it shows you what real people have gone through with their rare diseases.
Positive Things About Night Shifts
Many times, night shifts are given to nurses fresh out of school or those new to a hospital. It can be looked at as a negative thing, but don’t think it’s all bad! There can be some definite positive perspectives to be gained from working the night shift.
For example, the night staff is often smaller, so you can have a greater camaraderie with the other staff. You will be able to get to know other nurses and doctors, and if you are new to the professional field this will be a good learning opportunity.
It is recommended that adults get 8-9 hours of sleep each, but some people don’t need as much sleep to stay healthy and alert. If you are one of these people, the night shift might be made just for you! It will give you flexibility in your day schedule after you have caught up on your rest.
A night shift is more slowly-paced and offers independence in necessary courses of action. You often get to make decisions based on your own judgement, and this can be not only freeing for you, but it can also allow you to use this experience when applying for other jobs. The fact that you are confident in your knowledge and your abilities is appealing as a medical professional. Night shifts provide you with greater learning opportunities.
And, sometimes, the night shift pays more. Which is never a bad thing.
TV Shows About… Dentists?
We all know about the craze of medical shows on television. They are dramatic, often inaccurate, and people love them.
Why aren’t there any shows about dentists, though? Think of all of the dramatic scenarios that could happen if a TV show were to take place in a dentist’s office:
- Romance between the male dentist and a female dental hygienist. Things could get really tense if two hygienists were after the same dentist. Or, roles could even be switched for a slightly more scandalous approach: the male hygienist pursuing the female dentist in order to advance his career.
- A little girl comes in with a bunch of missing teeth. It’s suspected that she has been abused, which has knocked her teeth out - except it’s actually just because her adult teeth haven’t grown in yet. Of course, in the previews it would be a huge dramatic build up until the truth is revealed in the last three minutes after your emotions have been going wild the whole time.
- Laughing gas gone wrong. Let your imaginations wander from there.
- A woman comes in with a bloody mouth and chipped teeth because her boyfriend hid an engagement ring in her cupcake and she bit into it.
- An allergic reaction to the toothpaste used in a regular teeth cleaning.
What else could be seen on a dental television show? Does anything extreme ever happen at your office?
photo courtesy of Learn That
Foods To Fight Mid-Shift Fatigue
It’s 3:12 p.m. You have over three and a half more hours left in your shift, and that afternoon post-lunch fatigue is hitting you - hard. You don’t want to be nodding off as you make your rounds or fill out reports. How can you prevent this in the future? What could you have eaten for breakfast and lunch to prevent this?
Most people choose to go to coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up. That might work for a little bit, but as soon as the caffeine wears off you will crash again. Instead of getting a sugar rush or a caffeine boost, try to fill your diet with these energizing foods that will help keep you from being fatigued later in the day.
- Water. Dehydration can lead to a lack of energy, plus water is just plain good for you. Two-thirds of your body is made up of water, so it’s important to always be replenishing yourself. Plus, it can kick start your metabolism, which is always a good thing!
- Oatmeal and whole grains. Your body can process these foods quickly, which takes less energy, and there is no sugar crash. Also, whole grains are full of many vitamins and nutrients.
- Nuts and seeds. The magnesium helps fight muscle fatigue, and the unsaturated fats are healthy for your heart.
- Beans. High in fiber, low in fat, these little legumes can be added to your breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack. The protein and high fiber will help balance your blood sugar and prevent drops, and the iron value will increase energy and oxygen distribution in your body.
- Lean proteins. Hamburgers and other more fatty meats take longer for your body to digest, therefore requiring more energy. Replace your red meat with leaner meats so you can utilize that energy during your work hours.
Welcome to the ScrubShopper Blog!
We know every medical professional is different.
Some work days, some work nights.
Some work in a hospital, some work in a small clinic.
Some focus on teeth, and some focus on feet.
Some have been in their field for 20 years, and some for five months.
Some deal with the elderly, some deal with babies.
And some deal with people of all ages.
But whatever your job description, whatever your experience, we hope you’ll find what you’re looking for here. When you need a funny story to brighten your day, we’ll have it. When you are looking for quick tips to implement throughout your undoubtedly busy work day, let us help. When you want to know what is going on in the medical world outside of your own practice, that’s where we come in.
And when you want to discuss issues with other medical professionals, we’d like to help. After all, no matter what the job title, there is one commonality between you: you all wear scrubs.
