Teresa's Blog
February 1, 2010
What a sense of relief it is to know that NUR 316 is now in the past! I got to tell you for me that was a very challenging class, but now its over!! Yep, now onto senior practicum! It is hard to believe that in just a few months we will be taking the board examination and will be an officially RN. I’m so excited and freaked out and nervous at the same time- not feeling prepared- but I guess that is how a lot of new grads feel right about this time!
The month of January has gone too fast. Some of us had to take classes, other were lucky enough to have the time off! I had to take an upper division (300 or above) class to be able to meet the requirements to graduate this May. Lucky for me, I was able to find an online class which allowed me some time off to do what “normal people” do such as have more time for my family, go to the movies, stay up late and get up late, read books for fun and just simple do nothing if that is what I feel like doing! It has been a great month!! I have been taking class without a long break for about four looong, looong years!!
During Jan term I also obtained my ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) certification. That was a great class! To prepare for this class I took a half day of EKG readings and pharmacology class. Then, two days of ACLS classes with lecture and hands on practices. The final exam had two parts; a written part and a skill performance part. This was a great experience. Each student had the opportunity to role play being the code team leader and based on the scenario, assign roles to each member of the team, determine type of treatment, call for appropriate labs and medications, appropriate dosages and routes and give the medication within the right time intervals. This experience showed me the importance of working cohesively in a team setting, especially in an emergency situation; clear and respectful communication is a must.
Anyhow, now we have one week before spring term begins. For us, the May 2010 cohort this means THE LAST HOME STRETCH!! Yeah about 16 weeks!! These few months are going to be very important; working on polishing our resume, studying for the board examination and job hunting!
I can’t deny that it is a bit frightening to know that the job market is slow at the moment. I hope that from now and until we are ready to enter the workforce the job market improves!
Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he'll eat forever.
Chinese Proverb
November 30, 2009
The week of Thanksgiving is just about over and with that, the beginning of the last three crazy weeks of the semester. During these three weeks, NURS 316 students will have three exams worth 21.25% each; exams for this term are worth 85% of the total grade. In addition to the exams we still have to do two more clinical client profiles with their corresponding medication maps.
I got to tell you, NUR 316 has been the most challenging class I have taken in a very, very long time!! There is literally so much work to do that it leaves absolutely no time to spare... I barely have time to feed my children…isn’t that sad? I think back to when I was taking NURS 206. Back then, I didn’t think anything else can be more intense… and then I was introduced to NURS 316! To me the saddest thing of all is that this class is supposed to prepare me for my senior practicum in which I will be pretty much on my own taking care of my clients…that is a crazy thought because there is no way I feel prepared for such a thing!
I don’t know if I am the only one feeling this way, but I feel like since I started this journey I have been running and haven’t had time to catch my breath. Courses like NURS 311, NURS 318 and NURS 316 are contributors to the strong feeling of incompetence because I don’t believe during theses classes I have been given enough time to process the huge amounts of information or practice the necessary skills. The time allowed for these classes, to me, is by far NOT long enough!
Ok, I think that I have complained enough, so I will now share some of the things I have experienced during this course. My clinical site is at Sunnyside hospital; dialysis department which is really not a very exciting place, but it is an ok place. The nursing staff there is most welcoming and open to help. Also I had the opportunity to spend one day in the operating room (OR), which I ‘m grateful for because through this experience I was able to rule out the OR as a possible place to work…no way, the OR is not the place for me!! It was not the “blood” and “guts” that turned me off, but the absence or minimal presence of “nursing care” I saw there. Everything seemed automatic and mechanical, which I suppose is required but not essential for the situation. I didn’t see anyone going the extra mile for the sake of the patient, and that was disappointing to see!
Until next time…
A spoon does not know the taste of soup, nor a learned fool the taste of wisdom.
Welsh Proverb
October 26, 2009
For the past few weeks I have been learning about chronic illnesses and how these illnesses can disrupt the lives of not only the individual with the condition, but the entire family unit. Through creating client medical profiles I learned how to develop a nursing care plan that addresses the client’s needs as well as the entire family in a holistic manner. I felt satisfied and proud of my work because my nursing care plans had all the components needed to produce successful outcomes: it was specific, it was measurable, it was attainable, it was most relevant and it had a time frame to be evaluated. There was no doubt in my mind that my client was going to have successful outcomes!
I guess it was not until I personally found myself facing a family disruption because of the possibility of a serous illness on one of my children, that I truly understood why these thoughtfully designed nursing care plans some times don’t produce the outcomes outlined on paper.
For the last few weeks I have feared the worse, hope for the best, and prayed for strength to keep myself together. And yes, I am one of those people who are blessed with a supportive family and good friends; they have been my pillars during these times of uncertainty! I cannot imagine going through this alone, but that is exactly how a lot of our clients are…alone. How are they supposed to get through this trial times when the fear of uncertainty is beyond comprehension?
If you recall, my clinical site was at the State Prison. I simply felt heart broken for these individuals who, for the most part, were alone. And yes, I understand that they were there for a reason. However, my role as a caregiver had nothing to do with what put them there, but everything to do with caring for their health deficit. Yet, the limitations as to what can be done to provide holistic care in prisons are huge!
Bottom line, creating client profiles was a great learning experience, but personally experiencing a family disruption due to illness brought me back to what is real…the barriers that appear when fear, stress, support or the lack thereof, lack of resources, and lack of time to meet the goals made by someone who thinks they know what is best for us. It isn’t that as client we don’t want to adhere with the nursing/health plan, is just that the barriers we face are enormous and what looks good in paper doesn’t necessarily translate into reachable goals.
October 11, 2009
It must be mid-term time because I’m feeing exhausted. I feel like I haven’t moved away from my computer for days…it must be because I haven’t!! A few days ago I turned in a 10 page paper and a take-home exam which was part multiple choice and part essay questions. I worked on the exam for days. At the same time I had to turn in a 15 page “client profile.” In preparation to write these papers I had the opportunity to interview a couple of clients and perform a variety of assessments; that part was fun!
Today I have been working all day on my last “client profile.” I’m so glad this writing-intensive-class is just about over. We only have one more take-home exam and we will be done!!
But is not all good news. The fact that the term is almost over also means that my clinical part is almost over as well…that is a bummer! This clinical has been such a great experience. Last week I had so much fun as I had the opportunity to administer flu shots! I ended up given more than 100 shots to men at the prison. I was even able to go and give flu shots to the disciplinary segregation population and the death row inmates. To tell you the truth, I find it a bit humorous to give flu shots to the inmates who are waiting to be put to death…I wonder if anybody else feels the same way.
This week I will have the opportunity to go for a tour of the entire facility…it should be most interesting. I wish I could take pictures, but that is not possible. Security there is pretty tight; they would not even let me take my spoon for my soupā¹
Anyhow, I think that is safe to say that this has been the most enjoyable of all my clinical sites…and I did love being at the “mother- baby” unit!
Ok this is all for now, my fingers feel numb from all the writing I have been doing lately.
A clear conscience is a soft pillow.
German Proverb
September 21, 2009
I have so much catching up to do…
Summer break has ended! During this summer I took NUR311 and NUR 318. NUR 311 (Clinical Nursing Skills) was only threes weeks long…that was crazy. This class has so much content, which is the foundation for following terms, that it makes no sense why this class was taught in such a short period of time! I hope after talking to the instructors there would a consideration to give NUR 311 the amount of time I think it deserves.
I took this NUR 318 (Maternal and Child Care) the second part of the summer and I loved that clinical!! I always knew that I wanted to work in such a setting, but having the opportunity to do hands on was not only reassuring but also fabulous and a true learning experience!! My clinical was at the Birthing Center at St. Vincent’s Hospital. I had the opportunity to rotate in labor & delivery, postpartum, baby support, baby triage and O.R. support. I was able to assist during three vaginal deliveries and placed my first two Foley catheters in the Operating Room…that was intense and very exciting!!
While I was in my postpartum rotation I had the opportunity to be very active. Most of the nurses I was working with encouraged me to do as much as I was comfortable with and sometimes to get out of my “comfort zone.” They would say “this is a safe place to practice.” I gave full assessments to mothers and babies…I even gave some shots, placed catheters, gave discharge and breastfeeding teaching.
I am now in my NUR 313 class and I just learned that my clinical placement for this class will be at the Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP)…so I have to drive to Salem two days per week which means I will have to be on the road 4 hours per day!!! But in spite of this I’m so excited because I think this is going to be a great learning experience!
This is the second week of fall semester. For the theory portion of this class there are three main projects, lots of reading and activities within class. So far this seems pretty doable. I think it will keep being doable as long as I keep up…at times it feels like 16 credit hours is a bit too much!
I love the clinical part of this class. The first day at OSP was pretty intense but even though I was locked up for 8 hours with about 2300 criminals, at no time did I feel unsafe. The Nursing staff is awesome and most welcoming. I can confidently say that this is one of my best clinical sites! Iove it and if it wasn’t for the distance I would most definitely would give it serous consideration for a place to do my senior practicum… yeah, it’s that good!
Until next time,
A teacher is better than two books.
German Proverb
June 14, 2009
It has been some time since I was here, so a quick summary of what has taken place the last few weeks is in order.
The last couple of weeks prior to ending spring semester, life got much more hectic! Lots and lots of papers to write, assessments to perform and projects to teach, but at last, the term that at one point seemed endless, came to a most awaited FINAL!
In spite of this past term being most intense, I feel that I learned a lot not only about nursing stuff, but also about myself. During my clinical time I faced difficult situations which challenged my personal believes and moral values; this taught me so much. I feel that I have grown and I have become a much better person because of those experiences. I had the opportunity to work with individuals with dark background history (predatory and violence). Because of it, I now know that, I can not only demonstrate but actually feel compassion and care towards a human being regardless of his or her past behavior or actions. This was a discovery that brought joy and a great deal of peace into my life. This was one thing that I feared the most; I didn’t think I was capable!
Now moving to my week off; having the opportunity to have a week off between semester feels great…to bad it is just so short!! I feel kind of jealous about the people who are off for the entire summer, although I like knowing that our semester will be much shorted than theirs and this will make it possible to graduate in May 2010!
So, during my “week off” I did some of the reading for my 311 Clinical Nursing Skills class… there is lots of reading. The class will only be for about 3 ½ weeks, isn’t that crazy?? I think it is. I know that I personally need more time than that to process the huge amounts of information we are going to be exposed to. Any how, we will see what happens. The skills taught during this course are very important to give a sense of preparedness in transitioning to the next step. So, I hope that 3 ½ weeks are enough!!
Now a whole week of my summer semester has gone by, this is crazy!! Too much to do! The reading and the Black Board (BB) assignments and responses seem endless. At some points this activity seems of poor value because of all the repetition that takes place. But anyhow, moving on, we have been working on performing a head to toe assessment, focus assessments, sites for injections and the different types of injections (MI, SQ, ID), NG tube placement and catheterization. The class is quite interesting…but there is not time to process info!
During the course of these three weeks, we will be taking quizzes, writing two big papers, going to clinical sites (only three times, I have to drive from Welches to Wilsonville), have to do extra 9 hours of lab time on my own, and lots and lots of BB interaction. Is your head spinning? Mine is!! Hey, the good news is that it is only for three weeks, or is it bad news…I guess I’m just not sure!
This is it for now. I will try harder to keep up to date info.
May 9, 2009
This week this is all I can put into this part of my life! Between writing journals, health teaching projects, group dynamic papers and mental status examinations, I just chose to share pictures of what I have been doing.
Here Lisa A and Lisa B are putting together a fruits and vegetables rainbow to be displayed at during the nutritional presentation we are doing team up with another student form OHSU. Also we will be using this poster at the LBGTQI health fair on May 16th
Hope to see you there!
This is the proverb for this week:
Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.
African proverb
Unfortunately per Friendly House policies we were not able to take picture of any of the attendees to the lunch-presentation. There were only 7 attendees, but according to record our event had a much better turn out that usual (3-4
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Lisa B and Lisa A taking a break after serving a fabulous lunch to the LBGTQI seniors! |
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April 26, 2009
I cannot believe that it is Sunday already! It feels like since Friday night I have been glued to the computer, typing away. Soooo much to write soooo little time!!! I guess I'm glad the weather has been crummy; it is not as tempting to go play outside. However, today the sun IS shining. So, I will do this really fast and then go catch some vitamin D.
Any how, this was an ok week. I was not able to go to my clinical site for my 213 class because my daughter was sick and was not able to get daycare. So, this means that some how I have to make up the hours. Lucky for me, I have the option of participating in a community event that will count toward my missing hours. Together with my clinical group, I will be actively participating in the Gay & Grey LGTB Senior Resource Fair on May 16th. We will be providing health screening as well as providing information about alternative ways (none pharmacological related) for dealing with depression. It should be fun!! Every one is invited! This is the site for more related info: http://www.sharepdx.org.
During my clinical for 206 I was faced, for the first time, with an intense and potentially dangerous situation. One of the residents, who had been most friendly the week before and that usually sleeps until midday or so, was at the front desk at the start of my shift (7:30 am.) He stated to have been up the entire night!! We talked for a while but then, he started to make inappropriate comments. So we (my fellow student and me) had to excuse ourselves and went back to the chart room. Apparently, this intensified the residents' emotional state, To remove myself from the situation, I took another resident to the courtyard and started to play basketball, but then the upset resident came outside as well. He didn't bother us but paced the entire perimeter of the courtyard while he appeared to be under a full-force hallucinating episode. A staff member brought out a two-way radio to use if an emergency situation was to arise. I guess that was the highlight of the week! The good news, no one got hurt! But things like that do help me remember that, when working with mentally unstable people, one must always be on guard. Not to the point that therapeutic interaction cannot take place, but to the point of, safety! Safety is always first for the client as well as for the health care provider.
So, I ended up walking down to the river admiring the glorious earth we live on. This reminded me why I still live in Welches! Here is where I want to be after a hectic day saturated with assignments, cars and people. This is also the place I want to raise my children!
I don't know why I chose this proverb, but some how it seemed appropriate:
Do you love life?
Then do not squander time,
for that is the stuff life is made of.
Benjamin Franklin
April 19, 2009
What a great week!! I really love my clinical site; Telecare Recovery Center (TRC). I will be working there two days for the next 6 weeks. My preceptor is sensational!! She is fairly new in the profession, only two years, so am so happy to be working with her while she is this exited about what she does. The first day I was so nervous, but she just talk to us (another student and myself) and calmed our fears.
That day we met all the residents; there are 16 of them. Some of them were friendly and accepting and other didn't even look at us. Before lunch we played a game of Wii bowling. After lunch we helped with gardening which gave us an opportunity to talk to another resident who had sat with us during lunch, but didn't talk to us because she appeared to be hallucinating (talking to someone who we couldn't see). At the garden she was talkative, although not making much sense!
Later on that day we were approached by a young female resident. She wanted to go outside but because she was at high risk of running away from the center, she was not allowed to go out on the courtyard by herself. We took her outside (we had to Carrie a walky-talkie, just in case). We played a little basketball, some soccer, but more important we talked to her a lot. She told us the reason why she was there, her family history, medications she was taking and why, and what she wanted to do when she got out the center. She didn't seem to have a good insight about her illness. She was highly delusional at times, which is sad!!
The next day I was looking forward to talking to her and continue to form a relationship with her. However, during group meeting she seemed very distressed, which was obvious on her facial expression. She would answer when asked, but that was it.
At lunch time she came and sat with us, but didn't talk much. However, she seemed upset because we were talking to other residents. After lunch she went to bed and simply refused to come out and play with us or anybody else!!
This incident made me think about what professor Johansson said during one of her lectures; "one day clients seem to love you and the next day they won't give you the time of day". This made me a little sad, but I just have to remember that the only thing I can do is keep trying to reach them and make myself available for whenever they make the choice to look for me.
Being at TRC makes me realize how thankful I am or should be for all I have!! These people have to face so much each and every day just to survive. Yet, some of them are true happy people who smile, dream, and just keep going at it!! I truly admire their inner strength!!
From the list "keys to a happy life" from last week's posting I really want to embrace # 10:
Wish not for things, but for wisdom and courage
I wish for courage to approach each and every one of the residents, even if I fear rejection. And I desire wisdom to have the right words that could make their lives, even their day, just a little bit better!
It is time to go to bed. Tomorrow is the start of another extremely busy week, but before I go I like to ask if you are getting mentally and emotionally ready for the many moral and ethical dilemmas you will be facing in you nursing profession?
April 12, 2009
My daughter was sharing with me how much anxiety she felt because next school year she will not be in the same classroom that some of her friends are going to be. As I was telling her that the fact that she will not be in the same classroom with her friends doesn't mean that her friendships have to end and the importance of making new friends, I realized that I was feeling exactly the same way she was. I too was facing the strong possibility of not being in the same cohort with my friends for the coming up semesters, and that was a source of great anxiety for me as well!
Having this conversation with my daughter I remember a song she used to sing when she was in second grade:
Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.
A circle is round,
it has no end.
That's how long,
I will be your friend.
A fire burns bright,
it warms the heart.
We've been friends,
from the very start.
You have one hand,
I have the other.
Put them together,
We have each other.
Silver is precious,
Gold is too.
I am precious,
and so are you.
You help me,
and I'll help you
and together
we will see it through.
The sky is blue
The Earth is green
I can help
to keep it clean
Across the land
Across the sea
Friends forever
We will always be
This song has silly parts, but most of it is really meaningful, at least it is to me. So I especially dedicate it to my peers and dear friends: Jovita, Melanie, Sandra, Lisa A. and Lisa B. We have been together from day one of this intense journey. Together we have shared lots of hugs, laughs, frustrations, but more than anything words of encouragement, and that is priceless!! I feel grateful for this gift!!
However, I do know that in the upcoming months I will be making new friendships and that my circle of friends is only going to get bigger and stronger. Silver and Gold goes beautifully together and so the combination of my Gold and Silver friends will only make my life that much richer!!
Now to the business of what took place this week. Well, we are finally done with the theory and exams part of 206...yay!! Now, on to the second part of the semester; on Thursday and Friday we had all day lab and orientation. Also, on Thursday we had guest speakers from NAMI (National Alliances on Mental Illness). It was really amazing to see two people with such terrible mental illnesses being productive to society, active on their treatment and proactive for the sake of others...I was humbled and inspired by this experience!!
The orientation on Friday provided detailed explanations and expectations for the assignments, which are many, and practical skills. We are going to be at our clinical setting for about 18 hours per week in addition to weekly journal entries and lengthy papers to write. We also have to present a health teaching project in our clinical setting and then turn it in to our clinical instructor as a written report.
Also, on Friday we had made up scenarios of possible cases we could face in the clinical setting. As a team we had to do a mental evaluation to determine a baseline of mental status of our client. It was truly a learning experience!! Our client had several severely mental problems and it was so difficult to know what to do, even though we have had a basic training early that morning. So, I guess this just conforms what we have been taught all along...every case is unique and should be treated as so. However, in every case one thing always remains the same...every client MUST be treated with Respect no matter what!! We must always keep that in mind!!
Now for my 213 class. Well, I had my first home visit, it was great!!! I gave foot care to two people; they were wonderful and I did learn a lot about the LGBTQI population. However, we had a little difficulty with time management. They seemed so lonely and just wanted to visit!!! We weren't sure what to do or how to best handle that situation, but our praxis was very helpful with ideas and suggestions on how to address that issue. It really is true that there is strength in numbers; two heads are better that one, and so on!!
It is Easter morning, so I should go and do the Easter thing...although Easter is not part of my culture so am not sure what exactly should I be doing. So, my Easter thing is to prepare a nice dinner for the family, hide some PLASTIC EGGS around the house with special prices and notes for my children and... well that is it!! It sounds boring huh? But I like it!
Now I will leave you with some words of wisdom:
20 Keys To A Happy Life
by Author Unknown
1) Compliment 3 people everyday!
2) Watch a sunrise
3) Be the first to say "hello"
4) Treat everyone as you want to be treated
5) Live beneath your means
6) Forget the Joneses
7) Never give up on anybody - miracles happen!
8) Remember someone's name
9) Be kinder than you have to be
10) Wish not for things, but for wisdom and courage
11) Be tough-minded, but tender hearted
12) Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated
13) Keep your promises
14) Leave everything better than you found it
15) Show cheerfulness even when you don't feel it
16) Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do
17) Remember that overnight success usually takes 15 years
18) When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say
brighten everyone's day
19) Don't rain on other people's parades
20) Don't waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them!
April 5, 2009
Have you ever whished that you could erase something from your life? Well, that is how I feel about last week; I wish that I could completely erase it from my memory. I am a firm believer that every situation has a lesson to be learned, however, once I reflect on how I felt last week I can see that I didn't learn a thing. Could it be that it was because I was completely controlled by frustration? Very possible!!
But now that I think about it, maybe I did learn something. I learned that I need to distance myself from chaos and negativism. Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated made it easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of negative emotions running freely throughout the entire week. This took so much energy from me that I lost focus and prospective; I was critical and unproductive!
Can you believe that this madness was all caused by a writing assignment? Yep! A ten page writing assignment turned into a true nightmare! Anyhow, now it is in the past and the focus is on preparing for what the instructors from 206 call "the hardest test of the semester" that will take place on Thursday. I've already started to pray, but maybe what I should be doing is studying harder...I will try to do both!! But it is so hard when we have such a beautiful and sunny weekend...the first one of 09! I just want to do yard work and go buy flowersJ
Moving on, this week I will be doing my first home visit for my Community Health class to the LGBTQI community. Together with two of my peers, Lisa A and Lisa B we will be performing footcare and a general health assessment to an elderly gay couple...well, at least one partner is gay. She/he was most friendly and welcoming, which is really comforting for the first time experience! I'm looking forward to spending some time with these people and learning about their culture and their experience as a minority...am hoping we get to talk about this topic!
Well, I better get going to my studies...
"A spoon does not know the taste of
soup, nor a learned fool the taste of wisdom."
Welsh Proverb
March 28, 2009
This has been the shortest week ever!! I cannot believe that it is time to go back to class again. For most of the week I was able to really enjoy myself and forget all about the busyness of school, but then Friday came along and I had to come back to reality. I had a meeting with the director of Telecare, the institution that I will be doing my clinicals for Nursing 206. I' m so happy that it is so close to home, only a 25 minute drive...yes!!
Anyhow, Telecare is a secure residential facility. It serves adult males and females. The residents there were committed by the state because they were found to be a threat to themselves, to others or not capable to care of themselves. This place provides services at the intermediate level. The residents here were, at one point, at the State hospital but not longer are in the acute state; however, they still require long term care for their chronic issues. The average stay for a resident there is 73 days, but there are a couple of residents who have been there for more than a year. This means that every 180 days their case is re-evaluated and whether they stay or go depends on the evaluation results. However, this appears not always to be the case. Mr. Chinard, the director of Telecare, said that the reason these people are not been successfully mainstreamed into the community is not because of the severity of their illness, but because they haven't been able to find a suitable place that could meet these individuals' needs and therefore improve the like hood for successful outcomes with regards to relapses.
One interesting thing Mr. Chinard shared with us was that during spring time the number of female residents increases. Also, apparently during summer time the number of younger adults is much higher. They really don't know the reason, so I think that this could potentially be a great topic for a future research. Anyhow, it seems that the center runs smoother when there is a 50/50 male and female population ratio. Julia, one of the RN's added that residents that are harder to deal with are those suffering from "Borderline personality disorder" by definition borderline personality disorder is characterized by disordered image of self, impulsive and unpredictable behavior, marked shifts in moods and instability in relationships with others.
Julia was present during the orientation and gave us a tour of the facility. It really is neat and colorful little place. Julia was great and most friendly. She really made us feel welcome and at ease. While there, we also met another student from Linfield who will be graduating May 2009; she now works for the facility; she expressed joy for working there. The place seems really quite and not at all what I had expected. I thought it was going to be shockingly scary but to tell you the truth, it's not!!! I will keep you informed about my whole experience.
Now it is Saturday and I need to put my Family Assessment paper together for my Nursing 213 class. Unfortunately, am still waiting for the contribution of some members of the group. Sometimes working in groups is most challenging, but hey, this is the best place to learn the dynamics of working as a team. When things don't go real smooth you are able to have an idea and can potentially prepare how to handle similar situations in your future work settings. One thing is for sure, I need to be more patient and use the right approach when facing these situations. I sometimes jump into conclusions which most times are unhealthy for the cohesiveness of the work group.
On my own defense I can tell you that at this day and age, there is not excuse not to keep the members of the group informed of any special circumstances that could be preventing you from meeting your responsibilities. So, bottom line, good communication patterns are essential to keep harmony pretty much on any kind of setting and situation.
Ok, this is it for now. I will say "hasta la proxima" and leave you with a Latin Proverb that I will try hard to put in practice in my every day life:
"The greatest thing is to know when to speak and when to keep quiet."
March 22, 2009
Yay!! Spring Break is here!!! Am so excited to finally have a little time off; these past weeks have been most intense and exhausting!!
Remember that I mention that for my Community Health class I was going to be working at Friendly House under the division of Elderly Resource Alliance (ERA). Well, last Tuesday Lisa B, Lisa A-B, and I were able to meet with our preceptor Rachel Indigo, ERA program coordinator. We met for about two hours during which she talked to us about the services offered to the LGBTQI Senior community.
The first time Rachel said LGBTQI, we just looked at each other trying to decipher what those letters meant; we got stuck on QI. So, we had to ask. As it turns out the community they serve is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Intersexed Seniors. We still didn't know what intersexed was so Rachel had to explain that as well. But for a better understanding, on my part, I still need to look it up and this is what I found: Intersexuals are people born physically between the male and female genders with anatomy that is either ambiguous or comprised of varying degrees of both male and female anatomy. Intersexuality occurs in many forms. Some intersex people are born with chromosome arrangements other than XX or XY, including Klinefelter's Syndrome (XXY arrangement) and Turner's Syndrome (XO arrangement). Other forms of intersexuality include partial or full androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), adrenal hyperplasia, and Progestin-induced androgenization. Some intersex people have ovotestis or one testis and one ovary. Intersex conditions sometimes do not become apparent until puberty, leading to a person having "normal"-appearing though grossly underdeveloped genitalia. All counted, as many as one in 100 people have bodies differing from standard male or female. Wow!!
Maybe most everyone already knew this, but a lot of this info was news to me. As I stated before, I don't know much about the population ERA serves. However, I am ager to learn all I can to broaden my knowledge and therefore, better serve not only this, but my whole community in general.
Rachel shared with us the process of home visits and the number of families participating/evolved in the program; there are only about fifteen to twenty, whom we will be visiting. The home visits are always done by a team of two people. The third student stays at the office helping out with projects; students take turns, so everyone has equal opportunity to experience fieldwork as well as what goes on at the office.
Stating form left, Lisa A-B, Rachel Indigo and Lisa B during our 1st meeting
This past week I asked about your thoughts on study groups. Since I was working on my prerequisite I have been a firm believer of study groups. They have been most helpful to me, but I guess I have been lucky to find the "right people" to study with. If you are one of those people who would like to be part of a study group, but some how, has not been able to find the right one, just keep looking. The rewards of being part of the "right group" are worth the hassle of trying different ones. One thing is for sure, we all have different ways of studying, so find the group that complements you, other wise you will just get frustrated and will see it as a complete waste of time!! And we don't have the luxury to do such a thing, right?
Very important, this week without classes, take a little time for you. Do something fun; stay in bed until you belly hurts because you are hungry, go snowmobiling and bring hot cocoa, go rent five movies that you have been wanting to see, but haven't had time to, or simply take a day to just sit by the fire place looking through the window feeling glad that you don't have to be out in that wet mess!
Remember: "A
healthy being (man) is a successful being."
French Proverb
March 14, 2009
This Friday my son had his final competition of the season. Did I tell you that he loves to wrestle? He has been doing it for about two years; he is very competitive. He won 1st place in the district. It was really awesome, not that wining is important to me ;). I couldn't talk the next day because I screamed so much!! Being there, showing support to my son and spending time with my daughter was the best thing that I did for ME this week. What did you do for YOU this week?
These are stressful times. We all have projects that are due, exams, clinical placing, job and community responsibilities and some of us, children to take of. So, to be able to keep sane, you must do something for you; go for a walk, call an old friend you haven't talk to for a long time, have a pedicure, go to the spa, or simple be able to dedicate 100% of you time and energy for few hours to you family. Not having to think about my school demands and being with my children truly energizes me!
But now is Saturday and reality sits in; I am a little behind on my reading so I have to read about five chapters, work on my ten page family assessment for my 213 class and prepare for my third exam. Oh! That is right, I have taken my second exam for 206 and let me put it this way, there is definitely room for improvement! The good thing about these exams is that you have the opportunity to take the exams again. So, if you think you can better your score, go for it. The bad news about that, there is no time to study!! So no, I will not take the second exam again, I will however, study a little harder for my next one. The question is; how do I study harder? Have you ever felt like you did the best you could, but still it was not good enough? Well, that is how I felt right after the test, but quickly focused on trying to prepare and improve for the next time.
On a happier note, I am really excited about my clinical placement for Nur 206. I will be working at the Telecare Recovery Center in Gresham. Starting early April, I will be there Thursdays and Fridays from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. I am also feeling nervous because I will be working with clients suffering from acute schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. But hey, I have been learning about the illnesses, the drugs to treat them, the S&S of overdose, the things to be especially watching out for. So, when I get there it will be time to put theory and practice at work. Isn't that exciting!!! It really is!
Do you remember about the idiom I posted last week? 
Cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas
Direct translation: Each has his way to kill fleas.
Intended message: There's more than one way to skin a cat.
You are probably wondering the point of all of this. Idioms are my problem, not yours right? Wrong!! Idioms could potentially be your problem as well. You see, we are heading to a field in which diversity is dramatically increasing; something that I personally love. You will be dealing with people who are just learning how to speak English and don't be confused and believe that there is always going to be a translator to help you communicate. There are going to be times in which you will be dealing with a person who perhaps will understand when you say nose, feet, smell, cat, dog, and other simple things like that, but will have no idea when you throw a phrase such as "do you have a runny nose?" this person is probably going to think, "hello you don't run with your nose, you run with your feet".
Or you can try to make a friendly conversation, which is quite appropriate for Oregon and say "it is raining cats and dogs". If I wasn't familiar with phases such as that, I will probably run out thinking that the prophecy from the book of revolutions was becoming a reality...cats and dogs coming down from the sky aaaahhh!
So, what do you think now? Could idioms/misinterpretation of phrases that are not familiar to people that are from a different culture be your problem too?
One last question, what do you think about study groups?
Got to go, I have a lot of studying to do, as am sure you do too!
March 9, 2009
I don't think that I mentioned that this is my second semester, so at the moment, I feel like I eat, breathe and even dream NUR 206, Mental Health. However, I do love this class! It is fascinating to know about mental conditions, the drugs that treat them, the drugs that make them worse and the reality of how little we really know and do to deal with these devastating conditions and illnesses that have the potential to destroy people's lives. I just wish that I had more time to actually process the huge amounts of information between each exam. Nonetheless, I took my first exam and did very well, so I feel encourage and my levels of stress and anxiety have diminished quite a bit! However I'll tell you how I feel when I take the second exam ...some people said that it is harder!! In reality what this means is that, we all have different ways of studying and taking exams. So, the definition of "difficult" and "easy" varies from person to person.
On thing to remember is that low levels of anxiety are helpful because they sharpen your senses. Low anxiety makes you more alert and helps you with critical thinking. However, moderate to high levels of anxiety will produce a paradoxical effect; they'll do the very thing you are trying to avoid...doing badly on the exam. Anxiety can potentially lower you levels of cognition and reduces your perception field. So, breathe and DO find some ways to cope with anxiety and stress.
This term I am also taking NUR 213, Promoting Family Health in the Community. My clinical placement is really close to the college. I'll be working with Elders Resource Alliances. The population served is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender older adults. I am really excited because I really don't know anything about this population. It will be a great learning experience.
I cannot leave without mentioning the instructors; because of my short time here, I only know a few of them, but all the ones I know are most caring and completely committed to deliver excellence in education and support to their students. I like to give a special Thanks to Professor Welch for seeing beyond the obvious and focusing on the human potential! Professor, You truly have touched my life!
Side note: Can you believe that I have been living here in the US for about 18 years and still, until a couple of weeks ago, I didn't know what "Flip The Bird" meant? I simply hate idioms! Here is one in Spanish for you. I will tell you the meaning of it next time so we can compare notes. Try to figure it out its meaning through direct translation, then what the intended message is.
"Cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas"
Catch you in a week!
March 4, 2009
My name is Teresa; this is my first blog...ever, so please be patient, I promise I will grow. I was born and raised in Mexico; I am the youngest of twelve children. I moved to the U.S as an adult, I stayed in an abusive marriage for 14 years and finally divorce 4 years ago. Now I am a single mother of two; Brian 12 and Bianca 11. I live in Welches; does anyone know where Welches is? Well, it is right at the bottom of Mount Hood. Yes, I do commute every day to campus. Sometimes I feel irritated because of the long driving distance, the traffic and what I sometimes see as a "waste of time", when in fact, I have to use every minute of my day in an organized fashion to be able to meet the demands of my life as a mother, full-time student, and volunteer of my community. However, long drives are not such bad thing. Lately I have been seeing them as "Teresa time" I meditate; with my eyes open of course, I listen to the recorded lectures (thanks to Kaila who podcasted them) and plan the unfolding of my day. But, often I have to remember that things not always go according to plan, so, I do have to work on flexibility!
Some people ask me why I chose Linfield when there are nursing programs closer to where you live. What I always tell them is that, from the very first time I came to a campus tour, I just fell in love with this "little campus." There was something about it that made it the perfect choice for me. However, it was not until about two weeks into my first semester that I was sure that in fact this was THE PLACE for me. The first two weeks were just crazy, but I think this is the experience for most of every student. Later on, I will tell you why I consider Linfield the perfect place for me.
I always wanted to be a nurse but my family thought that education was not for women, so as a young girl I had no support pursuing my education. It has taking me a long time, but I am here now. I can almost touch my dream, once I touch it, it will not longer be a dream; it will be transform into my every day reality! Can anybody related to this? It is incredible and there are no words that could possibly describe this feeling!