I love March for many reasons. It’s the month my husband and I succumbed to the fact that being friends was not enough and became a “we”. It’s the month you wear a color you’d perhaps normally shun (unless you’re my hubby or cool friend Alyse who rock green like no other), and drink beer. March is also time for Madness. NCAA basketball. I won’t bore you with bracketology or my picks for the final four (go Blue Devils!). The games are fast and furious, the teams hungry and vying for a few seconds of stardom hoping to garner the attention of the NBA.

It’s also finals madness. It’s when the term winds down and you get a brief reprieve from the frenzy of what has been an anxiety-ridden term. I haven’t written on here in a while and it bothers me. I committed to documenting my experiences at least once a week but this term chewed me up and spit me out like the Tazmanian Devil whirring through a store of fragile collectibles, hurling pieces in it’s wake.

I’d like to say I blinked and it was over. It flew by and things like, “where did the time go?” It crawled. It was painful. It got off to a rocky start for many of us for a plethora of reasons and continued to bare it’s gnarly teeth at every turn. Good riddance. Sayonara. Bit me. I could add a few more words but I’ll keep it G rated… for now.

Our microbiology exam was half write in the answer. This instructor doesn’t want regurgitated facts from our book. In fact he barely references it. He wants what he explained in class. His words. His colloquialisms. His language. I worked two back to back 12 hours shifts Sunday and Monday and could barely keep my eyes open by the end of Monday to study a little. Tuesday my steroid injections in my hips decided they would wear off at the same time so I went in and had them both redone. Sitting in a chair was- it sucked. It sucked so bad. The day after was even worse. There were tears. It felt like ice picks were being pushed into my bursa with every step and every bend.

So I’m happy the final and the class are behind me. This was the last prerequisite to begin fall term for the nursing program, should we be accepted. In 10 days we’ll be notified whether or not we were selected to move forward in the process with an interview. Everything we’ve worked so hard for will come to a head.

I started as a CNA 2 very part time, to get some experience. I have to keep things very general here and have been thinking about how to share these experiences, firsts, and interesting situations while maintaining privacy and following strict HIPAA guidelines.

I’ve decided to explain it a little differently. We’ll start with lessons learned; patients with memory issues may take a swing at you. They may pinch, try to bite you, swear at you like a sailor- all while unaware of their actions or that it’s extreme behavior for the circumstance. It’s painful to watch. Mental health issues can have similar effects. When delivering life-changing news to a patient, some doctors are brutally unaware of how to express empathy. How to acknowledge that this change may cause anxiety, many tears, anger, frustration, and warrant explanation to help the patient process what’s happening to them. Sometimes a patient will ask you do things that are inappropriate or suggestive. Nip it right there and then. Sometimes you get the very best- most genuine patients that remind you why you are there. Why you chose a field that can be more volotile than the stock market just prior to a crash.

Firsts are scary. You want to do things right. You want nurses to trust you, to know you have their back. You want to be efficient but don’t yet possess the skills to walk and talk at the same time let alone weed through prioritizing as things are thrown at you left and right. Be flexible. Trust your instincts.

When you can’t, ask. Always ask. Seeing vocal cords and a larynx for the first time was exciting. But not so much for the person on the other end of the scope for the first time. A little reassurance goes a long way. Give your blood sugar results to the nurse waiting as soon as you have it. Say hi to the docs. Even if you don’t know them. Introduce yourself to staff even if you only see them every so often. You never know when you may see them next. A fellow CNA recommended that and thankfully it’s something I’m very comfortable with anyway.

My shifts yielded a total of nearly 13 or 14 miles over those 24 hours on the floor. Time keeps moving even when you have more to do than it will allow. I had incredible nurses working with me and for that I’m grateful. This is quite a learning curve but I wouldn’t trade it for anything really. It’s brutally physical, mentally challenging to see people in pain or struggling for whatever reason- but medicine is always in flux. It’s a living, breathing, sometimes dying thing that offers a peek at how the human body thrives and how it struggles. It’s what fascinates me.

I’ll continue to share what I’m able- within reason. Once I receive a notification regarding interviews I’ll post here as well- for good or for bad. Transparency is- it’s crucial. I want to be as honest as possible in how this process works, how it feels to be knee deep in it and how it feels to be successful or fail. Since my spring break has officially begun, I have a bracket to get to and some new music to catch up on. Cheers to 8 terms down!

You know that time when you were a kid sitting in the back of the car, asking that dreaded question, “Are we there yet?” That’s where head is at. Three more weeks and this term will be completed and behind us. I may throw a party. Stay tuned.

This past week our city got hit pretty hard with snow. While it’s not a lot compared to other parts of the country, it is for us. Supposedly this is the worst of it’s type in 50 years. For the past week campus has been closed. For a couple days it was a small blessing. We had extra days to study for an exam we all weren’t exactly feeling prepared for. A couple days turned into a week. With only a few weeks left in the term, it left us with the realization that we’d have minimal time left to study for the final. Crunch time.

One of our instructors is fairly understanding but puts up a good front of being staunch. The other however, she doesn’t care. That’s a pretty generalized statement but as a student she’s made pretty clear throughout the term- no exceptions are acceptable. So it will be interesting to see how she proceeds.

Today I begin floor orientation. I’m really nervous but also excited. It’s very part time but manageable around my classes. This week will be a bit hairy since I won’t have much study time but I’ll get a shrewd lesson in time management and pushing my brain power! Good practice for the nursing program (knocks on wood).

Speaking of nursing program- 31 days until interview notifications are sent out. I know this is short and my posts are not as frequent but I’m doing my best to keep up. Right now school and learning my job take the front seat. Once the dust settles I’ll be more present. I’ll try and post next week but it all depends on how may brain cells I have left.

Until then- have a great week everyone!