caffeinedripstat - Tumblr blog

[caffeinedripstat]

Week Eight

Okay so I started this blog with the full intention of posting every week. For some reason I thought that was a reasonable, attainable goal. Oh boy was I wrong. When I was last here I was in week four, closing in on the end of my Fundamentals class and now I’m more than half way through my first clinical course Med-Surg 1 and also more than halfway through with my Client Assessment course. I have 2 more days of clinical left and all of these just feels like it is flying. Well... some days it feels like it’s flying and other days it feeling like it is absolutely dragging. This is arguably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life but in the end I’m pretty sure it’s going to be worth it. 

[caffeinedripstat]

I really hate to make this kind of post, but I’m having a hard time trying to save up the money I need in order to take my NCLEX, which is what I need to pass in order to get my nursing license. Before that, I need to get a livescan, which would cost me 73$ plus tax. The test itself costs costs 200$ here in California (I’m not sure if it’s the same here as it is everywhere in the US, but the general price is roughly 200.) There’s another fee of 200? Somewhere? I have to ask the school registrar because there’s just too many fees and I’m so broke, I can’t even pay for my bills. :/

So from the bottom of my heart, I ask that you please consider helping me out? Even the tiniest amount would really help. Or just spreading the word is fine. Thank you. 

Paypal:  paypal.me/Morales645 Venmo: @nancym88

[caffeinedripstat]

university is just *makes appointment* *fills water bottle* *updates google calendar* *buys shitty campus food* *answers emails* *makes another appointment* *stares at review page for thirty minutes* *laptop battery dies* *eats all your snacks as soon as you get to the library* *more emails* *walk behind slow people*

[caffeinedripstat]

Deserted but not Alone.

It was one of those shifts. One that dragged on and on and was mostly spent with the nurses huddled together at the station, giggling over something ridiculous a patient said.  It was low-key and low drama.  Perfect for seasoned nurses; a real bore for new ones.   Our manager, a gem of a lady, came through handing out shots of expresso to boost us.

We were all laughing and having fun when my charge nurse said quietly, “ Do you think we could move this group into bed 7?”  

I looked at her surprised.

“How come?” I questioned immediately.  Her response was equally quick.

“He was just made comfort measures, they are starting morphine … and he has no family here or that’s coming.”  

We all immediately stopped lounging and got up.  Our orientees dogging our steps, we filed into the room.  All 9 of us on the floor.  We took turns murmuring our hellos or simply squeezing his hand.  He peered at us and nodded.  He had been on our unit for a few weeks and we had all, at some point, encountered him.  He was simply adorable.  His wife had severe dementia and didn’t know him anymore.  His only son was estranged.  His neighbors had already said their goodbyes.  

One of the nurses who had him the most leaned over to him and said quietly in his ear.

“Your wife is ok.  She will be taken care of…” she paused and squeezed his hand, “You’re with friends now, ok?”  

He opened his eyes and looked around glassy eyed as his oxygen levels dropped.  9 figures in blue surrounded him.  He nodded briefly and closed his blue eyes.

“My friends.” He repeated to himself over and over.

Tears clouded every eye in the room and the ones closest laid a hand on him as we watched silently as the color drifted from his cheeks.

The new nurses looked around nervously as death came into the room.  The rest of us were stoic with shimmers of tears threatening to spill over as we watched the last bit of life drain from his face.

I stepped back and discreetly surveyed the room.  All eyes were either looking down or at him.  Bittersweet smiles on their faces as they knew he was at peace.  9 nurses, side by side, grieved for this man whose family was unable to do so.   It was in that moment that I could see how lost the hospital would be without nurses, how sterile and heartless it would become.   I stood with 9 of my coworkers who work short staffed constantly and nearly half have been hit or bitten since I have worked with them.  They are degraded, ignored and yelled at by patients, families and staff… and yet they are the most humane, sincere group I have ever known.

This patient died without family.

But he did not die alone.

[caffeinedripstat]

Giving Drugs

Patient: "so how does this drug work?"

Me: "uh....." *desperately trying to put biotransformation and chemoreceptors into layman's terms*

"... witchcraft."

[caffeinedripstat]

7 study tips from someone who rides the struggle bus to school everyday

Because I struggle bussed too hard to come up with a solid 10. Regardless, I made it this far, so I must have done something right(ish), or not completely wrong. 

Set the scene. Not necessarily in the Tumblr studying aesthetic kinda way. They’re definitely #deskgoals, but let me tell you, my desk never looked like any of the pictures you see here. What I mean, make your space a productive place to study for you. I preferred my study space to be separate from my sleep place, so my desk wasn’t in my bedroom. Not being locked up in a cave was important to me, so I put my desk by a window. Light a candle, Bath and Body Works got all my loan money. Get a natural sunlight lamp. Play some music, preferably without lyrics – classical, EDM, whatever keeps you focused without being distracting. Just make an optimal space for you. 

Stay hydrated (and caffeinated). I’m 100% a coffee addict, but water is so incredibly important. It helps you to not feel like shit, both physically and mentally, or look like shit #skincare.  Drink your morning coffee, but chug water throughout the day. Your mind and body will love you. I discovered flavoring packets that contained caffeine (Crystal Light, Mio, etc) at the beginning of MS2, and let me tell you, life-changing for those mid-afternoon slumps. And all those pee breaks you have to take? Much needed and well-deserved! You don’t want a DVT from studying all day. 

Sleep! I honestly cannot stress this enough. I don’t know how I ever pulled all nighters in college and I don’t know how my friends did it in medical school. It’s important for your mental health and physical health. Studies have shown sleep enhances memory retention and you’ll study more productively. I became a “my brain doesn’t function after 10pm” person in medical school, so I went to sleep early-ish and woke up early, but if you’re a night owl, then let yourself sleep in! You’re not taking away precious study time if you’re sleeping, I promise. And for that night before the test, that extra hour of sleep is way better than staying up an extra hour to read your notes one more time, I pinky promise. 

Move, stretch, dance, anything not hunched over a desk. Sitting for 12 hours straight is simply not sustainable. Take a couple minute break every hour to give your brain a rest. A lot of people use the Pomodoro technique with success but I never got into it. I downloaded the Forest app and timed myself for an hour, then took a 5-10 minute break between study sessions. You’ll feel refreshed and rejuvenated for another round of studying! 

Repetition, repetition, repetition. Repetition is key when it comes to learning and memorizing. Figure out your best way of learning and stick with it. Whether it be reading, re-writing notes, listening or watching lectures, recording yourself reading the notes, flashcards, etc. Find it and stick with it. Repeat it until you can do it in your sleep. I would literally wake up sometimes reciting notes in my head and I it was annoying, but it meant I had studied effectively. 

Questions. Always reinforce your knowledge with questions. You can memorize every page of a textbook but it doesn’t mean much unless you can apply it. And the more questions you do, the faster you get at test-taking, which is key once you get into 8 hour board exams. But I digress. Take practice tests, buy review books, invest in question banks. Some professors provide old exam questions for review. Do as many as you can. And if explanations are provided, read them! They’re just as much of a learning tool as any other resource! As I reviewed the questions, I’d take notes, simple one-liner facts, for review later. 

One pagers. This one may not be for everyone, but they came in clutch for me. My study method was a combination of re-writing notes and reciting things out loud as if I’m teaching it to a class. I talk to myself a lot. The more comfortable I got with the material, the more I condensed my notes until I had whole lectures or topics down to one page. This page would contain things that I thought were super important that I needed to make sure I knew, or those pesky facts that would not commit themselves to my memory. Because I’m a firm believe in not re-reading something you know you already know. This also held me accountable to always be actively studying. Then I would review these pages the day before and the morning of exams. 

Above all else, remember to trust yourself. Don’t panic. You put in the time and work, you will do great. If you have anxiety issues, don’t be afraid to seek help so you can learn how to get your anxiety under control because school is hard enough without that added obstacle. 

Study, take that test, go home and pass out, then melt into the couch and watch Netflix for the rest of the day. You deserve it. 

[caffeinedripstat]

Ignoring, or don’t even understand.

[caffeinedripstat]

[caffeinedripstat]

Current view

[caffeinedripstat]

My favorite so far.

Go fuck yourself, Maureen.

[caffeinedripstat]

reblog this if you’re a university level studyblr

most of the ones i follow are high school level and i need more people my own age/education level!

[caffeinedripstat]

Hi I need more nurblrs to follow

like or reblog or make yourselves known!! I need nurses on my dashboard!!!!

[caffeinedripstat]

A typical night for me looks like this. My planner spread out, two or three extra notebooks and notepads opened, a motivational book aside for reading breaks and/or references, my laptop, tons of pens, stickers, and my handy-dandy white-out. 

My life can get a little hectic at times and I’ve found writing in my planner and noting down little things in my notepad is somewhat therapeutic. There’s something about getting my thoughts down on pages that help provide some sort of stress relief. 

After a long day of school and/or work, seeing a visual for the rest of my week gives me a little more grip on whatever’s next on the agenda; it definitely helps me organize my thoughts. 

In what way do you unwind?

[caffeinedripstat]

This could potentially be deadly while the headline almost makes it out to be an inspirational feel good story

[caffeinedripstat]

this just cruel 

[caffeinedripstat]

[caffeinedripstat]

Only a matter of time before this is printed on a shirt