Jan.6.2010
I enrolled at Orlando Tech last year for the nursing program. After all this time, I realized that some people have a special gift to take care of others. I know I am one of the chosen ones because I enjoy taking care of people in need. Through this program I have also realized how precious life can be. My journey has just begun. I will enjoy every experience and success.
-Joalize G
Jan.7.2010
Clinical today was very interesting! I had the pleasure of taking care of a 54 year old male with esophageal cancer that had metastasized to his abdomen. As I first walked into his room I noticed he was quiet, withdrawn, and seemed sad. I wanted to make him feel different so, I sat next to him and started to talk. We had a wonderful conversation and it was a great experience for me to see how one conversation can change a patient’s mood. I tried to show him that I cared and was there to talk even though it was for a couple of hours.
-Joalize G
Jan.8.2010
I spent the entire morning working on a Musculoskeletal System Review in preparation for a big test on Tuesday. This body system is very interesting to me because it is intriguing to learn how different diseases and injuries affect the muscles and bones. Just recently I applied what I learned to a real life situation. My teenage brother is very athletic and he sprained his ankle. I learned that for this type of injury you rest the area, apply ice, use an elastic bandage for compression, and elevate the affected area. Ice will help the ankle to decrease pain, swelling, and inflammation. I was very excited to help my brother’s sprained ankle.
-Joalize G
Jan.11.2010
Mondays are really long days. After school I go straight to the hospital. Tonight, I had a patient who came to the hospital with severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. That sounds like the normal stomach flu. I am sure many of you have had it before except that this wasn’t the case. The doctors quickly did a CT scan and the test showed that the patient had a ventral hernia. A ventral hernia occurs when a piece of intestine protrudes through a cavity and into the abdominal wall. When you get sick it is best to go to the doctors and not assume you have the normal flu because it can be more than that. I am glad this person came to the hospital when she did.
-Joalize G
Jan.12.2010
This morning I took the Musculoskeletal System Exam. This test was a little difficult for me. I studied all last night and did my best. I took this class online and I am more of a visual learner. I think I could have done better on this test if the class was face to face with a teacher. I did my best and I am confident I passed.
-Joalize G
Jan.13.2010
This morning I had a Student Advisory Board meeting. Orlando Tech is working with the Red Cross and we are having a Relief Drive for the catastrophic earthquake that occurred in Haiti. Many people are hurt and they need our help. Please bring items to Orlando Tech. Some items needed are: clothing, water, non-perishable foods, baby formula, diapers, hygiene items (toothbrushes, toothpaste), etc. Haiti needs us, so please help as much as you can.
-Joalize G
Jan.14.2010
Tonight, clinical was very emotional. I took care of a wonderful lady from Haiti. She gave birth to a baby girl a week ago and was in the hospital for Nephrotic Syndrome. This lady was under great emotional stress because her family was in Haiti. As I was talking to her to comfort her, she told me that she hasn’t heard any news from her family and that she was growing impatient waiting. She was very worried and frightened for family. I explained to her that Orlando Tech was having a Relief Drive for Haiti and that many organizations are trying to help Haiti. As I said that I saw a hint of hope in her eyes. I am glad people are doing their best to help the island of Haiti.
-Joalize G
Jan.15.2010
I spent the entire day studying and preparing for my new class that I start on Tuesday. I start the Disorders of the Endocrine System class. I am excited for this class because it will not be online and a teacher will teach it to me. I have started to read the chapters and take notes. I want to be prepared for when the class starts because I believe the Endocrine system is a little confusing to understand.
-Joalize G
Jan.19.2010
I started my new class today! I learned a lot about Endocrine disorders. There are a variety of disorders that can be found within the endocrine system. The causes of the disorders vary, but the pathophysiology usually involves either too little or too much hormone activity. I believe the endocrine system is very interesting because it is amazing how your glands and hormones work together to maintain a balanced level in your body. Your hormones can control you mood and how you react to a certain situation.
-Joalize G
Jan.20.2010
We had a going away party in school for some students that are leaving the program and going back to high school. It is very upsetting to see some classmates leave, but I know they are all bright students and they will be very successful in life. I wish all these students the best of luck and I will miss them greatly. Other than the party today, I started to make note cards for the information I learned yesterday in class. Note cards help me study and learn the information. I will be studying the note cards all this week.
-Joalize G
Jan.21.2010
I had a meeting today with my guidance counselor at my high school regarding graduation. I am so excited to graduate in June. Not only will I receive my high school diploma but I can also take the nursing state board exam for LPN. My high school years have passed in the blink of an eye. I believe the two most important years of my high school life was eleventh grade and now, my twelfth grade year. During those two years I have been involved in this program and I have learned many new things. I am thankful for the teachers at Orlando Tech that have support me and my class to do our best and inspired us to keep on going. My class and I specifically appreciate Ms.Van and Ms.Storma. They are great teachers who help us and we thank them for their dedication to teach us.
-Joalize G
Jan.22.2010
I still take online classes on Florida Virtual School. This morning I worked on an Earth-Space Science project. Currently, I am learning about the different layers of the soil and how important soil is to Earth. I took soil from my backyard and put it in a jar filled with water. The soil separates in layers and you can see the different components that make up each layer of soil. The earth can be interesting but I prefer learning about the different diseases in the human body.
-Joalize G
Jan.25.2010
As I was walking to meet my patient an elderly man stopped me and said, “Any patient ought to be happy to have a student nurse look as tidy and professional as you.” When he said this, I smiled and politely said thank you sir but I knew that today I was going to make a slight difference in someone’s life. My patient was a 41 year old female who was HIV positive and had end stage renal failure. The nurse told me she was a bit difficult and refused her medications earlier in the day. When I walked into the room to meet her I was as polite and caring as possible. Surprisingly, I did my assessment and asked her plenty of questions with ease. She was a very sweet lady. I learned that the way you first approach a patient will establish a patient care relationship and how well the patient will cooperate with you.
-Joalize G
Jan.26.2010
Today was a long day at school. It was the second day of the Endocrine System Disorders. Out of all the disorders I learned about, the most interesting to me was Goiter. Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. This disorder is very interesting to me because the thyroid can be in a euthyroid state, which is a normal state, meaning it can be secreting its normal hormones but be excessively enlarged. The thyroid can be so large that you can see it protruding from your neck and if this is not treated on time the thyroid can obstruct you airway.
-Joalize G
Jan.27.2010
I went to my high school today to talk about the nursing program at Orlando Tech along with other technical centers and colleges. I had the opportunity to practice taking manual blood pressures. As students asked about the nursing program I took their blood pressures and answered their questions. I spoke to many students and I noticed that a lot of them want to be involved in the medical field. I believe the upcoming generation will be very successful in life and may put a stop to our medical staff shortage.
-Joalize G
Jan.28.2010
I had a wonderful day at clinical. I spent the afternoon working on a patient profile on the patient I had on Monday. A patient profile is like a research project on the condition my patient had and what the doctors did for her diagnosis. After working on my patient profile, Ms.Storma, my instructor gave us an assignment. She gave us a scenario of a critical patient who came into the ER with serious symptoms. Ms. Storma pretended to be the patient and we had to treat what we thought was the most serious of her symptoms first and do an assessment. We had to treat her like a real patient and then she critiqued us on how well we did our assessment. I think this was a great teaching technique and a wonderful way to learn. I learned that when a patient is critical the first thing you always do is check the patient’s respiratory status and make sure the patient has a patent airway.
-Joalize G
Jan.29.2010
I have the Endocrine System Disorders test on Tuesday. Today has been a study day. I read the last chapter on the Endocrine Disorders and made more flash cards. Flash cards are the best way for me to study. I have also started to do the review for the exam. I know I will do great on this test because I had a teacher teach me the material. I’m going to be studying all this weekend.
-Joalize G
Feb.01.2010
I took care of an elderly lady who was in the hospital for five days with diverticulitis but, she was going home. I was helping her get ready to go home by packing her personal belongings and she was so glad to be going home. As we were waiting for her family to pick her up, she was talking to me about how much she misses her family and her husband. When her husband walked into the room, she jumped out of her chair and they both ran to each other as if they haven’t seen each other in a long time. They gave each other a hug as if there was no tomorrow. I was so amazed to see how much they love and care for one another. The husband told me they have been married for 52 years. I noticed that he was so sweet and gentle with his wife. He told me that he meet his wife in South America when he worked in the army as a medic. The way they reacted to each other was so impressive to me because it made me realize that nurses not only can help a patient get well but the family themselves play a big role in how a patient feels. When this lady saw her husband, her face lit up with joy and happiness. It was wonderful to see a patient this happy.
-Joalize G
Feb.02.2010
I took the Endocrine Disorders exam this morning. I also started the Female Reproductive System Disorders class online. This class lasts two weeks, but there are a lot of assignments to do. There were two assignments due today. I am working very hard!
-Joalize G
Feb.03.2010
I found out today that I am in the top ten percent of my high school graduating class. I am so happy to know this because I work really hard and always do my best in school. I graduate from high school in about four months. That is very close. I am so thrilled to be starting a new stage in my life.
-Joalize G
Feb.04.2010
Today was my last day of clinical at ORMC because I start Obstetrics next week and go to a different hospital. My last day of clinical was busy. I had a patient with Chronic Pancreatitis who was in severe pain even with pain medication. Her pain was so intense that it contributed to a raise in blood pressure. Her blood pressure rose to 185/110 and this type of blood pressure can cause a heart attack or a stroke. The nurses called the rapid response team on my patient. Quickly, three nurses came into the room, one of which was an intensive care nurse, and two doctors. One doctor specialized in emergency medicine and ordered to give her Labetolol, which is an antihypertensive medication. One of the nurses took the patients blood pressure about every 5 minutes and in about 15-20 minutes her blood pressure dropped to 145/88. It was a great experience for me to see how all the nurses and doctors worked together to stabilize the patient.
-Joalize G
Feb.05.2010
Fridays are always study days. On Monday, I start my new Obstetrics class. I am so excited for this new class because I get to see a birth and learn about babies. Today, I am studying and preparing for my new class.
-Joalize G
Feb.8.2010
The first day of Obstetrics (OB) class. I am thrilled to learn about mothers and babies. I will not be going to clinical this week because we have to first learn how to care for pregnant women and newborns. Today, I learned about the history of OB and about different physicians who influenced this branch of medicine. One of the physicians that I believe made a big impact was Karl Crede. In 1884, Crede recommended instilling 2% silver nitrate into the eyes of newborns to prevent blindness caused by gonorrhea. Today, antibiotic ointment is used in the eyes of newborns to prevent blindness. Crede was very important and he helped save many babies from blindness.
-Joalize G
Feb.9.2010
The second day of OB was great. I saw a video on a mother giving birth. Loving someone you’ve never meet until birth makes the birthing process magical. To deliver another person into this world is beautiful and the first time expression of when moms hold their child for the first time is amazing. I look forward in seeing a live birth at the hospital and I’m excited to witness the true bond of mother and baby.
-Joalize G
Feb.10.2010
The only thing I have honestly done today is study. There is a lot of material to be learned in my OB class. When I start going to the hospital in about one week I want to be prepared and help the nurses as much as I can. To prepare myself, I am studying the chapters in my book.
-Joalize G
Feb.11.2010
Today in school, we mostly focused on the stages of labor. I learned that labor is a long process. I thought that women just deliver the baby quickly and that’s it but, I was wrong. Labor is a long process and women go through emotional and physiological changes. This is the time when mothers need the most support. My goal in the hospital is to provide support and comfort to parents during labor.
-Joalize G
Feb.12.2010
Friday, the last day of the school week. I learned how to care for newborns in the hospital. I think this has been the most joyful day of class because we learned all about babies. I always wondered if there was a specific doctor only for newborn babies and I learned that there is. This type of doctor is called a Neonatologist which specializes in newborn infants who are critically ill or premature.
Learning about newborn infants intrigued me so much that now I question which specialty of medicine I want to do. I love the excitement and action of emergency medicine but I also love babies. Neonatologists have the ability to save a newborn’s life. You never know what that baby you saved will become in life. The baby you save may be a person that changes the world. I will definitely do some research in this field of medicine.
-Joalize G
Feb.16.2010
My first OB test was today and it was super long. After the test, we learned about the different complications that can occur during pregnancy. I never realized how many things can go wrong during pregnancy. It’s unbelievable! If you don’t take care of the baby, he/she can be born with serious abnormalities or be very ill. Infections can travel through the placenta and infect the baby. Pregnancy can cause increased blood pressure and diabetes. It is very important for the mothers to eat well and drink vitamins to keep their immune system high and protect their babies.
-Joalize G
Feb.17.2010
Spent the day studying my skills for the hospital on Friday. I reviewed all my notes and started to make note cards for my test next week. I really likeObstetrics. It’s so captivating to me to see how a life forms in a woman’s womb.
-Joalize G
Feb.18.2010
Today was my first day at Winnie Palmer hospital and we had orientation. This hospital is specifically for women and babies. I think this hospital is amazing. The rooms look like hotel rooms and the people who works there are really sweet. When the teacher was orienting the nursery, I saw the cutest little newborn boy. This little boy had his eyes wide open and he was moving around while all the other little babies were quietly asleep. The baby was so adorable that all I wanted to do was hold him. I can’t wait until I get to go to the nursery for clinical.
-Joalize G
Feb.19.2010
I went to the Ante Partum unit at Winnie Palmer hospital. This floor is for women before they give birth. I really liked today because the nurse I was assigned to was great. I think she loves students because she taught me plenty of things and let me take care of all her patients. I had the opportunity to take care of a young woman with preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is when the mother’s blood pressure gets too high during pregnancy which can be very dangerous for the fetus. I had the chance to check and hear the baby’s heart tone through a monitor. That was so wonderful; I can definitely tell the mom loves to hear her baby’s heart. She starred at her belly with her arms wrapped around it and just listened. The baby boy’s heart beat was strong and fast. I also enjoyed hearing it.
-Joalize G
Feb.22.2010
Today I went to an OBGYN clinic. Today’s learning experience was great. At first, the clinic was a little slow, but then patients started arriving and after a while the clinic was too full. The clinic was getting fuller and fuller and I thought to myself “the doctors need to be quicker” because there was a lot of people. Then, I realized that the doctors need to give each patient the best care. If the doctors see patients really fast and in a hurry they may miss something important. Next time you go to a clinic and you have to wait a while just think that the doctors have to provide the best care to each patient including you. I had a patience lesson today. I like to do everything quickly and fast but sometimes you have to take things easy.
-Joalize G
Feb.23.2010
Had my second test in OB and I’m so glad I passed both tests. After the test we learned about the complications that can occur during labor and delivery. One very serious complication that can occur during labor is uterine rupture. A tear in the uterine wall can occur if the muscle cannot withstand the pressure inside the organ. It most likely occurs if the woman has had previous surgery on her uterus or intense labor contractions with oxytocin stimulation. This is very severe and can happen suddenly. Many things can go wrong during labor and the nurse has to be very aware of everything the patient is feeling because some things are unpredictable.
-Joalize G
Feb. 24.2010
I have a presentation due next Tuesday on Esophageal Atresia which is a newborn disorder. This presentation is a big part of our grade. I started to work on this project and know I will be working on it all through this weekend.
-Joalize G
Feb.25.2010
I think today has been the most amazing clinical day I have experienced. I was in the labor and delivery unit at Winnie Palmer Hospital. I got the chance to see a cesarean section and a vaginal delivery. Both deliveries were unexplainable. It is truly wonderful to see how emotions positively intensify when the mom is in labor. When the baby is born and you hear his first cry, you feel a sense of relief and joy. In my first delivery when the baby first cried, the mom and dad both started tearing with delight and happiness. As the mom first held her son in her arms I could see such an unexplainable love in her face that stunned me. She held him, softly felt his face, and counted all his toes. The mom was just so happy and overwhelmed with joy that I saw it in her eyes. This was wonderful and I enjoyed watching a delivery. I’m so glad I got to see the magical and emotional bond between a mother and son.
-Joalize G
Feb.26.2010
Another day in labor and delivery but unfortunately, this will be my last day in this unit. I am very happy I was able to experience the labor and delivery unit. The unit was very slow today during the morning hours and then around noon three patients delivered their baby around the same time. The patient I was with was having a surprise baby which means that the parents did not know the sex of the baby. Many people don’t do that nowadays and I thought that was really nice. The parents were so happy anticipating and waiting to deliver because they wanted to know if their baby was a boy or girl. When the mom delivered, the baby was a boy and the dad was so happy. The mom was happy too but the dad looked more thrilled to have a baby boy. The dad said, “I’m going to take my son fishing”. After he said this, everyone just started laughing and the atmosphere in the room was cheerful.
-Joalize G
Mar.01.2010
The beginning of a new month is a wonderful thing. I only have about two months of school left which is very exciting.
Today, I went to the mother and baby unit at the hospital. This unit is truly miraculous as you see how family members and parents react to their new child in their life. I saw this reaction when the nurse and I brought this beautiful baby girl to her parents. When we walked in the room the mom was extremely glad and you can see it in her face. The baby started to cry and the mom quickly got out of bed to hold the baby girl. As soon as she picked her up and heard her mom’s voice, the little girl quiet down and open her eyes as if she knew who her mom was. That was amazing to see because you can tell that when the mom holds her daughter it’s as if nothing else matters but her.
-Joalize G
Mar.02.2010
I had another test today and the students in my class including me presented our projects on neonatal disorders. My disorder is on Esophageal Atresia. My neonatal disorder is on Esophageal Atresia (EA) which is when the esophagus (swallowing tube) doesn’t connect to the stomach in the infant. The esophagus can end in a pouch or connect to the trachea (breathing tube). Can you imagine trying to eat and the food doesn’t go to the stomach, instead it goes through your breathing tube? You can choke and you won’t be able to eat anything. This is a very serious condition in newborns because they need nutrition.
-Joalize G
Mar.03.2010
I finish OB this Friday and on Monday I start pediatrics so today I am preparing for Pediatrics. I love working with children so I know I will enjoy this class.
-Joalize G
Mar.04.2010
I was in the nursery today with all the newborns. I enjoyed this so much! I fed them, bathe them, changed their diapers, and held them if they cried. It’s wonderful how life begins. Today, I saw little cute infants and they will all grow up one day to do something great. We were all that small and dependent but now we are all grown up. I realized today that life goes by really fast. One part of our life we are small starting elementary school and then all of a sudden when you realize it, you are going to college.
-Joalize G
Mar.05.2010
Today was the last day of OB and the last day at Winnie Palmer Hospital. I had a great last day. I saw another c-section and also went to the nursery. Those were the two most things I enjoyed while being in the hospital. I am so happy I was able to go through this class because it was a wonderful experience. Now, I can’t wait to see what pediatrics will bring.
-Joalize G
Mar.08.2010
Today was the first day of pediatric class. I believe I will enjoy this class as much as I enjoyed OB. In OB, I had the opportunity to learn and take care of newborns. Now, I will be learning and taking care of children in all ages. This is very exciting because I love children.
-Joalize G
Mar.09.2010
This whole week we are preparing to care for children because next Monday we start clinical. Today we learned about the developmental stages of infants and toddlers. One interesting fact I learned is that an infant’s weight doubles by six months and triples by one year of age. This was interesting to me because I realized that infants grow in a very fast pace.
-Joalize G
Mar.11.2010
Today we learned about common illnesses children catch, for example, ear infections. It is very common for children to get ear infections because the Eustachian tube in the ear is much shorter, wider, and straighter than the adults. This makes them more prone to ear infections. I have a 3 year old cousin and he gets a lot of ear infections. Now, I know why he gets them and I can inform his parents the reason why it is so common for children to acquire these infections.
-Joalize G
Mar.12.2010
As I was babysitting my three year old cousin, I realized that he had a really bad cough. Today, I learned about croup syndrome. Croup syndrome is a type of cough that sounds like a bark. It can be caused by a weakness in the airway wall and a floppy epiglottis that causes stridor (high pitch sound). Learning about croup syndrome helped me relive my cousin’s cough. I put a humidifier in his room and that helped relieve his cough. I love to use what I learned and apply it to my family.
-Joalize G
Mar.15.2010
Today, we had orientation in the children’s centers we will be attending for clinical. I saw many things today that broke my heart. I saw a child as young as 5 years old with a tracheotomy, children that have been abused which has caused them to become developmentally slow, and children who have been in a near drowning incident. I believe the most heart breaking stories are those of the children who have been physically abused and because of that have mental and emotional problems for life. These children have some sort of developmental delay that will impair them for life. The stories of the children are truly emotional and I am pleased to do my clinical with them. I am happy that I will have the opportunity to take care of children with illnesses because I know that they will feel love as I take care of them even if it’s for only for one day.
-Joalize G
Mar.16.2010
My first day at clinical was heart touching. I had the pleasure of taking care of a 4 year old boy who had hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, seizure disorder, and who was developmentally delayed. This little boy had a gastrostomy tube because he could eat with his mouth and he couldn’t walk or talk very much. As I first saw this child and looked in his beautiful hazel eyes I saw loneliness. You can tell in his eyes that he wasn’t happy. I know that even though he can’t talk to me, he can understand me. I took him on a walk outside the center to get some fresh air. The day was beautiful outside and we stopped to look at a lake. All I did was talk to him and blow bubbles and I heard him laugh. That was the most amazing feeling I have ever felt. I made him laugh which was wonderful. His laugh was so joyful that it filled my heart.
-Joalize G
Mar.17.2010
I have spent the whole day studying and preparing for my test tomorrow.
Working with children is wonderful and I am excited for my next clinical day.
-Joalize G
Mar.18.2010
The most interesting disease I learned about today was Kawasaki Disease. Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in the US. It usually affects children under five years of age. This disease causes an inflammation of the blood vessels which weakens the vessel walls often resulting in aneurysms. This disease is life threatening and very dangerous. -Joalize G
Mar.19.2010
I had another great day at clinical. I helped the nurse take care of six children. One of these children had Spina Bifida. This little boy was five years old and he was the sweetest kid I’ve meet. When he first saw me, he noticed that I was new and came running to meet me. He was so assertive, talkative, polite, and curious. He wanted to be next to me the whole day. It was wonderful to meet him and I enjoyed playing with him. I loved to look at his face because he looked so happy and that made me feel glad.
-Joalize G
Mar.22.2010
Had another wonderful day at clinical. In the center I went to the patients live there permanently. I worked with a 23 year old woman who has Spina bifida and Arnold Chiari Syndrome. This is a rare genetic disorder in which parts of the brain formed abnormally. The lady was a sweet heart. She treated everyone with love and was very happy. Her room was full of drawings she made and it was all decorated in pink. Noticing how she acted and how beautiful her room looked you can tell that her family really cared for her. Family is a big influence in how a patient feels. She was talking to her sister on the phone and this lady was so joyful. It would definitely be amazing if every patient reacted the same way as she did when she heard her sister on the phone. I love having patients who are happy because it makes you happy.
-Joalize G
Mar.23.2010
Today in school we learned about communicable diseases in young children. Children are always getting sick and that is because many of them go to daycares. If a child has a cold or chicken pox and they go to a daycare, most of the children there will also get sick. It is very important to teach children to always wash their hands and to cover their mouth when sneezing or coughing. Washing hands can help save lives.
-Joalize G
April.05.2010
A wonderful start to the week with a clinical day, today, I took care of a 13yr old girl who had a muscular disorder. She has no control of body movement but can talk and think like a normal teenager. She was just starting spring break and was so excited to be on vacation from school. When I introduced myself she was thrilled I was working with her because I am also a teenager. Today I learned that being a young nurse gives you some benefits because when you have young patients they can relate to you and talk to you because you’re young and you can understand some of their situations. I spent the whole day talking with this girl and she enjoyed having a young person talking to her.
-Joalize G.
April.06.2010
Today is my last pediatric clinical and my last week in pediatric class. I am really excited to move on to the next class which is Geriatrics. Todays clinical really touch my heart. I had a great opportunity to take care of a 5 year old that has had 5 major organ transplants. Because of all his transplants and being in the hospital he developed Autism from lack of maternal bonding. This truly is a sad story. During this day I spent every possible moment I could with him. I played with him, talked to him, and tried to make him feel he was loved.
-Joalize G.
April.08.2010
Today in school we presented power points on childhood diseases. My disease was Hirschprung’s Disease. This disease is caused when a baby is born without nerve cells in the intestine. Nerve cells in your intestine help move food through your bowel. If you don’t have these nerves the food stays in one place and doesn’t move causing a bowel obstruction. This can be very serious in children. I think I did well in my presentation and at the end; I asked questions and handed out candy which my class enjoyed.
-Joalize G
April.09.2010
The last day of Pediatrics is finally here. I am very happy to move on to the next class, Geriatrics. Geriatrics is my last class of nursing, and then I graduate May 14th from Orlando Tech. Today, I took two tests and did well on both. This weekend I will be preparing for the beginning of my new class on Monday.
April.12.2010
Today was orientation at the Health Central Park nursing center. This is the new location we are going to. I am so excited to start this new experience in a nursing home because I love elderly people. I look up to the elderly population because they are so experienced in life and can give you advice in just about anything. Elderly people are also the sweetest adults. As I was walking around the nursing center and passed the residents in the hallway most of them said, “Hello, how are you” with the biggest smile on their faces. That lets me know that we the students are welcome by the residents to the nursing center. That’s a really good feeling because you know that you’re going to have a great experience.
-Joalize G
April.13.2010
I spent the whole day doing online work because Geriatrics class is online. Studying and making drug cards for the start of clinical on Thursday.
-Joalize G
April.15.2010
The first day of clinical and I worked in the Alzheimer’s Unit. This unit is amazing! I helped feed the patients and talked to them all day. I met an elderly couple in this unit and you can tell they were so in love. The wife kept asking her husband, “Do you love me because you know I love you”. And the husband kept saying, “Sweetie you know I love you with all my heart”. They would hold hands and eat in the same table. The husband was in a wheelchair but the wife wasn’t and I saw that she took so good care of her husband that it awed me. I saw so much love and care in their eyes, that even though they had memory problems they remembered each other. -Joalize G
April.16.2010
Today, I was in the regular nursing care unit. I met a wonderful elderly lady who was a patient care technician for 40 years. She is a wonderful lady who told me all her experiences as a PCT. She told me about her stories when she was a student, she taught me a couple of things, and she also told me very touching stories. It is amazing how one person can remember her patient of 30-40 years ago. She was telling me about one cancer patient that she had who died in her arms. As she was explain the story she was crying as if it happened yesterday. Her life stories shocked me so much. She taught me one very important thing; always treat your patients with kindness and caring. She told me this because in her experiences some of her patient’s didn’t have family members that were loving with them, and if you are loving, it will change the patient’s life.
***
This is my last blog. I thank all of you for reading my blogs and encountering some of the experiences I have had. I am truly enlightened with the opportunity to have done these blogs. I hope you have enjoyed them.
Thank you
-Joalize G.
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