oblivio accebit

Yeah, I still hate school. I thought I liked pathophysiology and couldn't stand my other classes because of the subject matter, but I think it's because I don't have to do anything for patho. For exampe, I read a little bit of the endocrinoloy section to brush up on the old pituitary hormones, but didn't read any of the cardiovascular or pulmonology chapters and still got a 94% on the multiple choice section. It's not that I'm awesome at those things, it's just that it's an easy class if you're already a nurse. Then, last night, I was doing homework for my research class, which I had previously liked, when I decided that I hate that class with a passion. My school-assocaiated laziness has reached a new level.

Work is still cool though. I got a new preceptor since it's the halfway point in my ICU orientation. His name is Tracy, he's been an ICU nurse for like ten years and he's a pretty cool dude. The bad thing about my orientation is that no one knows how long it should be, nor at what point I am at along that line. When I was hired, I was told that I would have an abbreviated orientation, but it hasn't really worked out that way. I would like it to work out that way since one of the reasons I was hired was that I had been an RN for about 6 months already, so they were thinking I would be sort of ready to go. The truth is that working full time in the STICU on days is pretty much the complete opposite of working part time on the medical neurology floor at nights. I do think that I have a bit of an advantage from my experience though in that I'm used to having responsibility for my own patients, working independently, and some things specific to being an RN in the Parkview system.

The other day, one of my patients was getting a percutaneous tracheostomy. Two pulmonologists, a family practice resident, and the endoscopy nurse came to do it. So, one of the docs was using the bronchoscope via the ET tube and the other was doing the cutting (I'm sort of surprised that a general surgeon didn't do it, but you know.) Anyways, the doc doing the cutting told one of the best lame jokes I've heard in a while. Keep in mind that it was on St. Patrick's day. "What is Irish and gets left out on the porch all night?" .................................."Patty O' Furniture!" Also, after they were all finished, I was helping the endo nurse clean everything up and we found a picture that was left behind which was printed from the bronchoscope. The pulmonologist using the scope had accidentally taken a picture of himself with it. It was strangely amusing. Nothing compromises an airway like aspirating a pulmonologist.