Fall Break

Last weekend was Fall Break. Here are some pictures from Larriland Farm in MD. We went Pumpkin and Apple picking!

I'm so glad Karen, Kara and Joshy came down to MD for the weekend! We had so much fun!

I am so thankful I was able to go home and see the fam. I can't wait for Thanksgiving Break in a couple of weeks!

21st Bday!

My 21st Birthday was amazing! Thank you all for making my day SO special!!

After Med-Surg Chels and I went to Moe's a mexican restaurant.

My parents sent me 21 beautiful roses and an AMAZING birthday cake! My favorite part about the cake is that the stethoscope is orange, just like mine! Dad and Mom thank you so much for making my day so amazing. Thank you for all that you do for me! I am so blessed to have you guys as parents! I love you both!

Jordan and I waiting to go eat at Outback!

She is amazing! :]

I love my gift from Chelsea!

Jordan and I love sock monkeys, so she got me these sock monkey slippers! I absolutely love them!!

Some pretty fabulous people! Thank you all for coming, it made my day! I'm so thankful each and every one of my friends. I am blessed!

Bruits & Thrills/ Special Needs School

This Friday on the PCU, my original patient was discharged before I got up to the floor. (It is very common on the PCU floor and I guess that is a good thing!) I was able to take care of a patient that had kidney disease and was on dialysis. This patient also had a catheterization to put stents into the heart. Upon assessment of the patient's pulses, I felt a really strong pulse coming from the right arm that was very different from the left arm (you assess pulses on both extremities for similarities and they should have the same rhythm). When I was assessing the radial pulse (on the lower part of the arm) it was beating so fast and strong. It was like electrical I kept saying. I went to the nurse and told her about it and she said that that patient might just have a really strong pulse. Finally when I was charting on the computers I saw that the patient was positive for a bruit and positive for a thrill. A bruit is a sound you hear using the bell (smaller side) of the stethoscope and you will hear a "shh" sound and a thrill is what you palpate. The reason this patient had this was because of the AV (arteriovenous) fistula (used for his hemodialysis). What I was hearing and feeling was the blood from the arteries going into the veins. It was AWESOME. I have never felt anything like it before. It was the highlight of my night.

Also, this Monday I had clinical at a special needs school. A group of 6 nursing students were able to assist special needs teachers for the day. I was able to help out with the middle school aged children. The classroom I was in had about 6 children, all who have different needs. Many were autistic and the child that I followed throughout the day had seizures. This clinical was definitely worthwhile.

As for my pharmacology and med- surg test I did well. Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement! It means so much to me!

Pharmacology

My first Pharmacology test is this coming Thursday. It will be on Antibiotics. I've been studying all weekend. I never knew there were so many different drugs, it is amazing! Yesterday I went to a study group for pharm and one of the Seniors in the program hosted it at her apt. It was such a blessing and SO helpful! Here are just a few of my notecards.

I still need to continue studying this week. It is a lot of memorization. Prayers are appreciated. :]