Monday, September 20, 2010

Last Semester

Welp, we're in the midst of yet another semester--but this time, it's our last! It's so bitter/sweet. The reality that we will soon be leaving one of the best universities in the country for our majors--where we've made tons of great friends and even more precious memories--first sat in when we bought our books for the last time. I love this university. It cares more about education than ratings and sports. I have had professors who are surgeons, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, doctors of anat. and phys., etc.  and have learned directly from them and been inspired by their passion. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be able to go into those professionals' offices and be instructed personally by them. Holy moly. Anyway--
This semester I started a preceptorship on the cardiac floor at EIRMC. From one night shift there with my amazing preceptor, I saw two codes, stood in the elevator with a dead man, inserted medications through a peg tube, performed tracheostomy suctioning, administered tons of medications, taught patients how to deal with their diseases, and lots of other things. Omgosh I've having so much fun. 
Being at this specific floor, I have to monitor heart sounds. And..umm..yeah..my stethoscope somehow got stepped on and the diaphragm is poking out and I can't hear a thing with it. Story of my life--especially since I just started clinical. Soooo, I begged my parents to give me an early graduation present--and here it is: 
It's the 3M Littmann Master Cardiology Stethoscope. Sorry, I don't mean to be annoying, bragging about things very limited people care about, I'm just finally having a really good time at clinical. For some reason my previous instructors thought I would enjoy being assigned to boring orthopedic patients with broken hips or recovering for total knees. Now I'm taking care of people with interesting pathophysiology. I know that with a heart attack, my patient most likely has valve damage, which means he will have an audible murmur. And then I know that he will experience decreased cardiac output and have all kinds of other problems. I feel like I'm finally applying the information I've been working so hard to master and it's a really satisfying feeling. I feel like I'm finally making a difference in the lives of my patients. Anyway, this stethoscope is the bomb. It picks of everything. People hard of hearing buy these babies. 
Gosh school is good. Too bad it had to wait until my last semester.