Last week was our first week on the surgical floor. I really enjoyed myself. I had three total patients during the three days, but one checked out a few hours after I arrived which meant I didn’t do much. I had a 46 y/o total hip replacement, a 65 y/o post prostatectomy (prostate gland was removed) and a 19 y/o AKA (above knee amputation). I’m gaining confidence in dealing with patients of all types and feel like I’m really learning how to take on the RN role. I like my time spend in Casper, though the days are long (6a-6p), and I am finally remembering why I wanted to go to nursing school in the first place! Despite the hectic schedule and unending work, it’s worth it.
Speaking of unending work, today is my first day off in 12 days. I’m studying (trying to!) and I have my midterm re-take tomorrow. The class as a whole didn’t do too well on the midterm so our professors were kind enough to give us a re-do. My grade, if higher, will be averaged with my previous grade and that will be my new score. We have to average a 75% on our midterm and final to avoid being kicked out of nursing school. Our course work counts for our overall grade in the class but regardless of how we’re doing on the course work, we have to pass the midterm/final with the 75% average. It might not sound too difficult but I tell you – an accelerated program is so, so difficult. If I could do it all over again I would have stuck it out another year and a half or two at UMASS and graduated with my nursing degree then. This accelerated learning style is exhausting. Bright side: At least I’ll have two degrees when I’m finished and luckily one is related to nursing (Psychology).
In other thoughts…
-Obama has been re-elected. I was a bit shocked at the overall popular vote & electoral totals. Colorado was so on fire for Mitt that I really thought he’d do better – at least in my state. I wonder if it’s the Mormon thing? I know many people were very hesitant to vote for a Mormon in the beginning, myself included, and I’m still hearing the “magic brief” jokes even though the election is over. It could also be the fact that he’s filthy rich and people see this as a detriment. He could be totally disconnected from the lower and middle class American people. Or it could be the women issues – access to birth control, Planned Parenthood, abortion.
-How do I feel about Obama being re-elected? I will admit, I was a ball of rage for about… 30 minutes. And then I got over it. There were a few things about Mitt & Paul that caused me to shudder (the devotion to Mormonism and the fact that when Mitt prays, he prays to a different God than I do – call me narrow minded, old fashioned, judgemental or whatever you wish but I’d still prefer a President who at least believes in my same God, whether or not he worships him.) And then there is the whole birth control/abortion thing. News flash, Republicans, people are going to have sex. Kids, Young Adults, Adults. Women need access to birth control and low cost gynecological services and they shouldn’t be forced to have a baby if it’s going to kill them (Paul Ryan is against abortion even if the mother could die). In addition, if a woman is raped she shouldn’t be forced to have the child (Paul Ryan is against abortion in ANY case). And I don’t want to hear that “she should have taken the morning after pill” because the last time I checked, many of you are against that, too, and hello, where are some of these women/girls supposed to get the morning after pill, anyway? I am all for government funding of Planned Parenthood and yes, I do think Catholic affiliated employers should have to offer birth control coverage. These issues and the complete closed-mindedness of Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney on funding planned parenthood & birth control & abortion probably caused a lotttt of women who would normally vote Republican to turn the other way. There were two more issues that I personally thought Obama would handle more efficiently and fairly: education and government student aid for college students. Obama is much more in touch with the struggling student, like myself, who doesn’t have mommy and daddy to lean on or to “borrow money from” as Mitt stated. Obama also supports reduced class sizes, which Mitt does not think is a “priority”.
I’m still terrified of Obama’s stance on the economy, military and foreign affairs – but I am going to just sit back and see what he does over this next year. He’s been so focused on the campaign – I hope he can really start to come through for our country. Like I told Andrew after the election, Barack Obama IS just a man. I truly do think he is a good man- I just think he is so far on the other side of the spectrum that our country is becoming more and more divided under his leadership.
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