Wow. The semester is over. It went so quickly I can hardly believe it. Here's a rundown of all we did...
10 Sections of Medicine
14 Exams
26 Quizzes
12 Clinical Procedure labs (including suturing, venipuncture, skin biopsies, lumbar punctures, and casting)
5 Patient visits
5 Histories and Physicals
4 Timed SOAP notes
4 EKG interpretations
1 Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and
Assessment Tool (PACKRAT) exam
1 Admission order
1 Suture practicum
and an Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification
Yes, they pack all of that into 17 weeks.
Maybe it's because it went by so quickly, but I didn't realize how much ground we actually covered until I typed it all out. It's crazy!
Now, almost 2 weeks of hard-earned freedom. Tomorrow morning I jump a flight to UT. Something I have been counting down the days to for months! Chances are you won't hear from me until I get back to Florida. Hopefully I'll have lots of good stories and pictures from my time with the girls.
Until then...
Showing posts with label lessons learned. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lessons learned. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Today's cool stuff
Amazing things I got to do today in Anatomy.
1) Cut through ribs and retract rib cage/sternum to expose the pleural cavity.
2) Hold a human heart in my hands...Like so
Actually, it was more like this...
I wish I could take actual pictures of me in the lab, but they don't allow that for obvious reasons.
3) Saw a partially collapsed lung.
4) Saw and felt a cancerous lung. Instead of a nice spongy texture, it was like a balloon full of mud. Moral of the story...don't smoke. Ever. It's gross and it will kill you.
All in all, it was a pretty cool day.
1) Cut through ribs and retract rib cage/sternum to expose the pleural cavity.
2) Hold a human heart in my hands...Like so
Actually, it was more like this...
I wish I could take actual pictures of me in the lab, but they don't allow that for obvious reasons.
3) Saw a partially collapsed lung.
4) Saw and felt a cancerous lung. Instead of a nice spongy texture, it was like a balloon full of mud. Moral of the story...don't smoke. Ever. It's gross and it will kill you.
All in all, it was a pretty cool day.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Day 1
Well, I'm done with my first day of P.A. school. How was it? Let me tell you.
It was great!
We had anatomy lecture for an hour starting at 8. We learned about the vertebral column (including ribs).
Then, we went to anatomy lab. THAT was an interesting experience. I was fortunate enough at BYU to be able to learn anatomy on cadavers as an undergrad. Many of my classmates (probably most of them) did not. But the cadavers I learned on were already prosected (skin, fat, and connective tissue already dissected away). So, there was some disconnect between them as cadavers and them as people. Today was a whole different story. Lucy (that's the name I gave our cadaver) died of breast cancer at the age of 76. We open the bag and there is this whole person lying on the table. Luckily, for the first day, we were dissecting the upper back so our cadavers were face down. I'm not sure how well it would have gone over to see the person's face on the very first day.
A couple of things I learned today...
I rode my bike to school today and then rode it back home. Let me tell you, I will NOT be riding my bike home tomorrow. Going to school is great. It's fairly cool in the mornings. In the afternoon though, the heat and humidity are brutal! The buses here have bike racks on them, so I'll ride the bus home tomorrow.
After I got home, I spent a couple hours consolidating all my schedules, readings, assignments, and tests into a Google Calendar. That's one sort of frustrating thing about the program. There are so many different documents in so many different places that it's hard to know where to find everything. There isn't once central website that everybody uses to post class materials. So, I had to get everything onto one document so as to not forget when things are due.
From 6:30-9:00, I went to a study group. Now I'm home. I still have some stuff to read for tomorrow, but it shouldn't be too bad.
And there you have it. My first day. I am going to try and take pictures throughout the semester...but probably not everyday. I'm not sure how much I'll be posting from here on out. My goal is once a week unless I did something extra cool on any given day. I'm kinda liking this blogging thing though, so who knows, maybe I'll post more frequently than that.
It was great!
We had anatomy lecture for an hour starting at 8. We learned about the vertebral column (including ribs).
Then, we went to anatomy lab. THAT was an interesting experience. I was fortunate enough at BYU to be able to learn anatomy on cadavers as an undergrad. Many of my classmates (probably most of them) did not. But the cadavers I learned on were already prosected (skin, fat, and connective tissue already dissected away). So, there was some disconnect between them as cadavers and them as people. Today was a whole different story. Lucy (that's the name I gave our cadaver) died of breast cancer at the age of 76. We open the bag and there is this whole person lying on the table. Luckily, for the first day, we were dissecting the upper back so our cadavers were face down. I'm not sure how well it would have gone over to see the person's face on the very first day.
A couple of things I learned today...
- Preserved human skin does not feel like live human skin. It feels very thick and tough...like leather...but thicker.
- Scalpels are really, really sharp. (Don't worry, I didn't cut myself).
- There is a crap-load of stuff underneath the skin before you ever get to muscle (fat, connective tissue, fascia)...especially on larger individuals. So, if you ever plan on donating your body to a med school, please shed a few pounds first.
- The human body is simultaneously awe-inspiring and disgusting.
I rode my bike to school today and then rode it back home. Let me tell you, I will NOT be riding my bike home tomorrow. Going to school is great. It's fairly cool in the mornings. In the afternoon though, the heat and humidity are brutal! The buses here have bike racks on them, so I'll ride the bus home tomorrow.
After I got home, I spent a couple hours consolidating all my schedules, readings, assignments, and tests into a Google Calendar. That's one sort of frustrating thing about the program. There are so many different documents in so many different places that it's hard to know where to find everything. There isn't once central website that everybody uses to post class materials. So, I had to get everything onto one document so as to not forget when things are due.
From 6:30-9:00, I went to a study group. Now I'm home. I still have some stuff to read for tomorrow, but it shouldn't be too bad.
And there you have it. My first day. I am going to try and take pictures throughout the semester...but probably not everyday. I'm not sure how much I'll be posting from here on out. My goal is once a week unless I did something extra cool on any given day. I'm kinda liking this blogging thing though, so who knows, maybe I'll post more frequently than that.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Work Experience: Part 2
I'm not sure how many of you read through that last novel of a post, but it's OK. This blog is as much for me as it is for you.
Well, after about 8 months of working at Jamestown (and putting my application in at the hospital for every single job that got posted) I finally got an interview for the Neurotrauma Rehabilitation unit at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. And what do ya know? It was my first interview at the hospital and I actually got the job...and that was even after showing up late.
So, for 2.5 years, this place has been my home away from home.
The position was for another graveyard shift. However, this one worked a little better for me as it was 3 twelve-hour shifts a week instead of 5 eight-hour shifts. I worked it out to where I was scheduled 3 on/4 off every week, which left more time for school/family/activities/etc. People would often ask me while I was in school how I managed to work a full time night job and still attend classes. Well, the answer to that is, I just did it. Which is a lesson I've learned over the last few years. Life isn't easy. People all over the world deal with less-than-ideal circumstances. How do we do it? We just do. I also managed to survive by knowing all the good (and some not-so-good) spots to sleep on BYU campus. In case you're wondering, my top spots are underneath the stairs to the balcony seating in the De Jong and in the chairs next to the big windows in the periodicals section of the Harold B Lee Library.
My experiences at the hospital haven't been like those at Jamestown. I have specific and enduring memories of that place. My memories of the hospital, however, are more generalized. Sure, I've got some fun ones, but nothing to the extent of Jamestown. So, you're going to get a broad overview.
This is probably the first job I've had that I can actually say I loved. First, the setting was exciting. There are so many things to see and learn about in a hospital. MRIs, CTs, XRays, ABGs, Code Blues, Ventilators, Tracheotomies, Strokes, Spinal Cord Injuries, Autonomic Dysreflexia, TBIs, Aphasia, Dysphagia, and so much more. Medicine is so fascinating.
Second, I loved the type of care we provided. Rehab is an amazing setting. Our patients come in with severely limiting physical debilitations as well as the attendant fears and anxieties. We (I should really give credit to our therapists) take those worries and help our patients channel them into hours of therapy each day. They attend physical therapy, occupational therapy, and often speech therapy. After days and weeks, the progress becomes apparent. Strength and coordination return. Cognition improves. I get to witness amazing transformations. The reward is in the small things though. I cheer when a patient washes her hair or brushes her teeth for the first time since a stroke. It's so rewarding to see a patient take his first feeble steps after a traumatic injury. At my job, I get to watch miracles being worked every day.
Third, I love the patients...well, most of them :). The part I really liked about working in Assisted Living was how well I got to know my residents. Most patients in a hospital setting are usually only there for a couple of days, so you might see them for a shift and then they're gone. Rehab patients stay anywhere from a week to a couple months. I get to know them, their families, their stories. I get to know them as people and not just patients. Which, in turn, makes me a better caregiver.
Lastly, I love my coworkers. I have never worked with a more selfless bunch of people. With very, very few exceptions, my coworkers are always willing to jump up and help out at the drop of a hat. There is no "it's not my patient" mentality. And perhaps, one of the biggest lessons I will take away from the hospital is just how amazing nurses really are. They are the life blood of healthcare. They do much more than perhaps any other person in the hospital (except for maybe CNAs :) ). They are intelligent, thoughtful, and trustworthy people. Are there exceptions? Of course. There are always a few dopes out there. But, for the most part, they're amazing. I think that the doctors that look down on nurses are really missing out on great working relationships that can really benefit them and their patient care. So, if you're a nurse, and you're reading this, thank you for all you do.
Well, there you have it. That's about all I have to say concerning my work experience. I have learned a ton and think that I will be a better PA for it. I'm glad that that requirement is in place. After all, no amount of bookwork can substitute for real life, hands-on experience.
Well, after about 8 months of working at Jamestown (and putting my application in at the hospital for every single job that got posted) I finally got an interview for the Neurotrauma Rehabilitation unit at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. And what do ya know? It was my first interview at the hospital and I actually got the job...and that was even after showing up late.
 |
| Utah Valley Regional Medical Center |
The position was for another graveyard shift. However, this one worked a little better for me as it was 3 twelve-hour shifts a week instead of 5 eight-hour shifts. I worked it out to where I was scheduled 3 on/4 off every week, which left more time for school/family/activities/etc. People would often ask me while I was in school how I managed to work a full time night job and still attend classes. Well, the answer to that is, I just did it. Which is a lesson I've learned over the last few years. Life isn't easy. People all over the world deal with less-than-ideal circumstances. How do we do it? We just do. I also managed to survive by knowing all the good (and some not-so-good) spots to sleep on BYU campus. In case you're wondering, my top spots are underneath the stairs to the balcony seating in the De Jong and in the chairs next to the big windows in the periodicals section of the Harold B Lee Library.
My experiences at the hospital haven't been like those at Jamestown. I have specific and enduring memories of that place. My memories of the hospital, however, are more generalized. Sure, I've got some fun ones, but nothing to the extent of Jamestown. So, you're going to get a broad overview.
This is probably the first job I've had that I can actually say I loved. First, the setting was exciting. There are so many things to see and learn about in a hospital. MRIs, CTs, XRays, ABGs, Code Blues, Ventilators, Tracheotomies, Strokes, Spinal Cord Injuries, Autonomic Dysreflexia, TBIs, Aphasia, Dysphagia, and so much more. Medicine is so fascinating.
Second, I loved the type of care we provided. Rehab is an amazing setting. Our patients come in with severely limiting physical debilitations as well as the attendant fears and anxieties. We (I should really give credit to our therapists) take those worries and help our patients channel them into hours of therapy each day. They attend physical therapy, occupational therapy, and often speech therapy. After days and weeks, the progress becomes apparent. Strength and coordination return. Cognition improves. I get to witness amazing transformations. The reward is in the small things though. I cheer when a patient washes her hair or brushes her teeth for the first time since a stroke. It's so rewarding to see a patient take his first feeble steps after a traumatic injury. At my job, I get to watch miracles being worked every day.
Third, I love the patients...well, most of them :). The part I really liked about working in Assisted Living was how well I got to know my residents. Most patients in a hospital setting are usually only there for a couple of days, so you might see them for a shift and then they're gone. Rehab patients stay anywhere from a week to a couple months. I get to know them, their families, their stories. I get to know them as people and not just patients. Which, in turn, makes me a better caregiver.
Lastly, I love my coworkers. I have never worked with a more selfless bunch of people. With very, very few exceptions, my coworkers are always willing to jump up and help out at the drop of a hat. There is no "it's not my patient" mentality. And perhaps, one of the biggest lessons I will take away from the hospital is just how amazing nurses really are. They are the life blood of healthcare. They do much more than perhaps any other person in the hospital (except for maybe CNAs :) ). They are intelligent, thoughtful, and trustworthy people. Are there exceptions? Of course. There are always a few dopes out there. But, for the most part, they're amazing. I think that the doctors that look down on nurses are really missing out on great working relationships that can really benefit them and their patient care. So, if you're a nurse, and you're reading this, thank you for all you do.
Well, there you have it. That's about all I have to say concerning my work experience. I have learned a ton and think that I will be a better PA for it. I'm glad that that requirement is in place. After all, no amount of bookwork can substitute for real life, hands-on experience.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Work Experience: Part 1
Perhaps one of the biggest parts of my preparation for PA school was gaining work experience in health care. Most schools have a minimum requirement for hours worked in direct patient care before they will even consider your application. And even though some schools don't "require" patient care experience, you can bet that they aren't taking applicants that don't have it, especially when you consider just how competitive the applicant pool is. Volunteer work doesn't cut it. They want to see that you've been in the trenches with patients. So, experience as a nurse, EMT, CNA, RT, MA, surgery tech, etc. is not recommended, it's a necessity.
The process for gaining said experience must be set in motion long before you even think about filling out any applications. Firstly, you have to decide where you are going to work. All of the jobs above require (at the very least) some sort of technical certification. Others require much more intensive and lengthy education. Then, for the most part, a competitive applicant will have roughly 2000 hours of direct patient care in a paid position. That's comes out to 1-1.5 years of full-time work. For those that can't work full-time, it would obviously take considerably longer. So, needless to say, one doesn't decide to go to PA school on a whim. It takes a certain amount of foresight.
Anyway, why am I telling you all this? Because this quest for patient care experience has been a huge part of my life for the last 3 years as I worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant. Never in a million years did I think that I would be working as a CNA. Old people and nursing homes used to freak me out when I was younger, and this is the population with whom the majority of CNAs work. It has been the hardest, yet most rewarding, job that I have ever had. So, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and experiences about my time as a CNA...before I move past this phase of life and on to something new.
My first job as a CNA was here.
Jamestown is a pretty swanky 100+ room assisted living facility with a 20 bed Enhanced Care (Alzheimer's) wing. This place also introduced me to new levels of sleep deprivation as I worked the graveyard shift and went to school during the day. I distinctly recall during my first week of work here, looking down at my notebook in class one day and seeing my writing gradually get less and less legible until it ended in a big squiggly line down to the corner of my page. I didn't even remember falling asleep.
There are sooo many things that I will remember about this place. Jamestown is a pretty big facility. It's three floors of rooms. At night, there would only be 2 CNAs working the entire Assisted Living side of the building. Nobody else. And, at night, when the lights are turned down low, this place is eerily reminiscent of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Every now and then, when I would walk around the third floor doing rounds, I would expect to turn the corner and see a set of dead twin girls staring at me from the end of the hallway. Never happened, but it was still creepy.
Perhaps my funniest experience at Jamestown happened on my first day. My trainer (the amazing Derek Figuerres) was taking me on a tour after we had finished our work on Assisted Living. We came out of a stairwell onto the Enhanced Care unit and I had my first introduction to B.* B was walking the halls wearing nothing but a button down shirt and an adult diaper on his head. When we asked him why he had a brief on his head, he told us that it was "a mighty fine hat." Couldn't argue with that. Needless to say, B and I became quick friends.
Or how could I forget V, one of our resident somnambulists? That lady had some serious ninja skills. She wasn't fast, but somehow, you could look over your shoulder at a deserted corridor and then turn around 3 seconds later and she would be right behind you. Never figured out how she could do that.
Perhaps my most significant/profound experience as a CNA also came while working here. Mrs. B was suffering from Alzheimer's. It must be a terrifying disease to have. You have to understand, these people often have no idea what year it is, where they are, who you are, or what you are doing. My job at night was to round on our residents every few hours to check on them and see if their briefs needed changing. Now, imagine you are sleeping in what you believe to be your bed in the house you've lived in the last 40 years, and somebody comes into your room and starts asking to check your pants. I think I would be less than compliant. But this is what many of the residents were likely dealing with. And night after night, they would have to relive the same experience. So, needless to say, Mrs. B was one of our more...reluctant residents. She would often dig her nails into your arm as you tried to care for her and would most certainly cuss you out for your efforts. Well, after a few weeks of this, I began to put myself in her shoes. Tried to see the world as she must see it. And I changed my approach. I started to open the door to her room and make more of an effort to announce my presence and ask for her permission to enter. Then I would take the time, each time, to tell her who I was, and what I was doing, and how she didn't need to be afraid. Slowly, Mrs. B became more and more compliant. She stopped scratching me. She stopped cussing at me. She even started helping to roll from side-to-side as I cared for her. Then, one night, an unexpected thing happened. After I had finished cleaning her up, I told her goodnight and thanked for letting me help her. And just as I was closing the door to her room, I heard her say, "Thank you." Mrs. B confirmed for me that night why I had chosen to enter health care. Those two words changed who I was as a caregiver and will forever direct how I approach my patients.
There are so many other experiences from Jamestown that I could write about here (watching fireworks from the roof, Fresh Prince marathons, postmortem care, lots of first-aid, diarrhea, watching a person and thinking they're going to die right there in front of you, and many more). But that would get to be a pretty long and boring blog for many of you to read, since many of those events only hold significance for me. The most important thing that could be said about Jamestown though (and especially my time working with Alzheimer's patients), was that it taught me how to communicate with patients. (This sometimes requires a lot of creativity). It taught me that being sick or disabled can be a very scary situation, and that all patients, no matter what age, just need a little reassurance sometimes. Jamestown taught me how to navigate stressful, sometimes frightening, situations on my own or with little support. But, what I will remember most about Jamestown are the people (residents and coworkers alike) that were involved in my first experience in healthcare and how they shaped me into the provider that I have become and will continue to be in the future.
It's late and I'm realizing just how long this post is becoming, so I'm going to go ahead and break it up into two parts. I don't want to bore you all so badly that you don't come back ever again. So, the second part to the account of my experiences will come in the next couple days. Thanks for sticking with me.
*Full names have been omitted for privacy reasons.
The process for gaining said experience must be set in motion long before you even think about filling out any applications. Firstly, you have to decide where you are going to work. All of the jobs above require (at the very least) some sort of technical certification. Others require much more intensive and lengthy education. Then, for the most part, a competitive applicant will have roughly 2000 hours of direct patient care in a paid position. That's comes out to 1-1.5 years of full-time work. For those that can't work full-time, it would obviously take considerably longer. So, needless to say, one doesn't decide to go to PA school on a whim. It takes a certain amount of foresight.
Anyway, why am I telling you all this? Because this quest for patient care experience has been a huge part of my life for the last 3 years as I worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant. Never in a million years did I think that I would be working as a CNA. Old people and nursing homes used to freak me out when I was younger, and this is the population with whom the majority of CNAs work. It has been the hardest, yet most rewarding, job that I have ever had. So, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and experiences about my time as a CNA...before I move past this phase of life and on to something new.
My first job as a CNA was here.
 |
| Courtyard at Jamestown |
There are sooo many things that I will remember about this place. Jamestown is a pretty big facility. It's three floors of rooms. At night, there would only be 2 CNAs working the entire Assisted Living side of the building. Nobody else. And, at night, when the lights are turned down low, this place is eerily reminiscent of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Every now and then, when I would walk around the third floor doing rounds, I would expect to turn the corner and see a set of dead twin girls staring at me from the end of the hallway. Never happened, but it was still creepy.
Perhaps my funniest experience at Jamestown happened on my first day. My trainer (the amazing Derek Figuerres) was taking me on a tour after we had finished our work on Assisted Living. We came out of a stairwell onto the Enhanced Care unit and I had my first introduction to B.* B was walking the halls wearing nothing but a button down shirt and an adult diaper on his head. When we asked him why he had a brief on his head, he told us that it was "a mighty fine hat." Couldn't argue with that. Needless to say, B and I became quick friends.
Or how could I forget V, one of our resident somnambulists? That lady had some serious ninja skills. She wasn't fast, but somehow, you could look over your shoulder at a deserted corridor and then turn around 3 seconds later and she would be right behind you. Never figured out how she could do that.
Perhaps my most significant/profound experience as a CNA also came while working here. Mrs. B was suffering from Alzheimer's. It must be a terrifying disease to have. You have to understand, these people often have no idea what year it is, where they are, who you are, or what you are doing. My job at night was to round on our residents every few hours to check on them and see if their briefs needed changing. Now, imagine you are sleeping in what you believe to be your bed in the house you've lived in the last 40 years, and somebody comes into your room and starts asking to check your pants. I think I would be less than compliant. But this is what many of the residents were likely dealing with. And night after night, they would have to relive the same experience. So, needless to say, Mrs. B was one of our more...reluctant residents. She would often dig her nails into your arm as you tried to care for her and would most certainly cuss you out for your efforts. Well, after a few weeks of this, I began to put myself in her shoes. Tried to see the world as she must see it. And I changed my approach. I started to open the door to her room and make more of an effort to announce my presence and ask for her permission to enter. Then I would take the time, each time, to tell her who I was, and what I was doing, and how she didn't need to be afraid. Slowly, Mrs. B became more and more compliant. She stopped scratching me. She stopped cussing at me. She even started helping to roll from side-to-side as I cared for her. Then, one night, an unexpected thing happened. After I had finished cleaning her up, I told her goodnight and thanked for letting me help her. And just as I was closing the door to her room, I heard her say, "Thank you." Mrs. B confirmed for me that night why I had chosen to enter health care. Those two words changed who I was as a caregiver and will forever direct how I approach my patients.
There are so many other experiences from Jamestown that I could write about here (watching fireworks from the roof, Fresh Prince marathons, postmortem care, lots of first-aid, diarrhea, watching a person and thinking they're going to die right there in front of you, and many more). But that would get to be a pretty long and boring blog for many of you to read, since many of those events only hold significance for me. The most important thing that could be said about Jamestown though (and especially my time working with Alzheimer's patients), was that it taught me how to communicate with patients. (This sometimes requires a lot of creativity). It taught me that being sick or disabled can be a very scary situation, and that all patients, no matter what age, just need a little reassurance sometimes. Jamestown taught me how to navigate stressful, sometimes frightening, situations on my own or with little support. But, what I will remember most about Jamestown are the people (residents and coworkers alike) that were involved in my first experience in healthcare and how they shaped me into the provider that I have become and will continue to be in the future.
It's late and I'm realizing just how long this post is becoming, so I'm going to go ahead and break it up into two parts. I don't want to bore you all so badly that you don't come back ever again. So, the second part to the account of my experiences will come in the next couple days. Thanks for sticking with me.
*Full names have been omitted for privacy reasons.
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