On a whim, I decided to go with a friend to a Hema-Québec clinic at school. I haven't donated blood in awhile, because they always ask at the Canadian Blood Society if you've donated in Quebec and it makes me paranoid somehow that they won't let me donate if I have. Plus, I have my super favourite CBS clinic at Hillcrest. Clean, bright, not too crowded and the best cookie selections. Having been multiple times to clinics at Westmount, U of T, TD Centre, College Street and Sheppard, I consider myself something of a connoisseur.
They do things a bit differently here. Instead of checking your blood for hemoglobin levels right after they ask about your address and phone number (so that they can tell you immediately whether you're eligible or not), they make you wait for ages until you're in the booth with a nurse. For someone who tends to have hemoglobin levels *just* below the required level from time to time, this is worth nitpicking.
I was watching my nurse as she was about to insert the needle into my vein. She said, "You're going to watch?" I said, "Yes, I'm a nursing student, so I want to learn." This made her, a nurse with 10 years of experience, nervous enough that she went through the vein to the other side. Perhaps at this point, I should have looked away, but I couldn't. I watched as she pulled the needle out ever so slowly back into the vein. Even then, it took awhile for the blood to flow properly and they'd only gotten 250mL (out of 450mL) by the time the vein stopped being good. This has happened only once before and that time, the only thing left to do was getting blood cultures, so they used a smaller needle on my other arm.
My point is, this is a nurse with 10 years of experience who gets nervous just because I'm watching her. What's going to happen to me when I have to do this with my patients while my teacher watches? Anyone who's seen me play video games knows that I get very squealy when monsters/zombies/enemy soldiers/a particularly difficult section in Rock Band appear. But I like to think that when it comes to something really serious, I'm steady under pressure.
God, I hope so.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
I am a professional. Do not try this at home.
I did a sternal rub on myself. OUCH. OW, dammit.
Since I am going to be working at the Neuro, I've been reviewing neurovital signs and level of consciousness (LOC) assessments. If a client can't be aroused by calling their name softly, shouting or even shaking, the next step is to cause pain. A sternal rub is when you take your fist and knead your knuckles firmly into one's sternum for 15 to 30 seconds. This causes severe pain and may result in bruising. Don't try it. I know you want to, but don't do it.
Why did I do a sternal rub on myself? Because I wanted to know if it really hurt. Why I couldn't just trust the various textbooks, videos and lectures that all tell me that it's painful and causes the maximum response in everyone, I'll never know. I am, after all, the same person who headbutted my brother to see if it would hurt. But I've learned my lesson now, so I won't be trying a trapezius pinch or periorbital pressure on myself.
By the way, I totally wrote the sternal rub instructions up there so that you would all try it on yourselves. MOOAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, the delicious evility!
Since I am going to be working at the Neuro, I've been reviewing neurovital signs and level of consciousness (LOC) assessments. If a client can't be aroused by calling their name softly, shouting or even shaking, the next step is to cause pain. A sternal rub is when you take your fist and knead your knuckles firmly into one's sternum for 15 to 30 seconds. This causes severe pain and may result in bruising. Don't try it. I know you want to, but don't do it.
Why did I do a sternal rub on myself? Because I wanted to know if it really hurt. Why I couldn't just trust the various textbooks, videos and lectures that all tell me that it's painful and causes the maximum response in everyone, I'll never know. I am, after all, the same person who headbutted my brother to see if it would hurt. But I've learned my lesson now, so I won't be trying a trapezius pinch or periorbital pressure on myself.
By the way, I totally wrote the sternal rub instructions up there so that you would all try it on yourselves. MOOAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, the delicious evility!
Monday, January 12, 2009
I'm not yet in my late 20s!
Birthdays are not a big deal with my family. I mean, look at my parents. They left for Panama early this morning for two weeks. Yes, they called last night to wish me a happy birthday and then they were off to warmer climes! Lucky lucky bums.
My 26th birthday began with the alarm ringing at 7 in the morning to wake me up for my first day at the Montreal Neurological Institute. Awesome. I must say that I'm feeling very lucky in all of my clinical placements so far (well, except for Maimonides). They're always easy to access (again, except for Maimonides) and they're very pleasant places to work once you become familiar with the environment. The MNI is about a 15-minute walk from my apartment, which is SO nice. It's a bit uphill, but it means I can sleep in a bit more on these cold cold mornings.
Do you remember the Heritage Minute commercials on TV? I don't think they play them on TV much anymore, but I loved watching them. Especially the one about the first female doctors in Canada. Mrs. Trout (what a name!) ripping the piece of paper from the anatomical drawing of naked male and throwing it to the ground.
Anyway, I mention them, because Dr. Penfield, who built the MNI, has his own Heritage Minute.
I was able to watch a brain surgery for 45 minutes in the very same operating room theatre where Dr. Penfield did his seizure surgeries. Hundreds of doctors from all over the world watched him work in that theatre! It was great. We arrived in the OR theatre just as they were pulling off the scalp after a bifrontal incision (from ear to ear above the forehead). We could see the skull! The surgeon started drilling two holes down to the dura layer. Bits of bone started flying everywhere and the surgeon started putting something called bone wax into the holes using his fingers. This is when I started to clutch my face in awe. I'm not very squeamish and then only time I ever felt faint was when I cut my finger with a serrated knife. Then the surgeon started using a punch to chip away at the hole to make it bigger. Hooah.
I'll be starting my clinical course on the surgical floor on Wednesday and I'll get a chance later in the term to see a surgery from start to finish in the OR. I'm very excited.
The nursing girls in my group kept asking what I was going to do for my birthday, which was kind of embarrassing, considering that I don't like to make a big deal out of it. It's not because I am no longer 22 (what I have randomly decided to be the best age in young adulthood) and slowly feel the grip of adult responsibilities on my shoulder. It's just a day! I have also just remembered that Koreans turn a year older automatically on New Year's. So when Koreans ask each other how old they are, the age they give is usually one more than their real age. Then they also give their real age ("mahn"). So right now, my New Year age and my real age match up. But my brother is 22 and mahn 21. Get it? That was a bit of digression.
So what did I do on my birthday?
I came home, took a nap, had some lovely mangoes to celebrate and got nice phone calls from friends and Facebook congratulations. ^_^
Also, happy 26th birthday to my Birthday Buddy, Brenda!
My 26th birthday began with the alarm ringing at 7 in the morning to wake me up for my first day at the Montreal Neurological Institute. Awesome. I must say that I'm feeling very lucky in all of my clinical placements so far (well, except for Maimonides). They're always easy to access (again, except for Maimonides) and they're very pleasant places to work once you become familiar with the environment. The MNI is about a 15-minute walk from my apartment, which is SO nice. It's a bit uphill, but it means I can sleep in a bit more on these cold cold mornings.
Do you remember the Heritage Minute commercials on TV? I don't think they play them on TV much anymore, but I loved watching them. Especially the one about the first female doctors in Canada. Mrs. Trout (what a name!) ripping the piece of paper from the anatomical drawing of naked male and throwing it to the ground.
Anyway, I mention them, because Dr. Penfield, who built the MNI, has his own Heritage Minute.
I was able to watch a brain surgery for 45 minutes in the very same operating room theatre where Dr. Penfield did his seizure surgeries. Hundreds of doctors from all over the world watched him work in that theatre! It was great. We arrived in the OR theatre just as they were pulling off the scalp after a bifrontal incision (from ear to ear above the forehead). We could see the skull! The surgeon started drilling two holes down to the dura layer. Bits of bone started flying everywhere and the surgeon started putting something called bone wax into the holes using his fingers. This is when I started to clutch my face in awe. I'm not very squeamish and then only time I ever felt faint was when I cut my finger with a serrated knife. Then the surgeon started using a punch to chip away at the hole to make it bigger. Hooah.
I'll be starting my clinical course on the surgical floor on Wednesday and I'll get a chance later in the term to see a surgery from start to finish in the OR. I'm very excited.
The nursing girls in my group kept asking what I was going to do for my birthday, which was kind of embarrassing, considering that I don't like to make a big deal out of it. It's not because I am no longer 22 (what I have randomly decided to be the best age in young adulthood) and slowly feel the grip of adult responsibilities on my shoulder. It's just a day! I have also just remembered that Koreans turn a year older automatically on New Year's. So when Koreans ask each other how old they are, the age they give is usually one more than their real age. Then they also give their real age ("mahn"). So right now, my New Year age and my real age match up. But my brother is 22 and mahn 21. Get it? That was a bit of digression.
So what did I do on my birthday?
I came home, took a nap, had some lovely mangoes to celebrate and got nice phone calls from friends and Facebook congratulations. ^_^
Also, happy 26th birthday to my Birthday Buddy, Brenda!
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