46 days

So, unlike many of my classmates, friends and counterparts who did this, oh say, 2 years ago I finally counted how many days I have until I officially graduate from nursing school: 46 DAYS! I can't believe it! Time is flying by so fast! I remember thinking to myself as winter break drew to a close, "Well, Rach, you are done but you aren't. You have tests and case studies, a trip to Grenada..." Well, the case studies, the exams, the papers and Grenada have come and gone and the Spring is upon us! My heart leaps at the sight of those tiny, newborn buds in the dirt.

Although it is still chilly out, and supposedly more snow is on the horizon (sigh) that smell of spring is in the air. The memories of clinicals past whirl round and round in my head, reflecting on the challenges I have overcome in my 3 years here at Regis. And here I am, sitting at the desk in Health Services as I do each and every Wednesday, and I remember the short 6 months ago when I couldn't tell you anything.

September:
Cindy: "How did his throat look, Rachel?"
Rachel: "Uhh.. I mean, it was... it wasn't pink but it wasn't red. But you know, it had some bumps but I don't know if those are normal. And yeah... but I don't know."

March:
Cindy: "How did his throat look, Rachel?"
Rachel: "Mildly erythemic, no exudates. Tonsils were 2+ bilaterally. Based on his associated symptoms and his throat, I am going to rapid strep him but I expect it to be negative."

Yeah, yeah Dr. House, eat your heart out!

The most amazing thing about nursing is that (sorry folks) YOU NEVER STOP LEARNING! Every single day, every single patient teaches you something new about assessment, diagnosis, management...every single moment is a learning opportunity. And I have found that if I approach each and every day and opportunity and patient in this manner, I get the most out of my experiences. I guess that is the case with life: if you approach it as an open book, you get one well written novel.

As of today I have completed 529 clinical hours!! 536 by the end of today, and that will leave a mere 64 between me and my Master's! A couple of case studies, one paper here one paper there and a final exam and it's time to run off in to the sunset.

Well, until I do, I have patients to see and new things to learn. Have a wonderful Easter, Passover or whatever else the weeks ahead have to offer!

Until next week!

Rachel

Life post Grenada

Well, after a crazy/busy/enlightening/fulfilling/chaotic/hot/bug-bitten 10 days on the lovely island of Grenada, I return to Regis College and pick up right where I left off except for one big difference....

I graduate in 7 weeks!

Today I am on campus for 2 classes, and then am done for the week, though I normally have clinical on Fridays I don't this week. Things are pretty status quo on the school front: case studies to write, clinical hours to do. But as each day goes by, I can't help but feel an immense sense of pride in all that I have accomplished here! As my time at Regis starts winding down, it really starts to hit you how much you have learned, how much you have changed, and how much you have grown! As undergraduate nursing majors walk into Health Services while I'm precepting, and they tell me of the trials and tribulations of 6am clinicals and crazy exams, I reflect on my own early mornings, walking in the snow to the bus stop to catch the bus to Mt. Auburn to be there by 7 to review my patients to start vitals.......... and so on!

Or the nights I was so tired I'd find myself waking up to a page stuck to my face, ink imprinted on my cheek.
Or the days I had no time to eat so I'd make myself a gourmet mishmash of pop tart ala cheeto. I highly recommend it :)
When I speak at information sessions, I see the excitement and fire in Regis's future nurse practitioner students, who ask me what advice I have for their success. "Should I work? How do you pay for it? What is a week in the life like?" It seems like just yesterday I was the one posing such questions!

Grenada only emphasized for me how much I have learned, and more, how much I truly take for granted. From seeing a hospital there, I will never again take for granted a shiny clean hospital floor, a disposible speculum or a pair of gloves that fit. Along our journeys in Grenada, we repeatedly were told how much our work and help meant to the people there. Yet the funny thing was, I felt as though I did not much at all! Here in the US, if we find a breast mass, we refer the patient for a mammogram. In Grenada, if we found a breast lump, we could only refer the woman to her doctor, who would then determine what to do next. No screening mammograms. A huge lack of many major medications. A huge amount of people without jobs, accessible health care, or even a roof over their head. Yet they are so grateful! It really is those moments when you remember what nursing is about: making the most of nothing. Giving from the heart, not always the wallet.

Well folks, it's off to class I go! Tonight we are learning about strokes, anticoagulation therapy and atrial fibrillation. :)      

As promised!

Well ladies and gents, as you prepare for ANOTHER snow storm, I write you from sunny, breezy Grenada where the local time is 7:57pm. We have been having an amazing time here. For those of you who aren't sure what I am talking about, myself and 5 other NP students, along with one faculty member, are in Grenada, an island in the West Indies located near a few hundred miles from the coast of Venezuela. We arrived Friday evening and have been BUSY BUSY ever since!

On Saturday morning, we went to Mt. Gay Psychiatric Hospital and performed breast exams on some of the female patients residing there. The women and staff were so thankful for our services and loved hearing about our lives and what it is like to live in Massachusetts! In addition, we distributed bras that you wonderful people helped to donate to the women, and they were so incredibly appreciative!

After that, we headed back to St. George's University, our home base for the duration of our experience. The school is home to a very reputable medical, veterinary and nursing school. There are students from all over the world here!

In addition to performing breast exams, we have spent 2 days precepting with Grenadian doctors. Each of us have had different experiences. I spent yesterday precepting with an amazing pediatric and adult primary care physican named Dr. Kecia Lowe. We have formed such a special friendship and I hope to see her again on her next visit to the states or my next visit to wonderful Grenada! Today, I spent a day at the Planned Parenthood League, which was a really amazing experience! Months ago, I had trouble being able to independently perform a Pap smear or do breast exams. I feel that this experience has not only opened my eyes to an amazing new culture, but also has improved my clinical skills so I can be better provider when I return home to finish my final semester!

Otherwise, we have spent a lot of time learning about Grenadian culture, including a visit to a show that demonstrated local culture and history. We also have participated in various on campus activities with both the nursing and medical school. For the rest of the week, we will have a bit of free time. However, we will be busy rest assured! We will be visiting both a nursing home and a home for the disabled, along with participating in a health fair up in the mountains on Sunday.

I am absolutely blown away by the kindness, friendliness and patience of the people here. The rule of thumb is: you must say hi to everyone you pass on the street. I guess I could get use to that!

Well, the wind is blowing and my eyelids are closing... work work work!

Until next time, stay safe in the snow and I will send some heat and sun your way!

GREETINGS FROM GRENADA!! (blog post to come)

Hi ladies and gents and happy spring break (ahhhh) to you all!

I just wanted to apologize for my recent drop off the blog world. Between a stomach bug, midterms and flying to Grenada (where I write from now) things have been a bit chaotic!!

I will post later in the week about our adventures here in the hot Caribbean! We are learning so much and I can't wait to tell you all about it. Until then.....

The dream becomes reality

So it is mid-February and time travels on. A short 2 or 3 months ago, I imagined what would be going on at this time. I figured I would be starting to prepare and get excited for my trip to Grenada (a week from Friday!). That is true. I figured I would be feeling stressed, tired and overwhelmed from the normal grind of graduate school life. That is true. I also figured I would be searching, searching, searching despirately for NP job opportunities, thinking it would be far too early to even hope for possible opportunities. Well, the searching and searching part is true, but I am happy to report that the second half of my prediction is way way wrong!

It all began last week. During the fall, I had sent my resume and cover letter to a local pain management practice inquiring about an RN position. Figuring I would hear nothing of it, life went on. Then, I received a phone call last week from the physician at this practice. But she wasn't calling me to discuss a potential RN opportunity. She was calling to discuss a nurse practitioner job opening. My heart fell into my stomach, my throat clenched with nervousness... Me?! Interested in me?

And so a week from this Tuesday I will be meeting with this doctor to learn more about the practice and their needs! Just when I thought things couldn't get more exciting, I heard from another potential employer interested in interviewing me! And while beaming with pride, I walked into the computer lab to read my email to find a health center interested in interviewing me. I do not tell you this to brag, I tell you this for a couple of reasons:

1- Dreams DO come true! If you work hard and put effort/dedication into something, you will get out what you put in
2- Don't ever think that taking the initiative and sending out your resume is a bad thing, or, that it is too early to do so. Worst case scenario, the employer will just say no, or, we don't have a need at this time.


So, while I continue to pinch myself amidst this craziness and hope for the best, I am starting to organize myself for my service trip to Grenada! This past week, my group and I raised over $1000 as part of our raffle! I am so touched by the generosity and kindness of our family and friends, along with the Regis community. I can't wait to meet the people there and feel the hot sun!

Well, I have to go start working on my case study due this week on thyroid disorders. Until next time folks, keep on keeping on and I will keep you updated on the job hunt!

Rachel & Bella

Is something wrong with this picture??

Let it snow, let it snow, let it...WOAH!

So don't worry, I am not going to be one of those cranky New Englanders who whines about the snow (sorry if you are one of them). I mean, come on people, it is Massachusetts! This is part of the fun! Truth be told, I really like it! I can't imagine living in one of those dreaded states that have nice weather all year long, warm air, ocean, palm trees... I mean, there is something to be said about earning your summer! Boston born and Boston bred- sorry folks, that's my spiel!

Anyway, like all of you, I have been staying in due to the crazy storm! Luckilly we have not lost power. I decided to get snowed in with my parents so they wouldn't have to shovel and snowblow alone- they aren't spring chickens, you know :)

So this morning we triple-attacked the driveway and boy was it exhausting! I think I snowblowed for 2 hours, and the snow was up to my thighs! The best part of the day was taking Bella out in the snow. She LOVES it! She must have been an eskimo in her past life.

In nursing land, things are status quo! I know I say it probably every post, but it is crazy to me how fast time is flying! I already have my midterm exam in 2 weeks...possibly THE last midterm exam of my LIFE! As each semester winds on and winds down, I always think how it flies but start to mentally prepare in a way for the next one. It is so strange to realize that this time around, there is no 'next one'.

I look back on my posts of insecurity, confusion and utter panic at the beginning of this year. I remember walking into patients' rooms and feeling completely clueless: clueless where to start, what to do, how to do it. It is really looking back at those times that you realize how far you have come and how much you have learned in such a short period of time! Now, I find myself going into patient's rooms alone with confident, having the ability to really listen: not only to what the patient is telling you, but what they aren't telling you. This is something they don't teach you always in school: look at the body language, the clothing, smell the air in the room. Every sense tells you something, gives you a piece of the patient puzzle.

Then, I find myself beginning to diagnose patients and do what I feel is the hardest part of all: deciding on appropriate treatment and management. You finish taking pharmacology and you think: ha! I've got this! I know all the meds, the side effects, all of it! But really, that is the easy part. Every patient is different with different goals, symptoms, histories. So even though you'd like to think that one drug fits all situations, it simply doesn't. That is where the importance of experience comes into play. And thankfully, I can honestly say that I love every single one of my placements and feel that each of my preceptors have instilled in me a sense of confidence, competence, autonomy and most importantly,value for the well being of my patients.

Well, as the wind howls and my belly growls, I bid thee adieu so I can go to sleep before I eat more (funny how snow storms stimulate the sweet tooth- hello ginger snaps, congo bars, chocolate). Until next time, be safe and stay warm! Oh, and if you are one of my fellow Regis College students, enjoy your long weekend.

Rachel

Doesn't she look like a turkey?!

The beat goes on

It's absolutely crazy that it is already February! Three months to go and I will be released into the wild, free from the grasp of Regis College, from the papers, the deadlines...but at the same time, WOW, is that petrifying. At clinical, I am seeing patients on my own: assessing, educating, deciding on appropriate treatments. But there is one thing that keeps my head afloat and my heart from beating out of my chest: I get to check in with my preceptor and get their okay and input. The thought of having that step suddenly disinegrate and me magically become an independent provider in the near future is no incredibly scary and exciting to me! I guess it makes it that much more important to not only find A job, but find the RIGHT job that provides me with guidance, support and leadership.

Clincial is going great so far, amidst my exhaustion. I am in clinical 4 days a week:

Mondays- Brockton 730a-230p
Tuesdays- Milford 100p-600p
Wednesdays- Regis Health Services 830a-400p
Fridays- Everett 900a-400p

This is not including my 3 classes, online clinical group, per diem nursing job, 20-30 page papers due each week, campus involvement, and personal life (what's that?)! People ask me how I do it. Honestly, I just DO. When you love something, you do whatever it takes to make it happen and that's just it. If you want something and you have a goal, you just do what you have got to do: no excuses!

I am continuing to learn incredible things in clinical. Every day that goes by, I imagine myself stuffing a new paper into my brain's file cabinet. I have a feeling the folders will be forever endless! Little tidbits about medication interactions, side effects...about diagnostic procedures..screenings...recommendations. Every day is a new adventure and a new lesson.

Already in the blink of an eye, it will be time for midterms and moving on towards the finish line. Until then, I'll keep on trucking!