Saturday, March 19, 2011

Connecting the dots

We started out on a Med-Surg floor this semester. In lecture the last few weeks we've been discussing the heart. It is a complex little pump. Learning the text book rationals is a different kind of learning then following a nurse around. I feel like I am able to connect the dot between learning in lecture and lab. Like reading about CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) due to aortic stenosis and seeing an actual patient with CHF. You learn from the textbook that the heart will back up fluid into lungs. When you meet an elderly man who has CHF and you try to listen for his weakened breath sounds puts it in perspective. You need to know the science behind the disorder. The signs and symptoms. The treatments and options. You also need to know that the person you met in the hospital is an individual. Maybe an individual who is a non-surgical candidate who has also chosen to be a DNR.

Connecting the dots brings the two worlds of knowledge and practical application together. Bringing it all into focus. Hope I don't lose perspective...

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy St. Patrick's day!

I don't have class today. I have homework though. I wrote a care plan already and I have to write a nutritional assessment too. Oh, the joys of nursing school. :) I'll be at the hospital again tomorrow. This semester we're on a Med Surg floor. Next semester we'll do both Peds and OB. I am excited about that!

Well, seeing it's St. Paddy's Day I thought I'd show you a bit of green. The flowers are starting to come up outside! Soon there will be a lot of green. Here are the sunflowers we planted at Seth's birthday party.


Seth painted last weekend while I studied for my cardiac test.


I made a wallet like my SIL has. Love it.


Got all three of them together at one time!

Sunday, March 06, 2011

Birth Matters

Second post in one day...

I went to a talk given by Ina May Gaskin yesterday. On my birthday, no less! It was really awesome to see her talk. She talked about her new book that just came out Birth Matters. I purchased the book while I was there and I look forward to reading it. She talked about all sorts of topics that related to women and birth in the two hours she spoke. She also suggested that if we want to teach people how birth can be more natural that people should see how an elephant is born. According to her, we aren't really any different than other mammals when it comes to birthing. It doesn't need to be taught; we know what to do.

Ina May has a project called the Safe Motherhood Quilt.

"The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project is a national effort developed to draw public attention to the current maternal death rates, as well as to the gross underreporting of maternal deaths in the United States, and to honor those women who have died of pregnancy-related causes since 1982."

I love that she brought one of the panels along to share. Each blocks tells a story...


She talked over her time a bit, but still signed books for us all. I had her sign my copy of Spiritual Midwifery too!

Flare for the dramatic

Hannah's middle school play, Oz, was on Thursday night. Hannah played a few different characters.

She was a flower.


The queen of the flying monkeys.


One of the guards at the Emerald City.


She was also in all of the chorus numbers. She worked really hard and had a great time. I am however glad it's done now. They practiced everyday after school for months. Now we can get back to our regular, overly busy, schedule again.