Times up and its starting again

Aged care is over, I walked out of that place and it felt soooo good. Well sort of, my favourite lady has asked me to go back and visit and I will. Just as long I don't have to work there ever again.

My pharmacology essay has been given an extension until Monday which should be good for me. Only problem is that I have to figure out a way to hand in it cause I'll be on another movie shoot from 8am til 5pm which is when I have to hand in the assignment. So thinking needs to be done.

I was on a movie shoot today, I got to play an attractive police woman recpetionist who gets hit on by the lead. It was fun, we almost got in trouble by the police cause we were using police uniforms and apparently thats illegal. So that was a very interesting conversation that was had with four pigs hehehe. It could have been very stressful for the producer and director, it still is really because they can still take away the footage. We will just have to wait and see.

All and all things are looking up!

Drug chart hell

Yesterday at Aged Care I was down and low care and I was again down there today and guess what its crap! Yesterday I wasn't even allowed to give eye drops and the residents are grumpy and I had just had enough. The nurse I was meant to be working with didn't like me. So today I was shunted off told she didn't want me around and that I was to date all the drug charts.

Their drug charts last for something like 6 months so I was writting 1 to 30 or 31 and the month on 143 different people charts. I was so pissed off, I know that I only have one more day there and I'm only there until 12 but you know what I have bloody had it.

Writting dates on charts all day is by my understand NOT nursing. Nor is it part of my job as a student to be doing those tasks. We were told that we were to work with the nurse in charge, it is not fair for her to say no I don't want you just do this and stay out of my way. Gee what a great teacher.

Tomorrow can't come to soon...stupid aged care!

Cooking, Pirates and Lois Lane

I did no work this weekend and in fact I feel better for it. Instead I was cooking, the menu included:

• Terriyaki and Soy Chicken and veggie stir fry with noodles - very yummy, so I was told
• Pancakes with ice cream and maple syrup - also very good, each pancake got better
• Rogan josh curry with veal on lots of rice and with plain yogurt - mmmmm

Actually there is a story involved with the maple syrup. We didn't have any and me and my boyfriend wanted pancakes. Well you just can't have pancakes with able the maple, people that have just lemon and sugar are weird!! So we drove down to the shops...just to get the syrup. We ended up leaving with bacon, kabbana, coke, ice coffee, mint chocolate milk, biscuits and I'm sure I have forgotten something....oh yeh the maple syrup. And all that wasn't cheap either! It was then decided in future if we ever have to do a complete shop for everything we take a list and stick to it. Cause well otherwise who knows what might have happened.

Apart from cooking on Saturday night I went with my boyfriend and some other mates to see Pirates 3. It was great. They all complained it had to many story lines and they didn't finish off any stories, they didn't sum everything up. But well I liked that there were so many stories, cause I could get lost in that world. Also cause they didn't sum everything up it means there could be another one. There are already rumours going around that there will be a forth. YAY! Johnny Deep is the best anyway, I love him as Captain Jack, hes so funny. I think I could just watch him for three hours! Word of advice, from my boyfriend cause he made us do this...stick around until after the credits even though they go for ages...its worth it. Today I went and saw my boyfriends sister in her muscial which she has been traveling around Australia with. She plays Lois Lane in the musical Kiss Me Kate and she was amazing. Its so cool that I could say that I'm going out with her brother! She plays the best Marlin look-a-like. She had 47 family members and relatives there watching her today, I couldn't have performed to so many family members like she did...it was very cool.

Another day of aged care awaits tomorrow but I only have three more days there...the end is near!

It's all over

The test was done and yesterday and well parts of it weren't great, I just kind of hope that everyone else didn't do to well as well as me. It knd of becomes a bit depressing when you do so much work and study, and then you get this test and questions don't make sense etc etc.

I still have another essay to write and few more assignments but today I just cannot be bothered do uni work maybe I'll start tomorrow I probs won't though.

My boyfriend is watching this movie 'Boys Don't Cry' at the moment and its gross and disguisting I just can't watch it. Its about this girl who thinks or well feels she is a guy, so she dress up as one. At one point these two disguisting guys rape him/she (I dont know what to call him/her). I guess I really just can't watch that kind of stuff at all. Makes feel wrong and stuff cause its such a crime, I don't know how people can do that.

All this for tomorrow

Everything that has been done of past week or so, everything that I have been working on today. My study notes, finishing assignments etc has all been for tomorrow. Tomrrow at 11:10 I have to sit down and actually try and remember at least some of the stuff I have been reading.

So now I need sleep as it is already nearly tomorrow.

Fried Brains

Haley left the big brother house last night...I know I can't believe I watch that show, but some how I find myself addicted to it. I liked haley, but I also feel sooo sorry for Andrew he seems really sweet. I couldn't do that, go on big brother, I'd miss my man to much. How very soppy!

Anyway I'm not going to continue to talk about that cause I would just seem sad, however it is a great distraction form STUDYING! I am so very over studying. My brain has been fried and its only Wednesay, I've still got another day or so before my test on Friday. But my god I just don't want to do anymore.

I've actually got really nothing to write about cause my brain is so fried, its all jus blah blah blah wah wah wah siiiizzzzzlllleeee!

The Production line

Well I finally finished my case study today, thats 1,968 words all written and one of the last things on my production line, of things to finish before the end of the semester. Things left to do are:

1. Mid-term test


2. Hand up completed group conecpt map


3. Write case study on a completmentary therapy


4. Finish my aged care work book


5. Health assessment on cardiovascular system


6. Final discussion board topic


7. Combined end of semester exam


8. and finally....structured clinical assessment

Eight things left to do...not much at all...really. Yesterday I took rehearsals for one of the short films being produced at the moment. It was four little kids, they are very clever. It was lots of fun, just hope I was doing what the director wanted.

One piece of negative news was the my Great Aunt Kay passed away today at 12pm. These things happen, I guess I've gotten use to people passing away now since I started nursing. Plus she was 85 years old which is a great age to live to, so I guess I'm not upset really, just a little bit sad.

Tomorrow is another day of study before my big test on Friday...another thing on the production line of getting my degree I guess.

Just Relax

This weekend although I studied, I was actually a very relaxing weekend. A lot of stress has been taken off my boyfriends shoulders which means I'm not stress for him as well. So we just kind of spent to weekend relaxing around each others houses...and I studied!

Not so stressed about my exam/test at the end of the week. I don't know why I'm just not which is a good thing.

One negative however is that my Great Aunt Kay who has been in hospital not well. She has had a clot in her lung. But I got the message today that she has had a stroke, so I had to tell my Mum which is never fun. She has regained her speech but she has lost movement in her right side. Another bad thing is that her kidneys are failing, which is really the start of organ failure, her lungs aren't functioning well and they can't control her potassium levels. So we all know she is on the way out, but still not great news.

I got to kill zombies again today, got told about a new zombie game and its online. It is on one of the guys blog who also makes films...its: http://artscool.cfa.cmu.edu:16080/~lee/deanimator.html

But really all in all it was a really relaxing weekend.

Second Year Blues

Today, I did not want to get out of bed, but I did. To tell the truth even though the day had ups and downs I am glad that I did.

Cause I've been doubting this career choice and been talking to my boyfriend heaps about it. So I thought why not talk to one of my lectures that I have really good relationship. I pretty much told him everything, how much I wasn't enjoying the course, that I didn't feel needed at the aged care facility and I feel like I'm drowing with the amount of study. I told him that I need to feel needed, I need someone to be ringing the bell needing my help. He told me that the desire for me to be needed is innate, that they want nurses like me, who just want to help.

He also told me that there is such thing as second year blues, it even happened to him. It's where students question their course, don't know what they are doing or what they want. So he told me I just need to stick things about cause I am going to love next year because it is all acute care nursing like theatre etc.

Another thing which made me feel good was that cause he helps run the course along with another guy he would make sure that in no way would I fail cause they don't want to lose me in this course.

However the day wasn't all positives we (my boyfriend and me) had some set-backs about the film and locations. But we are slowly trying to nut things out, think of new ideas etc. Everything always works out though, and thats a promise!!

Wednesday update - hit and run?

I've already posted today, but well I have to post this now cause it won't be as interesting tomorrow.

I was about to drive my boyfriend home and we were just about to pull out of my drive when he spotted flashing ambulance lights. So we jumped out to see what was going on like all noisey neighbours should do. So we watched for awhile and then ambulance drove off, so I yelled at to the guy helping put the person on the ambulance was everything alright.

He said that a young boy, his young boy had been skate boarding and had been in an accident. So I checked if he was alright and wished him the best of luck, cause well he didn't think anything was broken but he just didn't seem right...never a great sign.

So thinking back to earlier that evening about 45mins before we left home, I had heard a scretching car noises...but at that point I dismissed. But when I got home mum had said that the police had been around the area, and I told her about the accident.

According to some impulsive conclusions...there could have been a hit and run on my street! FREAKY STUFF!

A very bludgie few days...sort of

Well its a Wednesday and so far this week I have only been at aged care for an hour cause well Monday I didn't want to go, cause I feel useless there so I drove around with my boyfriend for a bit looking for locations...again. Tuesday didn't want to go...for the same reason so I spent some of the day studying and writting a case study and then I went down to help with auditions. We casted a villian. He was sooo scarey cause I had to read line with him, very intimidating when acting, but the nicest guy when hes not acting. And well today I was there for an hour, cause well they thought I didn't look or sound very well and they heard how much work I've got on, so they sent me home...how nice of them.

So apart from film stuff, which I am really enjoying helping out with there is the nursing side of things. So much study has to be done and assignments I feel a bit like I'm in really deep water and getting tired of trying to stay floating. Cause in aged care, I don't feel like I am nursing, so I feel very lost. Cause I'm feeling lost I think its making me think twice about this career choice. Which is bad cause I'm like half way through. So taking my boyfriends advice I am just going to try and stick it out, pass all these exams etc.

Hopefully my head won't be so muddle when I go to my next placement...only four more days of aged care to go!!

Killing Zombies and Mother's Day

Yesterday was a good day...in fact a very good day. I came home from my boyfriends after really nice night of relaxing infront of a fire and learning to play chess. Which I suck at by the way, but he did say I am getting better. Yay for me! So after coming home I can proudly say I did six whole hours of study...six whole hours!

The stuff that a was actually study actually went into my little old brain and I can still actually retain stuff. So I am quite excited about that, I am actually excited about learning. So as my reward me and my boy went to the arcade the killed shit! I actually beat him in one game..shooting game, killing zombies...thats right a tiny little girl beat my big strong tall boyfriend. Hehehehe I am not going to stop rubbing that in cause well he beats me at most of things.

So after a night of killing things, today was Mother's Day, we had a big family thing. Which can become awakward at times. Things did turn out alright. Kept my mum and grandma happy which is the most important thing to me. So happy Mother's Day Mum!

Uni, assignments and everything else

Today is another uni day...booooring! I have skipped a few lectures with a group of girls so we can finish this assignment on concept maps. This assignment is actually really stupid, cause a part from doing a concept map we have to write a 1000 word essay on how we constructed the map and how well we worked together as a group. I mean geezzz kind of a waste of our time.

Wednesday was a crappy day at the nursing home we were only there from 7 til 12 because we had to go and do a Eyes, Ears, Nose and Mouth assessment on each other. So my morning at the nursing home consisted on not one but two drug rounds. I have come to realise that these nurses I work with take waay to long on the drug rounds when they could go much quicker. I don't know how they could go quicker, but they could. I didn't even really get to have a good chat to my favourite lady today, especially when I really wanted to after Tuesday. But I hope I'll get a good chance to next week.

Stress levels have kind of risen and then fell but are on the way up again today. I have finished two assignments and handed them up today and also finished my aged care work book which was good. However I still have this huge case study and this test which is looming over my head. Despartely trying to think how I am going to do all this.

The other day I seriously thought about quitting nursing and this course, not sure about things at the moment. I am trying to think that it may just but aged care and all the assignments getting to me, but I just don't know. My boyfriend has been really supportive telling me I can get through this and its just a rough patch in the year. Hope he's right!

Never just a hop and a jump

Well today could have been reeeaaally boring cause well there was two of us students up in aged care today which means that there is even less for us to do. So I thought well I can start some of my uni work which I have to get done in next few weeks. Also want to get most of my assignments done before I really have to get my head down in my books.

However plans kind of changed once I got talking to my favourite lady with the trachy (she is now offically the favourite). I have decided to do my case study on her, cause I find it easy to talk to her and she has some really interesting medical conditions. So I went in to just ask her a few things about her life story. Well what I thought would be a few minutes turned into few hours. Which well isn't really a bad thing.

So in the few hours this lady was talking to me, I have she has inspired me so much. She has had such a life, travelled so many places, lived through two world wars...like man what a life. The best thing she told me was "Never think you can't do anything, because there are lesser more ordinary people out there doing the exact thing you think you can't do. So the skys the limit but make sure you climb every rung on the ladder. Because its never just a hop and a jump its a hop skip and a jump" I know thats full of metaphors....but when you think about it, she is so very right!

Open Day

Today was the open day of my aged care facillity cause it was their 40th birthday. All these big wigs turned up and made boring speaks to the resisdents who I don't think understood them or realised what was going on. I think they were more interested in the tea and cakes they were about to get. Boy I wish I could have been like that...instead I had to try and stay awake. Waking up at 5am to get to work, doesn't make staying awake during boring speeches any easier.

So there were speeches and the usual 3hr drug rounds, which is never interesting. My favourite lady has conguctivities which isn't nice for the poor thing, you would think she would get a break considering she has a trachy and finds it hard to sleep. But I guess its just a cruel cruel world sometimes. Other than drugs I have decided I am studying and researching assignments. So some of my day was spent looking up information about patients and assessment programs. The other part was study.

I did meet someone really interesting today. This gentleman was a very declerated army officer during various wars. He spent a lot of time in Cario during the war and was telling me stories of his leave trips with the boys to 'Nightclubs' and 'Jazz bars' with the British air force nurses. Which is where he meet to wonderful women. He was telling me how on both occassions he was with the lads and they went up to bunch of girls and he ask this stunner for a dance. This particular stunner introduced herself and she was believe it or not KATHERINE HEPBURN. He actually danced with and went on to play golf with her for few days, and they meet up most times he was on leave. He has letters from her and everything, which is really cool. To top things off he had the exact same experience with Vivien Leigh (from Gone with the Wind).

After work I helped out with short film auditions for both my boyfriends and few other friends doing the same course. I got to help coach and assist in casting children which is heaps of fun. I have actually been asked to coach the kids they cast to help them prepare for the film. And nursing is also coming in handy cause I have been asked to be the Personal Safety Officer...woow I wonder if I'll get a badge?

A Day of Study...sort of

Well after a night of Spider-man 3...which by the way was really good despite bad reviews. Only thing was that maybe it had to many villians. Anyway I had to get home from my boyfriends early in morning for a day of study.

So I had huge plans to study all day but they were ruined when well...I ran out of flash cards. So more have to be bought tomorrow after another dull day at aged care. Planning on actually reviewing my notes etc. while I'm at aged care cause well I don't do anything there, so I am going to make the most out of my time there by studying.

Today I reviewed inflamation, cell death, especially necrosis, apoptosis and acute/chronic responses. It all kind of gets boring after a while. Especially when its stuff you should see when you are working at a hospital but I am not. Meh so over aged care, I really should stop complaining. So I guess we will see how tomorrow goes.

Mid-term...and free comic books

Friday was awful, so stressful. We got told when our mid-term was and its on the same day we have huge aged care case study due and group assignments on mandatory reporting. The mid-term is meant to be on first 6 weeks of pathophysiology and first four weeks of pharmacology. Which doesn't sound to bad except well we have 3 pathophysiology lectures per week and two pharmacology lectures...and well thats a lot of content to cover and prepare for...in just two weeks. I mean I am still freaking about the online test that I did...now I get told I have two weeks to learn more stuff. EEEKK!

So well I have had a freak out, mini break down and well now I have a plan...flash cards for every lecture to be done by tomorrow night, Monday at the latest. Have to my study days the week of test and must have case study and group assignment done by end of next week.

On a positive note...got starbucks for breakfast this morning...my favourite drink there venti coffee based carmel frappacinno with cream...gotta have the cream otherwise just not worth having. Also got taken along to a free comic book day. I am just kind of new to whole comic book thing thanks to my boyfriend. I thought it was like geeky thing, but I have actually enjoyed reading them.

On the note of reading...hi jonny!

I'm off to see spiderman 3 tonight even though it has gotten bad reviews, I've seen first two in the cinema so I have to see 3rd there too. Movies is my reward for afternoon of study. I am nearly half way through my pathophysiology notes and flash cards...more to be done tomorrow. But spierman awaits me...

Rainy day with a mood to match

Raining today, and well we have offically started our Aged Care work and well...it sucks. All we are doing in this place is paper work and drugs. Its not even paper work, its all done on the computers in this place. The nurses that I have been working with can only type with one finger, so everything takes forever. On the last day just to spend things up I offered to type, it took my 30minutes instead of the usual 3 hours. The drug rounds are boring and take hours cause there are so many people and they take forever to take their medications.

I usually really like old people but well by Wednesday I was sooo over them. However there are two ladies I adore, but I never get to spend much time with them because well the nurse never lets me, cause that kind of interaction is the carers jobs..which is bull really.

The first lady has a trachy, which is the only reason she is in the place. She is by fair one of the smartest women I have ever met, she can do cryptic cross words so fast...I cant even a cyriptic cross word. She also loves to talk, but cause she has a trachy she has to put her finger over the tube in her neck to talk, but that doesnt stop her. When she laughs she forgets to cover the tube and her laugh then sounds like this weezy noise. Its real cute. She also gives the thumbs up constantly.

The second lady has demintia, she forgets things alot, but she always means well. She is very sweet and always asks heaps of questions, cause she constantly trying to remember things.

They are the only two positives of my three days there...otherwise it is so depressing. So I have become grumpy and tired cause I have to travel an hour in the morning to get to work, and then work long day. Plus try and help my boyfriend with his film, and study. I am becoming really worn out.

Uni sucks at the moment, we had to do an online test and man it was sooo hard, I could barely answer three questions before I had to use my books and notes for the rest. It has really freaked me out, cause if this is just an online test, how am I going to cope with the mid-semester. So I am deprespartly trying to think of new ways to study.

I stole one idea of grey's anatomy...flash cards! So I am off the make flash cards to lower stress levels and sleep to erase the grump.